Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 901.25 (2025)

Fresh pursuit; arrest outside jurisdiction.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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901.25 Fresh pursuit; arrest outside jurisdiction.—

(1) The term “fresh pursuit” as used in this act shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law and also the pursuit of a person who has committed a felony or who is reasonably suspected of having committed a felony. It shall also include the pursuit of a person suspected of having committed a supposed felony, though no felony has actually been committed, if there is reasonable ground for believing that a felony has been committed. It shall also include the pursuit of a person who has violated a county or municipal ordinance or chapter 316 or has committed a misdemeanor.

(2) Any duly authorized state, county, or municipal arresting officer is authorized to arrest a person outside the officer’s jurisdiction when in fresh pursuit. Such officer shall have the same authority to arrest and hold such person in custody outside his or her jurisdiction, subject to the limitations hereafter set forth, as has any authorized arresting state, county, or municipal officer of this state to arrest and hold in custody a person not arrested in fresh pursuit.

(3) If an arrest is made in this state by an officer outside the county within which his or her jurisdiction lies, the officer shall immediately notify the officer in charge of the jurisdiction in which the arrest is made. Such officer in charge of the jurisdiction shall, along with the officer making the arrest, take the person so arrested before a trial court judge of the county in which the arrest was made without unnecessary delay.

(4) The employing agency of the state, county, or municipal officer making an arrest on fresh pursuit shall be liable for all actions of said officer in the same fashion that it is liable for the officer’s acts made while making an arrest within his or her jurisdiction.

(5) The officer making an arrest on fresh pursuit shall be fully protected with respect to pension, retirement, workers’ compensation, and other such benefits just as if the officer had made an arrest in his or her own jurisdiction.

History.—s. 1, ch. 63-515; s. 14, ch. 70-339; s. 1, ch. 78-246; s. 120, ch. 79-40; s. 1, ch. 81-313; s. 2, ch. 83-119; s. 1467, ch. 97-102; s. 25, ch. 2004-11.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 29 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1943–2025 · leading case: Porter v. State, 765 So. 2d 76 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000).

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Porter v. State, 765 So. 2d 76 (Fla. 4th DCA 2000). · cites it 10× “Based upon the foregoing historical facts, the trial court concluded that pursuant to section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1997), the Pompano Beach police officers were in fresh pursuit and entitled to effectuate a valid arrest outside their jurisdiction which thereafter led to a…”

State v. Gelin, 844 So. 2d 659 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003). · cites it 8× “§ 901.25, Fla. Stat. (emphasis added). Thus, under the fresh pursuit doctrine, an officer may pursue a suspect beyond the jurisdictional limit so long as certain conditions are met.”

Huebner v. State, 731 So. 2d 40 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999). · cites it 8× “"Fresh pursuit" and "arrest outside the jurisdiction" are defined by section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1995), in pertinent part, as follows: (1) The term "fresh pursuit" as used in this act shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law and also the pursuit of a person…”

Bost v. State, 958 A.2d 356 (Md. 2008). · cites it 2× “1994) (finding, when interpreting the Florida Uniform Act on Fresh Pursuit, Fla. Stat. § 901.25 (2004), that "[t]he officer's reasonable suspicion that the truck was speeding justifie[d] the extraterritorial stop under a fresh pursuit theory").”

State v. Phoenix, 428 So. 2d 262 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). · cites it 2× “[1] § 901.25, Fla. Stat. (1979). The fresh pursuit exception allows officers, who attempt to detain or arrest within their territorial jurisdiction, to continue to pursue a fleeing suspect even though the suspect crosses jurisdictional lines.”

State v. Potter, 438 So. 2d 1085 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). · cites it 3× “NOTES [1] Relevant portions of section 901.25(1) and (2) provide: (1) The term "fresh pursuit" as used in this act shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law.”

Cheatem v. State, 416 So. 2d 35 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982). · cites it 3× “Sub-sections one and two of section 901.25, Florida Statutes (Supp. 1978), authorize an officer to arrest a person outside his jurisdiction when in fresh pursuit.”

State v. Joy, 637 So. 2d 946 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994). · cites it 4× “Pursuant to section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1991), an officer with arrest power may arrest a person outside his jurisdiction when in fresh pursuit.”

State v. Jones, 417 So. 2d 788 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). · cites it 2× “[16] See § 901.25(1), Fla. Stat. (1979). Since we find probable cause existed before it occurred, we have not considered appellees' final suspicious act which occurred in the City of Melbourne, when all three passengers ducked down below the vehicle's windows and out of sight.”

State v. Sobrino, 587 So. 2d 1347 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991). · cites it 4× “See § 901.25, Fla. Stat. (1989); see, e.g., Hansen v.”

Sturman v. City of Golden Beach, 355 So. 2d 453 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978). · cites it 3× “Pursuant to Section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1975), the Golden Beach officers had no authority to cross county lines and arrest someone in Broward County.”

Hansen v. State, 385 So. 2d 1081 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980). · cites it 2× “Assuming, arguendo, that the Fort Lauderdale Police had a sufficiently reasonable suspicion of the appellants' criminal activity to justify a crossing of county lines to continue their surveillance, we must then consider the observations of the police at the Ardmore Road…”

Show all 29 citing cases →

— 901.25(1) — 6 cases

State v. Jones, 417 So. 2d 788 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). “[16] See § 901.25(1), Fla. Stat. (1979). Since we find probable cause existed before it occurred, we have not considered appellees' final suspicious act which occurred in the City of Melbourne, when all three passengers ducked down below the vehicle's windows and out of sight.”

State v. Joy, 637 So. 2d 946 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994). “Pursuant to section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1991), an officer with arrest power may arrest a person outside his jurisdiction when in fresh pursuit.”

State v. Potter, 438 So. 2d 1085 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). “NOTES [1] Relevant portions of section 901.25(1) and (2) provide: (1) The term "fresh pursuit" as used in this act shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law.”

State v. Greer, 761 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999).

State of Florida v. Mitchell Reddin (Fla. 2d DCA 2023).

— 901.25(2) — 6 cases

Huebner v. State, 731 So. 2d 40 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999). “"Fresh pursuit" and "arrest outside the jurisdiction" are defined by section 901.25, Florida Statutes (1995), in pertinent part, as follows: (1) The term "fresh pursuit" as used in this act shall include fresh pursuit as defined by the common law and also the pursuit of a person…”

State of Florida v. Mitchell Reddin (Fla. 2d DCA 2023).

Raulerson v. State of Florida (Fla. 1st DCA 2025).

State v. Greer, 761 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999).

— 901.25(3) — 2 cases

Dealto v. Keating ex rel. Ninth Jud. Circuit of the State of Florida, 409 So. 2d 527 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982).

Espin v. State, 953 So. 2d 781 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007).

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