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Florida Statute 317.0017 - Full Text and Legal Analysis Florida Statute 317.0017 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Fla. Stat. § 317.0017 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
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.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 317.0017

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd
§317.0017(1a)FORGERY OFALTER FORGE ATV DOCUMENTSF · 3rd
§317.0017(1b)POSSESS FORGEDKEEP USE ALTERED FORGED ATV DOCUMENTSF · 3rd
§317.0017(1c)POSSESS STOLEN PROPPROCURE PASS DOCUMENTS FOR STOLEN ATVF · 3rd
§317.0017(1d)FRAUDPOSS SELL CONCEAL ATV WITH ALTERED VINF · 3rd
§317.0017(1e)FRAUD-FALSE STATEMENTGIVE FALSE INFO ON ATV DOCUMENTSF · 3rd
§317.0017(2)FRAUDUSE INVALID UNLAW ATV DOCS GET GOODS SERVICESF · 3rd
§317.0017(3)FRAUDUSE UNLAW ATV TITLE OBTAIN GOODS SERVICESF · 3rd
§317.0017(4)FRAUDPOSSESS SELL UNLAWFUL ATV DOCUMENTSF · 3rd
§317.0017(5)FRAUDPOSSESS SELL MFGR UNLAWFUL ATV VIN PLATEF · 3rd

Cases Citing F.S. 317.0017

Fla. Stat. § 317.0017 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
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·Ratner v. Arrington, 111 So. 2d 82 (Fla. 3d DCA 1959).

Cited 47 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

Duke, Fla. 1949, 42 So.2d 361, which held that § 317.17, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., requiring motor vehicle accident
3 red2 yellow13 green0 procedural
OverruledPerdue (1962)
phrase: "overruling"
DisapprovedGray (1962)
phrase: "disapproved in"
DisapprovedCaley (1961)
phrase: "disapproving"
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·Herbert v. Garner, 78 So. 2d 727 (Fla. 1955).

Cited 14 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida

v. Stewart, 227 Iowa 1273, 290 N.W. 700. F.S. § 317.17, F.S.A., forbids the use in evidence at any trial
0 red0 yellow2 green0 procedural
Cited as authorityLoBue (1980)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authority(citing case) (1969)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·Stevens v. Duke, 42 So. 2d 361 (Fla. 1949).

Cited 27 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1949 Fla. LEXIS 999

signed by the driver to be forwarded to Purtle. Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, 1941, F.S.A. provides that
1 red1 yellow2 green0 procedural
Receded fromRomano (1984)
phrase: "receding from"
DistinguishedCoffey (1968)
phrase: "distinguishing"
Cited as authorityRomano (1983)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·Sottilaro v. Figueroa, 86 So. 3d 505 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012).

Cited 7 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal | 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 1787, 2012 WL 385493

statements come within the protective cloak of § 317.17 F.S.A. The latter section, as previously noted
0 red3 yellow9 green3 procedural
Limited(citing case) (2025)
phrase: "limited by"
LimitedEvans (2017)
phrase: "limited by"
LimitedHeller (2017)
phrase: "limited by"
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·Nash Miami Motors, Inc. v. Ellsworth, 129 So. 2d 704 (Fla. 3d DCA 1961).

Cited 8 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

render reports to the department." Further, section 317.17, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., provides in part as follows:
0 red0 yellow3 green0 procedural
Cited as authorityElder (1978)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityCoffey (1968)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityGoodis (1965)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·Ippolito v. Brener, 89 So. 2d 650 (Fla. 1956).

Cited 9 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida

deposition appears to be within the privilege of F.S.A. § 317.17. This privilege was interpreted fully in Stevens
0 red0 yellow2 green0 procedural
Cited as authority(citing case) (1969)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityWiggen (1966)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·Williams v. Scott, 153 So. 2d 18 (Fla. 2d DCA 1963).

Cited 9 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

testimony should have been excluded under Fla. Stat. § 317.17 F.S.A.[1] The testimony of the officer was as
0 red0 yellow2 green0 procedural
Cited as authoritySottilaro (2012)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityMeehan (1968)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·S. Life & Health Ins. Co. v. Medley, 161 So. 2d 19 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964).

Cited 8 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

court sustained the objection on the basis of § 317.17 *21 Fla. Stat., F.S.A.,[1] to the effect that
0 red0 yellow1 green0 procedural
Cited as authoritySalama (1995)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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Sea Crest Corp. v. Burley, 38 So. 2d 434 (Fla. 1949).

Cited 8 times | Published | Supreme Court of Florida | 1949 Fla. LEXIS 1224

posed for adjudication the question viz: Does section 317.17, F.S.A., render a statement or admission made
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·Lobree v. Caporossi, 139 So. 2d 510 (Fla. 2d DCA 1962).

Cited 5 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

report of such accident to the department." Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., is as follows: "All
0 red0 yellow1 green2 procedural
Cited as authoritySottilaro (2012)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cert. deniedSpurlin (1988)
phrase: "cert. denied"
Cert. deniedCaporossi (1962)
phrase: "certiorari denied"
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Hancock v. McDonald, 148 So. 2d 56 (Fla. 1st DCA 1963).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

they were privileged under the provisions of Section 317.17, Florida Statutes, as statements made to an
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·Rosenfeld v. Johnson, 161 So. 2d 703 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964).

Cited 2 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

41; 35 Fla.Jur., Witnesses, § 240, et seq. Section 317.17 Fla. Stat., F.S.A., which makes motor vehicle
0 red0 yellow1 green0 procedural
Cited as authorityProbkevitz (2009)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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Kaplan v. Roth, 84 So. 2d 559 (Fla. 1956).

Published | Supreme Court of Florida

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 an Orange Park personal injury and workers' comp lawyer, a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney (Florida Bar No. 39104). Attorney Syfert regularly handles Chapter 317 matters in the context of vehicle regulation and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.