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Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 843.08 (2025)

False personation.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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843.08 False personation.—A person who falsely assumes or pretends to be a firefighter, a sheriff, an officer of the Florida Highway Patrol, an officer of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, an officer of the Department of Environmental Protection, an officer of the Department of Financial Services, any personnel or representative of the Division of Criminal Investigations, an officer of the Department of Corrections, a correctional probation officer, a deputy sheriff, a state attorney or an assistant state attorney, a statewide prosecutor or an assistant statewide prosecutor, a state attorney investigator, a coroner, a police officer, a lottery special agent or lottery investigator, a beverage enforcement agent, a school guardian as described in s. 30.15(1)(k), a security officer licensed under chapter 493, any member of the Florida Commission on Offender Review or any administrative aide or supervisor employed by the commission, any personnel or representative of the Department of Law Enforcement, or a federal law enforcement officer as defined in s. 901.1505, and takes upon himself or herself to act as such, or to require any other person to aid or assist him or her in a matter pertaining to the duty of any such officer, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. However, a person who falsely personates any such officer during the course of the commission of a felony commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. If the commission of the felony results in the death or personal injury of another human being, the person commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. In determining whether a defendant has violated this section, the court or jury may consider any relevant evidence, including, but not limited to, whether the defendant used lights in violation of s. 316.2397 or s. 843.081.
History.—s. 18, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2587; GS 3507; RGS 5395; CGL 7535; s. 3, ch. 28118, 1953; s. 1, ch. 63-433; ss. 1, chs. 65-148, 65-199; s. 3, ch. 67-2207; ss. 20, 25, 33, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1041, ch. 71-136; s. 32, ch. 73-334; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 28, ch. 79-8; s. 42, ch. 88-122; s. 1, ch. 88-339; s. 8, ch. 89-208; s. 475, ch. 94-356; s. 65, ch. 95-257; s. 9, ch. 95-283; s. 3, ch. 96-256; s. 232, ch. 99-245; s. 20, ch. 2006-305; s. 2, ch. 2007-112; s. 28, ch. 2012-88; s. 20, ch. 2014-191; s. 1, ch. 2015-29; s. 2, ch. 2019-22; s. 14, ch. 2019-141; s. 31, ch. 2021-113; s. 7, ch. 2022-180; s. 27, ch. 2025-4.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 843.08

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd
§843.08FRAUD-IMPERSONFALSE PERSONATE OFF COMMIT FEL CAUSE DEATH INJF · 1st
§843.08FRAUD-IMPERSONFALSE PERSONATION OF OFFICIALSF · 3rd
§843.08FRAUD-IMPERSONFALSE PERSONATION OFFICIALS IN COMMISSION FELF · 2nd
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 18 cases, 1977–2020 · leading case: Connolly, Jr. v. State, 172 So. 3d 893 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015).
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Connolly, Jr. v. State, 172 So. 3d 893 (Fla. 3d DCA 2015). · cites it 4× “(2015) (classifying trespass as a third-degree felony if the offender “is armed with a firearm or other dangerous weapon during the commission of the offense”); § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (reclassifying false personation of a law enforcement officer to a second-degree felony if the…”
United States v. Douglas Chappell, 691 F.3d 388 (4th Cir. 2012). · cites it 4× “§ 53a-130a (requiring an "intent to induce another person to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense"); Fla. Stat. § 843.08 (criminalizing pretending to be a police officer and 4 There is no basis for the majority opinion’s…”
Sult v. State, 906 So. 2d 1013 (Fla. 2005). · cites it 3× “We point out that there is a Florida statute criminalizing the false impersonation of an officer, section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2004), [4] which is not implicated in this case.”
Lavis Plumbing Servs., Inc. v. Johnson, 515 So. 2d 296 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). · cites it 5× “As stated in its initial enactment in 1868, section 843.08, Florida Statutes, was not intended by the Legislature to protect a particular class.”
In re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases—Report 2012-07, 122 So. 3d 302 (Fla. 2013). “(Defendant) falsely assumed or pretended to be a[n] [police officer] [deputy sheriff] [sheriff] [officer of the Florida Highway Patrol] [officer of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] [officer of the Department of Transportation] [officer of the Department of…”
Nicor Int'l Corp. v. El Paso Corp., 318 F. Supp. 2d 1160 (S.D. Fla. 2004). · cites it 2× “(neglect or refusal to aid peace officers); § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (falsely perso-nating officer, etc.”
Llabona v. State, 557 So. 2d 66 (Fla. 3d DCA 1990). · cites it 2× “See § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (1983). Enhancement *68 of defendant's sentence on this ground was likewise improper.”
Bass v. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, 516 So. 2d 1011 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987). “held that, because section 843.08, the "impersonating an officer" statute, was intended to protect only the public and did not fall within this description, its violation did not create a damage action.”
State v. Alecia, 692 So. 2d 263 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997). · cites it 5× “Appellant appeals the trial court’s judgment declaring a portion of section 843.08, Florida Statutes (1995) unconstitutional and dismissing a charge of falsely assuming or pretending to be a deputy sheriff.”
In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases-report No. 2015-08, 194 So. 3d 1007 (Fla. 2016). · cites it 2× “16 FALSELY PERSONATING AN OFFICER § 843.08, Fla. Stat. To prove the crime of Falsely Perso-nating An Officer, the State must prove the following [two] [three] elements beyond a reasonable doubt: 1.”
State v. Beaubrun, 36 So. 3d 897 (Fla. 3d DCA 2010). · cites it 4× “The defendant, Jean Beaubrun, was charged with falsely personating a law enforcement officer, in violation of section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2008), which provides: “A person who falsely assumes or pretends to be a .”
Barry Edward Ellis v. State of Florida, 258 So. 3d 491 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018). “See also §§ 843.08-.085, Fla. Stat. (making unlawful impersonation of officers, use of blue lights, and use of badges and other indicia of authority).”
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This Florida statute resource is curated by Florida Bar member Graham W. Syfert, a Jacksonville, Florida criminal defense attorney (Florida Bar No. 39104). Attorney Syfert regularly handles Chapter 843 matters in the context of obstruction and resisting charges and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.