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Florida Statute 509.143 - Full Text and Legal Analysis Florida Statute 509.143 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Fla. Stat. § 509.143 (2026) Copy Cite Official Site Syfertize CourtListener Amendments
509.143 Disorderly conduct on the premises of an establishment; detention; arrest; immunity from liability.
(1) An operator may take a person into custody and detain that person in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time if the operator has probable cause to believe that the person was engaging in disorderly conduct in violation of s. 877.03 on the premises of the licensed establishment and that such conduct was creating a threat to the life or safety of the person or others. The operator shall call a law enforcement officer to the scene immediately after detaining a person under this subsection.
(2) A law enforcement officer may arrest, either on or off the premises of the licensed establishment and without a warrant, any person the officer has probable cause to believe violated s. 877.03 on the premises of a licensed establishment and, in the course of such violation, created a threat to the life or safety of the person or others.
(3) An operator or a law enforcement officer who detains a person under subsection (1) or makes an arrest under subsection (2) is not civilly or criminally liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, or unlawful detention on the basis of any action taken in compliance with subsection (1) or subsection (2).
(4) A person who resists the reasonable efforts of an operator or a law enforcement officer to detain or arrest that person in accordance with this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, unless the person did not know or did not have reason to know that the person seeking to make such detention or arrest was the operator of the establishment or a law enforcement officer.
History.s. 1, ch. 86-174; ss. 14, 52, ch. 90-339; s. 4, ch. 91-429.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 509.143

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd
§509.143(4)RESIST OFFICERRESIST DETENTION ARREST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFCM · 1st
§509.143(4)CRIMES AGAINST PERSONRESIST DETENTION PUBLIC LODGE OPERATORM · 1st

Cases Citing F.S. 509.143

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·Lawson v. City of Miami Beach, 908 F. Supp. 2d 1285 (S.D. Fla. 2012).

Cited 3 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2012 WL 6155342

...One of the officers replied, “F— Obama, see if he can help you now.” The officers then handcuffed Lawson, put him in the back of a police vehicle, and took him to jail. There, the officers completed a sworn arrest affidavit charging Lawson with Disorderly Conduct in an Establishment in violation of Florida Statutes § 509.143, as well as Trespass on Property in violation of Florida Statutes § 810.09....
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Cited as authorityMenegazzo (2022)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityJones (2020)
phrase: "rule_authority"
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·Epstein v. Toys-R-Us Delaware, Inc., 277 F. Supp. 2d 1266 (S.D. Fla. 2003).

Cited 2 times | Published | District Court, S.D. Florida | 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19864, 2003 WL 21960317

...ing. L. Coldros Depo. at 30-31. Officer Milenkovic similarly described Epstein's conduct as very loud, and also stated that Epstein was also cursing and swearing. K. Milenkovic Depo. at 73. Epstein was arrested for disorderly conduct in violation of § 509.143 of the Florida Statutes....
...(citations omitted). Thus, if probable cause existed to arrest Plaintiff for any offense recognized by state law, Plaintiff cannot prevail on his false arrest claims. In the instant case, Plaintiff was arrested for disorderly conduct. Florida Statute § 509.143 states in pertinent part: A law enforcement officer may arrest, either on or off the premises of the licensed establishment and without a warrant, any person the officer has probable cause to believe violated s....
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Cited as authorityGuerrero (2022)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authorityPerry (2021)
phrase: "rule_authority"
Cited as authority(citing case) (2021)
phrase: "rule_authority"

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