Fla. Stat. § 509.144 — Florida Code / Title XXXIII / Chapter 509 / Part I / Section 509.144
509.144 Prohibited handbill distribution in a public lodging establishment; penalties.
Status: in_force

(1) As used in this section, the term: (a) “Handbill” means a flier, leaflet, pamphlet, or other written material that advertises, promotes, or informs persons about a person, business, company, or food service establishment but does not include employee communications permissible under the National Labor Relations Act, other communications protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or communications about public health, safety, or welfare distributed by a federal, state, or local governmental entity or a public or private utility. (b) “Without permission” means without the expressed written permission of the owner, manager, or agent of the owner or manager of the public lodging establishment where a sign is posted prohibiting advertising or solicitation in the manner provided in subsection (5). (c) “At or in a public lodging establishment” means any property under the sole ownership or control of a public lodging establishment.

(2) Any person, agent, contractor, or volunteer who is acting on behalf of a person, business, company, or food service establishment and who, without permission, delivers, distributes, or places, or attempts to deliver, distribute, or place, a handbill at or in a public lodging establishment commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(3) Any person who, without permission, directs another person to deliver, distribute, or place, or attempts to deliver, distribute, or place, a handbill at or in a public lodging establishment commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Any person sentenced under this subsection shall be ordered to pay a minimum fine of $500 in addition to any other penalty imposed by the court.

(4) In addition to any penalty imposed by the court, a person who violates subsection (2) or subsection (3): (a) Shall pay a minimum fine of $2,000 for a second violation. (b) Shall pay a minimum fine of $3,000 for a third or subsequent violation.

(5) For purposes of this section, a public lodging establishment that intends to prohibit advertising or solicitation, as described in this section, at or in such establishment must comply with the following requirements when posting a sign prohibiting such solicitation or advertising: (a) There must appear prominently on any sign referred to in this subsection, in letters of not less than 2 inches in height, the terms “no advertising” or “no solicitation” or terms that indicate the same meaning. (b) The sign must be posted conspicuously. (c) If the main office of the public lodging establishment is immediately accessible by entering the office through a door from a street, parking lot, grounds, or other area outside such establishment, the sign must be placed on a part of the main office, such as a door or window, and the sign must face the street, parking lot, grounds, or other area outside such establishment. (d) If the main office of the public lodging establishment is not immediately accessible by entering the office through a door from a street, parking lot, grounds, or other area outside such establishment, the sign must be placed in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance to such establishment, and the sign must face the street, parking lot, grounds, or other area outside such establishment.

(6) Any personal property, including, but not limited to, any vehicle, item, object, tool, device, weapon, machine, money, security, book, or record, that is used or attempted to be used as an instrumentality in the commission of, or in aiding and abetting in the commission of, a person’s third or subsequent violation of this section, whether or not comprising an element of the offense, is subject to seizure and forfeiture under the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act.

History: s. 2, ch. 2005-183; s. 12, ch. 2011-119.