Florida Statute 317.0017 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 317
OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE TITLING

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317.0017 Offenses involving vehicle identification numbers, applications, certificates, papers; penalty.—

(1) A person may not:

(a) Alter or forge any certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle or any assignment thereof or any cancellation of any lien on an off-highway vehicle.

(b) Retain or use such certificate, assignment, or cancellation knowing that it has been altered or forged.

(c) Procure or attempt to procure a certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle, or pass or attempt to pass a certificate of title or any assignment thereof to an off-highway vehicle, knowing or having reason to believe that the off-highway vehicle has been stolen.

(d) Possess, sell or offer for sale, conceal, or dispose of in this state an off-highway vehicle, or major component part thereof, on which any motor number or vehicle identification number affixed by the manufacturer or by a state agency has been destroyed, removed, covered, altered, or defaced, with knowledge of such destruction, removal, covering, alteration, or defacement, except as provided in s. 319.30(4).

(e) Use a false or fictitious name, give a false or fictitious address, or make any false statement in any application or affidavit required under this chapter or in a bill of sale or sworn statement of ownership or otherwise commit a fraud in any application.

(2) A person may not knowingly obtain goods, services, credit, or money by means of an invalid, duplicate, fictitious, forged, counterfeit, stolen, or unlawfully obtained certificate of title, registration, bill of sale, or other indicia of ownership of an off-highway vehicle.

(3) A person may not knowingly obtain goods, services, credit, or money by means of a certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle, which certificate is required by law to be surrendered to the department.

(4) A person may not knowingly and with intent to defraud have in his or her possession, sell, offer to sell, counterfeit, or supply a blank, forged, fictitious, counterfeit, stolen, or fraudulently or unlawfully obtained certificate of title, bill of sale, or other indicia of ownership of an off-highway vehicle or conspire to do any of the foregoing.

(5) A person, firm, or corporation may not knowingly possess, manufacture, sell or exchange, offer to sell or exchange, supply in blank, or give away any counterfeit manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal used for the purpose of identifying an off-highway vehicle. An officer, agent, or employee of any person, firm, or corporation, or any person may not authorize, direct, aid in exchange, or give away, or conspire to authorize, direct, aid in exchange, or give away, such counterfeit manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal. However, this subsection does not apply to any approved replacement manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal issued by the department or any state.

(6) A person who violates any provision of this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Any off-highway vehicle used in violation of this section constitutes contraband that may be seized by a law enforcement agency and that is subject to forfeiture proceedings pursuant to ss. 932.701-932.704. This section is not exclusive of any other penalties prescribed by any existing or future laws for the larceny or unauthorized taking of off-highway vehicles, but is supplementary thereto.

History.—s. 55, ch. 2005-164.

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Amendments to 317.0017

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 317.0017

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S317.0017 1a - FORGERY OF - ALTER FORGE ATV DOCUMENTS - F: T

S317.0017 1b - POSSESS FORGED - KEEP USE ALTERED FORGED ATV DOCUMENTS - F: T

S317.0017 1c - POSSESS STOLEN PROP - PROCURE PASS DOCUMENTS FOR STOLEN ATV - F: T

S317.0017 1d - FRAUD - POSS SELL CONCEAL ATV WITH ALTERED VIN - F: T

S317.0017 1e - FRAUD-FALSE STATEMENT - GIVE FALSE INFO ON ATV DOCUMENTS - F: T

S317.0017 2 - FRAUD - USE INVALID UNLAW ATV DOCS GET GOODS SERVICES - F: T

S317.0017 3 - FRAUD - USE UNLAW ATV TITLE OBTAIN GOODS SERVICES - F: T

S317.0017 4 - FRAUD - POSSESS SELL UNLAWFUL ATV DOCUMENTS - F: T

S317.0017 5 - FRAUD - POSSESS SELL MFGR UNLAWFUL ATV VIN PLATE - F: T

Cases Citing Statute 317.0017

Total Results: 13

Ratner v. Arrington

111 So. 2d 82

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 9, 1959 | Docket: 1727977

Cited 47 times | Published

Duke, Fla. 1949, 42 So.2d 361, which held that § 317.17, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., requiring motor vehicle accident

Stevens v. Duke

42 So. 2d 361, 1949 Fla. LEXIS 999

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Oct 11, 1949 | Docket: 3267549

Cited 27 times | Published

signed by the driver to be forwarded to Purtle. Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, 1941, F.S.A. provides that

Herbert v. Garner

78 So. 2d 727

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Feb 11, 1955 | Docket: 1412846

Cited 14 times | Published

v. Stewart, 227 Iowa 1273, 290 N.W. 700. F.S. § 317.17, F.S.A., forbids the use in evidence at any trial

Williams v. Scott

153 So. 2d 18

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 26, 1963 | Docket: 1327794

Cited 9 times | Published

testimony should have been excluded under Fla. Stat. § 317.17 F.S.A.[1] The testimony of the officer was as

Ippolito v. Brener

89 So. 2d 650

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Sep 12, 1956 | Docket: 1257433

Cited 9 times | Published

deposition appears to be within the privilege of F.S.A. § 317.17. This privilege was interpreted fully in Stevens

Southern Life & Health Insurance Company v. Medley

161 So. 2d 19

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 25, 1964 | Docket: 1522465

Cited 8 times | Published

court sustained the objection on the basis of § 317.17 *21 Fla. Stat., F.S.A.,[1] to the effect that

Nash Miami Motors, Inc. v. Ellsworth

129 So. 2d 704

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 11, 1961 | Docket: 1471379

Cited 8 times | Published

render reports to the department." Further, section 317.17, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., provides in part as follows:

Sea Crest Corporation v. Burley

38 So. 2d 434, 1949 Fla. LEXIS 1224

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 25, 1949 | Docket: 3267133

Cited 8 times | Published

posed for adjudication the question viz: Does section 317.17, F.S.A., render a statement or admission made

Sottilaro v. Figueroa

86 So. 3d 505, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 1787, 2012 WL 385493

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 8, 2012 | Docket: 60307690

Cited 7 times | Published

statements come within the protective cloak of § 317.17 F.S.A. The latter section, as previously noted

Lobree v. Caporossi

139 So. 2d 510

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 14, 1962 | Docket: 532750

Cited 5 times | Published

report of such accident to the department." Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., is as follows: "All

Hancock v. McDonald

148 So. 2d 56

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 3, 1963 | Docket: 1451538

Cited 4 times | Published

they were privileged under the provisions of Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, as statements made to an

Rosenfeld v. Johnson

161 So. 2d 703

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 3, 1964 | Docket: 426784

Cited 2 times | Published

41; 35 Fla.Jur., Witnesses, § 240, et seq. Section 317.17 Fla. Stat., F.S.A., which makes motor vehicle

Kaplan v. Roth

84 So. 2d 559

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 13, 1956 | Docket: 64487495

Published

Herbert v. Garner, Fla.1955, 78 So.2d 727. Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., forbids the use

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. Attorney Syfert regularly works with Chapter 317 in the context of vehicle regulation and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.