Fla. Stat. § 496.415 — Florida Code / Title XXXIII / Chapter 496 / Section 496.415
496.415 Prohibited acts.
Status: in_force

It is unlawful for any person in connection with the planning, conduct, or execution of any solicitation or charitable or sponsor sales promotion to:

(1) Operate in violation of, or fail to comply with, the requirements of ss. 496.401-496.424.

(2) Submit false, misleading, or inaccurate information in a document that is filed with the department, provided to the public, or offered in response to a request or investigation by the department, the Department of Legal Affairs, or the state attorney.

(3) Make misrepresentations or misleading statements to the effect that any other person or organization sponsors or endorses such solicitation, approves of its purpose, or is connected therewith, when that person or organization has not given written consent to the use of its name.

(4) Represent that the contribution is for or on behalf of a charitable organization or sponsor or to use any emblem, device, or printed matter belonging to or associated with a charitable organization or sponsor, without first being authorized in writing to do so by the charitable organization or sponsor.

(5) Use a name, symbol, emblem, device, service mark, or statement so closely related or similar to that used by another charitable organization or sponsor that the use thereof would mislead the public.

(6) Falsely state that he or she is a member of or represents a charitable organization or sponsor, or falsely state or represent that he or she is a member of or represents the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Space Force, National Guard, or a law enforcement or emergency service organization.

(7) Misrepresent or mislead anyone by any manner, means, practice, or device whatsoever to believe that the person or organization on whose behalf the solicitation or sale is being conducted is a charitable organization or sponsor, or that any of the proceeds of the solicitation or sale will be used for charitable or sponsor purposes, if that is not the fact.

(8) Represent that a charitable organization or sponsor will receive a fixed or estimated percentage of the gross revenue from a solicitation campaign greater than that identified in filings with the department pursuant to ss. 496.401-496.424, or that a charitable organization or sponsor will receive an actual or estimated dollar amount or percentage per unit of goods or services purchased or used in the charitable or sponsor sales promotion that is greater than that agreed to by the commercial co-venturer and the charitable organization or sponsor.

(9) Use or exploit the fact of registration or the filing of any report with any governmental agency so as to lead any person to believe that such registration in any manner constitutes an endorsement or approval by the state. However, use of the statement required in s. 496.411(3) or s. 496.412(1)(c) is not a prohibited use or exploitation.

(10) Make misrepresentations or misleading statements to the effect that the donation of a contribution or the display of any sticker, emblem, or insignia offered to contributors will entitle such other person to any special treatment by emergency service employees or law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.

(11) Solicit contributions from another person or organization while wearing the uniform of an emergency service employee or law enforcement officer, or while on duty as an emergency service employee or law enforcement officer, except where the solicitation is for an organization exempt from federal income tax under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or except when soliciting contributions to benefit an emergency service employee or law enforcement officer who has been injured in the line of duty or to benefit the family or dependents of an emergency service employee or law enforcement officer who has been killed in the line of duty.

(12) Solicit contributions on behalf of another person or organization using any statement that the failure to make a contribution shall result in a reduced level of law enforcement services being provided to the public or the person solicited.

(13) Employ in any solicitation any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud or to obtain a contribution by means of any deception, false pretense, misrepresentation, or false promise.

(14) Notify any other person by any means, as part of an advertising scheme or plan, that the other person has won a prize, received an award, or has been selected or is eligible to receive anything of value if the other person is required to purchase goods or services, pay any money to participate in, or submit to a promotion effort.

(15) Fail to provide complete and timely payment to a charitable organization or sponsor of the proceeds from a solicitation campaign or a charitable or sponsor sales promotion.

(16) Fail to apply contributions in a manner substantially consistent with the solicitation.

(17) Fail to identify his or her professional relationship to the person for whom the solicitation is being made.

(18) Fail to remit to a charitable organization or sponsor the disclosed guaranteed minimum percentage of gross receipts from contributions as required under s. 496.410(7)(c) or, if the solicitation involved the sale of goods, services, or tickets to a fundraising event, the percentage of the purchase price as agreed in the contract or agreement as required under this chapter.

(19) Commingle charitable contributions with noncharitable funds.

(20) Solicit or accept contributions or anything of value from a foreign source of concern. (a) For a first violation of this subsection, this prohibited act is considered involuntary, and shall result in no punitive action from the department if the charitable organization satisfies all of the following requirements: 1. Provides the department with a solicitation or contribution form containing an attestation from such foreign source or country of concern in which the person, country, or entity falsely certifies that they are not a foreign country of concern as defined in s. 496.404(13) or a foreign source of concern as defined in s. 496.404(14); 2. Provides the department with a copy of a refund to the foreign source or country of concern within 30 days after notification by the department of the prohibited act; and 3. Provides the department with a plan of action to prevent the acceptance of contributions from a foreign country or source of concern in future solicitation activities by the charitable organization. (b) A second or subsequent violation of this subsection is considered voluntary, and the charitable organization or sponsor is subject to the penalties specified in s. 496.419(5) at the discretion of the department.

History: ss. 14, 26, ch. 91-208; ss. 10, 19, ch. 94-287; s. 564, ch. 97-103; s. 1, ch. 2010-181; s. 13, ch. 2013-251; s. 17, ch. 2014-122; s. 6, ch. 2018-84; s. 15, ch. 2022-183; s. 43, ch. 2025-22.