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Florida Statute 14.022 - Full Text and Legal Analysis Florida Statute 14.022 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Fla. Stat. § 14.022 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
14.022 Governor; emergency powers to quell violence.
(1) The Governor of Florida is hereby authorized and empowered to take such measures and to do all and every act and thing which she or he may deem necessary in order to prevent overt threats of violence or violence, to the person or property of citizens of the state and to maintain peace, tranquillity, and good order in the state, and in any political subdivision thereof, and in any area of the state designated by the Governor.
(2) The Governor when, in her or his opinion, the facts warrant, shall, by proclamation, declare that, because of unlawful assemblage, violence, overt threats of violence, or otherwise, a danger exists to the person or property of any citizen or citizens of the state and that the peace and tranquillity of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, or any area of the state designated by the Governor, is threatened, and because thereof an emergency, with reference to said threats and danger, exists. In all such cases when the Governor shall issue a proclamation as herein provided she or he shall be and is hereby further authorized and empowered, to cope with said threats and danger, to order and direct any individual person, corporation, association, or group of persons to do any act which would in the Governor’s opinion prevent danger to life, limb, or property, prevent a breach of the peace or the Governor may order such individual person, corporation, association, or group of persons to refrain from doing any act or thing which would, in the Governor’s opinion, endanger life, limb, or property, or cause, or tend to cause, a breach of the peace, or endanger the peace and good order of society, and shall have full power by appropriate means to enforce such order or proclamation.
(3) The Governor, upon the issuance of a proclamation as provided for in subsection (2), is hereby authorized and empowered to take and exercise any, either, or all of the following actions, powers, and prerogatives:
(a) Call out the military forces of the state (state militia) and order and direct said forces to take such action as in the Governor’s judgment may be necessary to avert the threatened danger and to maintain peace and good order in the particular circumstances.
(b) Order any sheriff or sheriffs of this state, pursuant to a proclamation as herein provided, to exercise fully the powers granted them, and each of them, under s. 30.15(1)(f) (suppress tumults, riots, and unlawful assemblies in their counties with force and strong hand when necessary) and to do all things necessary to maintain peace and good order.
(c) Order and direct the State Highway Patrol, and each and every officer thereof, to do and perform such acts and services as the Governor may direct and in the Governor’s judgment are necessary in the circumstances to maintain peace and good order.
(d) Authorize, order or direct any state, county, or city official to enforce the provisions of such proclamation in each and every and all of the courts in the state by injunction, mandamus, or other appropriate legal action.
(4) The Governor is hereby authorized and empowered to intervene in any situation where there exists violence, overt threats of violence to persons or property and take complete control thereof to prevent violence, or to quell violence or any disturbance or disorder which threatens the peace and good order of society.
(5) The powers herein granted are supplemental to and in aid of powers now vested in the Governor under the constitution, statutory laws and police powers of said state.
(6) The provisions of this section shall continue in full force and effect until otherwise amended.
History.ss. 1-6, ch. 31390, 1956; s. 2, ch. 61-239; s. 2, ch. 65-95; ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 18, ch. 78-95; s. 2, ch. 91-95; s. 34, ch. 95-147.

Cases Citing F.S. 14.022

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·Lawton Chiles, Jr., Bob Martinez, Metro. Dade Cnty., Intervenors-Appellants v. Richard Thornburgh, Attorney Gen. of the United States, 865 F.2d 1197 (11th Cir. 1989).

Cited 211 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 13 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1302, 1989 U.S. App. LEXIS 1767, 1989 WL 6270

...me because as the chief law enforcement officer of the State of Florida he must “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” Fla. Const. Art. 4, § 1, and this duty includes protecting the public from threats of violence. See also Fla.Stat. § 14.022 (governor can take action to “prevent overt threats of violence or violence to person or property of citizens of the state”)....
1 red2 yellow134 green5 procedural
Overruled(citing case) (1991)
phrase: "overruling"
Distinguished(citing case) (2022)
phrase: "distinguishing"
Distinguished(citing case) (2022)
phrase: "distinguishing"
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·Abusaid v. Hillsborough Cnty. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 405 F.3d 1298 (11th Cir. 2005).

Cited 60 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 6341, 2005 WL 858296

...the governor’s authority to remove him in extraordinary circumstances. Also in extraordinary circumstances, the governor retains the authority to enlist sheriffs to help keep the peace. The governor, upon declaration of a state of emergency, see Fla. Stat. § 14.022(2), may “[o]rder any sheriff or sheriffs of this state, pursuant to a proclamation as herein provided, to exercise fully the powers granted them, and each of them, under § 30.15(1)(f) (suppress tumults, riots, and unlawful assemblies in their counties with force and strong hand when necessary) and to do all things necessary to maintain peace and good order.” Id. § 14.022(3)(b)....
1 red2 yellow51 green0 procedural
Receded from(citing case) (2007)
phrase: "receded from"
Cited "but see"Couser (2020)
phrase: "but see"
Limited(citing case) (2014)
phrase: "limited by"
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·Dream Defenders v. Governor of the State of Florida (11th Cir. 2023).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

...law, the governor has the authority to “[o]rder any sheriff . . . to exercise fully the powers granted . . . [to] suppress tumults, riots, and unlawful assemblies in [his] count[y] with force and strong hand when necessary.” Fla. Stat. § 14.022(3)(b)....
0 red0 yellow12 green0 procedural
Cited as authority(citing case) (2025)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authority(citing case) (2025)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authority(citing case) (2025)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·City of Miami Beach v. Jonathon Corp., 238 So. 2d 516 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1970).

Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1970 Fla. App. LEXIS 6019

Eminent Domain, § 155; 4 Nichols on Eminent Domain, § 14.22, p. 525 (3rd ed. 1962). They point out that failure
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Cited as authority(citing case) (2004)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authority(citing case) (1976)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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Dream Defenders v. Governor of the State of Florida (11th Cir. 2023).

Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

...law, the governor has the authority to “[o]rder any sheriff . . . to exercise fully the powers granted . . . [to] suppress tumults, riots, and unlawful assemblies in [his] count[y] with force and strong hand when necessary.” Fla. Stat. § 14.022(3)(b)....

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney (Florida Bar No. 39104). For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.