Florida Statute 843.8 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 843
OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE

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F.S. 843.08

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.

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Amendments to 843.08

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 843.08

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

S843.08 - FRAUD-IMPERSON - FALSE PERSONATION OF OFFICIALS - F: T

S843.08 - FRAUD-IMPERSON - FALSE PERSONATION OFFICIALS IN COMMISSION FEL - F: S

S843.08 - FRAUD-IMPERSON - FALSE PERSONATE OFF COMMIT FEL CAUSE DEATH INJ - F: F

Cases Citing Statute 843.08

Total Results: 17

Sult v. State

906 So. 2d 1013, 2005 WL 1475338

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jun 23, 2005 | Docket: 1775417

Cited 12 times | Published

criminalizing the false impersonation of an officer, section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2004),[4] which is not implicated

Bass v. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

516 So. 2d 1011, 1987 WL 2005

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Dec 1, 1987 | Docket: 1267136

Cited 7 times | Published

Plumbing Services, Inc. held that, because section 843.08, the "impersonating an officer" statute, was

In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases—Report 2012-07

122 So. 3d 302, 38 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 618, 2013 Fla. LEXIS 1894, 2013 WL 4734573

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Sep 4, 2013 | Docket: 60234661

Cited 5 times | Published

in 2013. 21.16 FALSELY PERSONATING AN OFFICER § 843.08, Fla, Stat. To prove the crime of Falsely Perso-nating

Nicor International Corp. v. El Paso Corp.

318 F. Supp. 2d 1160, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9674

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: May 25, 2004 | Docket: 2339650

Cited 4 times | Published

Stat. (neglect or refusal to aid peace officers); § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (falsely personating officer, etc

Lavis Plumbing Services, Inc. v. Johnson

515 So. 2d 296, 1987 Fla. App. LEXIS 10698, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 2490

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 27, 1987 | Docket: 64630818

Cited 4 times | Published

had falsely perso-nated a police officer, (section 843.08), as well as solicited, (section 777.04), aided

Connolly, Jr. v. State

172 So. 3d 893, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 11352

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 29, 2015 | Docket: 2679137

Cited 3 times | Published

weapon during the commission of the offense”); § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (reclassifying false personation of

State v. Beaubrun

36 So. 3d 897, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 8163, 2010 WL 2292127

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 9, 2010 | Docket: 2409345

Cited 2 times | Published

a law enforcement officer, in violation of section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2008), which provides: "A

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases - Report 2019-09

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 16, 2020 | Docket: 16761638

Published

PERSONATING AN OFFICER § 843.08, Fla. Stat. To prove the crime of Falsely

In Re STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIMINAL CASES-REPORT NO. 2015-08

194 So. 3d 1007, 2016 WL 3654189

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jul 7, 2016 | Docket: 4108659

Published

21.16 FALSELY PERSONATING AN OFFICER § 843.08, Fla. Stat. To prove the crime of Falsely

Lewis v. State

97 So. 3d 285, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 15311, 2012 WL 3964546

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 12, 2012 | Docket: 60311750

Published

the commission of a felony, in violation of section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2008), which provides in

Azerzer v. State

96 So. 3d 1123, 2012 WL 3870421, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 14992

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 7, 2012 | Docket: 60311449

Published

jury instructions as to this charge. Under section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2010): “A person who falsely

Alvarez v. State

774 So. 2d 802, 2000 Fla. App. LEXIS 16623, 2000 WL 1853526

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Dec 20, 2000 | Docket: 64802758

Published

designated as a second degree felony, pursuant to Section 843.08, Florida Statutes (2000). Therefore, we remand

Rodriguez v. State

706 So. 2d 951, 1998 Fla. App. LEXIS 2668, 1998 WL 116178

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 18, 1998 | Docket: 64779324

Published

information for falsely personating a police officer, § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (1993). That conviction was enhanced

State v. Alecia

692 So. 2d 263, 1997 Fla. App. LEXIS 4306, 1997 WL 199169

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 25, 1997 | Docket: 64772624

Published

trial court’s judgment declaring a portion of section 843.08, Florida Statutes (1995) unconstitutional and

Libby v. State

599 So. 2d 290, 1992 Fla. App. LEXIS 6254, 1992 WL 126572

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 12, 1992 | Docket: 64667605

Published

personating an officer are third-degree felonies. Section 843.-08, Fla.Stat. (1989). RYDER, A.C.J., and PARKER

Llabona v. State

557 So. 2d 66, 1990 WL 2074

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 16, 1990 | Docket: 456937

Published

defendant's impersonating a police officer. See § 843.08, Fla. Stat. (1983). Enhancement *68 of defendant's

Gleichauf v. State

344 So. 2d 1310, 1977 Fla. App. LEXIS 15501

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 22, 1977 | Docket: 64558205

Published

impersonation of an officer in violation of Section 843.08, Florida Statutes (1973); and in Case No. 76-320