Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 316.520 (2025)
Loads on vehicles.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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316.520 Loads on vehicles.—
(1) A vehicle may not be driven or moved on any highway unless the vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, shifting, leaking, blowing, or otherwise escaping therefrom, except that sand may be dropped only for the purpose of securing traction or water or other substance may be sprinkled on a roadway in cleaning or maintaining the roadway.
(2) It is the duty of every owner and driver, severally, of any vehicle hauling, upon any public road or highway open to the public, dirt, sand, lime rock, gravel, silica, or other similar aggregate or trash, garbage, any inanimate object or objects, or any similar material that could fall or blow from such vehicle, to prevent such materials from falling, blowing, or in any way escaping from such vehicle. Covering and securing the load with a close-fitting tarpaulin or other appropriate cover or a load securing device meeting the requirements of 49 C.F.R. s. 393.100 or a device designed to reasonably ensure that cargo will not shift upon or fall from the vehicle is required and shall constitute compliance with this section.
(3)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.
(b) Any person who willfully violates the provisions of this section which offense results in serious bodily injury or death to an individual and which offense occurs as a result of failing to comply with subsections (1) and (2) commits a criminal traffic offense and a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(4) The provision of subsection (2) requiring covering and securing the load with a close-fitting tarpaulin or other appropriate cover does not apply to vehicles carrying agricultural products locally from a harvest site or to or from a farm on roads where the posted speed limit is 65 miles per hour or less.
History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 1, ch. 73-174; s. 1, ch. 74-111; s. 1, ch. 76-31; ss. 5, 235, ch. 99-248; ss. 70, 106, ch. 2002-20; s. 4, ch. 2002-235; s. 1, ch. 2020-135.
Note.—Former s. 316.198.
Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 316.520
M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd§316.520(3b)MOVING TRAFFIC VIOLVEHICLE LOAD ESCAPE CAUSE INJURY DEATH
Civil Citations under F.S. 316.520
Driver's license points · R = revocation · S = suspension§316.520UNSECURED LOAD (See 318.19(4)) - mandatory hearing
§316.520UNSECURED LOAD - Resulting in serious bodily injury or death (criminal)
§316.520(1)Drop/Secure Load (Infraction)
§316.520(1)Drop/Secure Load Injury/Death (Criminal)
§316.520(2)Drop/Secure Load (Infraction)
§316.520(2)Drop/Secure Load Injury/Death (Criminal)
§316.520(3)Drop/Secure Load Injury/Death (Criminal)
§316.520(3)(b)Drop/Secure Load Injury/Death (Criminal)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2
cases, 1995–2018 · leading case: State Farm Mut. Auto. etc. v. Denise Lorraine Hanania, 261 So. 3d 684 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018).
State Farm Mut. Auto. etc. v. Denise Lorraine Hanania, 261 So. 3d 684 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018). “See §§ 316.520 & 316.525, Fla. Stat. (2008). Thus, the trial court properly denied State Farm’s motion for directed verdict and submitted the case to the jury.”
Garcia v. State, 662 So. 2d 1293 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995). “Deputy Connolly stopped Garcia, purportedly for violating section 316.520, Florida Statutes (1993), carrying an unsecured load.”
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