Florida Statute 458.327 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXXII
REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS

Chapter 458
MEDICAL PRACTICE

View Entire Chapter

458.327 Penalty for violations.—

(1) Each of the following acts constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084:

(a) The practice of medicine or an attempt to practice medicine without a license to practice in Florida.

(b) The use or attempted use of a license which is suspended or revoked to practice medicine.

(d) Attempting to obtain or obtaining a position as a medical practitioner or medical resident in a clinic or hospital through knowing misrepresentation of education, training, or experience.

(e) Knowingly operating, owning, or managing a nonregistered pain-management clinic that is required to be registered with the Department of Health pursuant to s. 458.3265(1).

(f) Dispensing a controlled substance listed in Schedule II or Schedule III in violation of s. 465.0276.

(2) Each of the following acts constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083:

(a) Knowingly concealing information relating to violations of this chapter.

(b) Making any willfully false oath or affirmation whenever an oath or affirmation is required by this chapter.

(c) Referring any patient, for health care goods or services, to a partnership, firm, corporation, or other business entity in which the physician or the physician’s employer has an equity interest of 10 percent or more unless, prior to such referral, the physician notifies the patient of his or her financial interest and of the patient’s right to obtain such goods or services at the location of the patient’s choice. This section does not apply to the following types of equity interest:

1. The ownership of registered securities issued by a publicly held corporation or the ownership of securities issued by a publicly held corporation, the shares of which are traded on a national exchange or the over-the-counter market;

2. A physician’s own practice, whether he or she is a sole practitioner or part of a group, when the health care good or service is prescribed or provided solely for the physician’s own patients and is provided or performed by the physician or under the physician’s supervision; or

3. An interest in real property resulting in a landlord-tenant relationship between the physician and the entity in which the equity interest is held, unless the rent is determined, in whole or in part, by the business volume or profitability of the tenant or is otherwise unrelated to fair market value.

(d) Leading the public to believe that one is licensed as a medical doctor, or is engaged in the licensed practice of medicine, without holding a valid, active license.

(e) Practicing medicine or attempting to practice medicine with an inactive or delinquent license.

(f) Knowingly prescribing or dispensing, or causing to be prescribed or dispensed, controlled substances in a nonregistered pain-management clinic that is required to be registered with the Department of Health pursuant to s. 458.3265(1).

History.—ss. 1, 8, ch. 79-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 32, ch. 85-175; ss. 17, 25, 26, ch. 86-245; s. 23, ch. 88-1; s. 86, ch. 91-224; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 81, ch. 92-149; s. 165, ch. 94-119; s. 209, ch. 97-103; s. 48, ch. 2000-318; s. 5, ch. 2010-211; s. 5, ch. 2011-141.

F.S. 458.327 on Google Scholar

F.S. 458.327 on CourtListener

Amendments to 458.327

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 458.327

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

S458.327 1a - HEALTH-SAFETY - PRACTICE MEDICINE WITHOUT ACTIVE LICENSE - F: T

S458.327 1b - HEALTH-SAFETY - USE SUSPENDED OR REVOKED MEDICAL LICENSE - F: T

S458.327 1c - HEALTH-SAFETY - OBTAIN MEDICAL LIC BY MISREPRESENTATION - F: T

S458.327 1d - HEALTH-SAFETY - OBTAIN MEDICAL POSITION BY MISREPRESENTATION - F: T

S458.327 1e - HEALTH-SAFETY - OWN OPERATE NONREGISTERED PAIN CLINIC - F: T

S458.327 1f - DRUGS-HEALTH OR SAFETY - DISPENSE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE II OR III - F: T

S458.327 2a - HEALTH-SAFETY - CONCEAL VIOLATION OF MEDICAL LICENSE LAW - M: F

S458.327 2b - HEALTH-SAFETY - MAKE FALSE OATH RE MEDICAL LICENSE LAW - M: F

S458.327 2c - HEALTH-SAFETY - REFER PATIENT W/O REQUIRED NOTICE - M: F

S458.327 2d - HEALTH-SAFETY - MISLEAD PUBLIC ABOUT MEDICAL LICENSE - M: F

S458.327 2e - HEALTH-SAFETY - PRACTICE MEDICINE W INACTIVE DELINQ LIC - M: F

S458.327 2f - HEALTH-SAFETY - PRESCRIBE DISPENSE CONTROL SUB NONREGIS CLINIC - M: F

Cases Citing Statute 458.327

Total Results: 9

Fla. Medical Ass'n v. Dept. of Prof. Regulation, 426 So. 2d 1112 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983).

Cited 22 times | Published

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

...hin the "practice of medicine," which the legislature has declared to be the exclusive domain of physicians licensed under Chapter 458 [14] . The practice of medicine or attempt to practice medicine without a license is a felony of the third degree. Section 458.327 (Florida Statutes)....

Fla. Optometric Ass'n v. DEPT. OF PRO. REG., BD. OF OPTICIANRY, 567 So. 2d 928 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).

Cited 14 times | Published

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal | 1990 WL 129106

...ice of medicine," which the legislature has declared to be the exclusive domain of physicians licensed under Chapter 458. [footnote omitted]. The practice of medicine or attempt to practice medicine without a license is a felony of the third degree. Section 458.327 (Florida Statutes)....

Bernal v. DEPT. OF PROF. REGULATION, 517 So. 2d 113 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987).

Cited 13 times | Published

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 1987 WL 3386

...ring Officer as found by the Hearing Officer. Patients were endangered by the fact that unlicensed persons, persons who had not established their ability to practice medicine with skill and safety, were practicing medicine, which is a felony. See section 458.327, Florida Statutes....

Hanft v. Church (In Re Hanft), 315 B.R. 617 (S.D. Fla. 2002).

Cited 7 times | Published

District Court, S.D. Florida | 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27603, 2004 WL 2203772

...rs of continuing medical education requirements. On October 14, 1991, the Florida Department of Professional Regulation filed an administrative complaint regarding Appellant's practice of medicine without an active license in violation of FLA. STAT. § 458.327(1)(a)....

Church v. Hanft (In Re Hanft), 274 B.R. 917 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 2002).

Cited 4 times | Published

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida. | 15 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 128, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 237, 39 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 74

...On October 14, 1991, the Department of Professional Regulation filed an administrative complaint regarding Dr. Hanft's practice of medicine with an inactive license. The administrative complaint charged Dr. Hanft with practicing without an active license in violation of F.S. § 458.327(1)(a)....

STATE OF FLORIDA v. WILLIAM CRUMBLEY, 247 So. 3d 666 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2018).

Published

District Court of Appeal of Florida

the registration of pain management clinics. Section 458.327(1)(e) criminalizes the knowing operation, ownership

Board of Medicine v. Mata, 561 So. 2d 364 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1990).

Published

District Court of Appeal of Florida | 1990 Fla. App. LEXIS 3105, 1990 WL 57791

probable cause to believe that Mata had violated section 458.327(l)(a), which makes the practice or attempt

Mendizabal v. Hernandez-Abreu (In re Hernandez-Abreu), 506 B.R. 307 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 2014).

Published

United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Florida.

various provisions of Chapter 458. Fla. Stat. § 458.327. In particular, Chapter 458 requires a physician

Baker v. State, 501 So. 2d 17 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1986).

Published

District Court of Appeal of Florida | 12 Fla. L. Weekly 121, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 10983

PART. DAUKSCH, COBB and SHARP, JJ., concur. . § 458.327(1)(a), Fla.Stat. (1985). . The jury found Tracy

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.