Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 910
       
       
        
       By Senator Mayfield
       
       
       
       
       
       19-01305-26                                            2026910__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to parking on public property;
    3         creating s. 316.1971, F.S.; defining the terms “public
    4         property” and “publicly owned buildings or
    5         facilities”; requiring local governments to refund
    6         owners of vehicles who pay fees to park on specified
    7         public property in certain circumstances; requiring
    8         local governments to carry over any unused portion of
    9         time for the benefit of the next vehicle owner who
   10         pays a fee to park on such public property in certain
   11         circumstances; prohibiting certain vehicles from being
   12         towed or issued a traffic citation for a specified
   13         time period after being parked on specified public
   14         property; prohibiting local governments from allowing
   15         private business entities or enterprises to use
   16         specified public property for private parking purposes
   17         for a fee; providing construction; providing an
   18         effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Section 316.1971, Florida Statutes, is created
   23  to read:
   24         316.1971 Parking on public property.—
   25         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   26         (a) “Public property” means any publicly owned way or place
   27  used by vehicles, including, but not limited to, streets,
   28  roadways, highways, parking garages, and metered or timed
   29  parking spaces or parking lots.
   30         (b) “Publicly owned buildings or facilities” means a
   31  building or facility owned by a state or local governmental
   32  entity or agency. The term includes any building or facility
   33  owned by a state university or Florida College System
   34  institution.
   35         (2) A local government shall refund an owner of a vehicle
   36  who pays a fee to park on public property, including public
   37  property associated with publicly owned buildings or facilities,
   38  any portion of such fee if the owner does not use the allotted
   39  time. In the event a refund is not possible, the local
   40  government shall carry over any unused portion of time for the
   41  benefit of the next vehicle owner who pays a fee to park on the
   42  same public property.
   43         (3) If a vehicle is parked on public property, including
   44  public property associated with publicly owned buildings or
   45  facilities, in violation of a county or municipal law or
   46  ordinance governing parking:
   47         (a) The vehicle may not be towed until at least 12 hours
   48  have elapsed from the time the vehicle was parked, if parked on
   49  a street, roadway, or highway; or
   50         (b) The vehicle owner may not be issued a traffic citation
   51  until at least 2 hours have elapsed from the time the meter or
   52  allotted time expired, if parked in a metered or timed public
   53  parking space, public parking lot, or public parking garage.
   54         (4) A local government may not allow a private business
   55  entity or enterprise to use public property for private parking
   56  purposes for a fee.
   57         (5) This section does not prohibit the governing body of a
   58  county or municipality, with respect to public property under
   59  its jurisdiction, from regulating the parking of vehicles for
   60  any purpose.
   61         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.