Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 934.21 (2025)

Unlawful access to stored communications; penalties.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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934.21 Unlawful access to stored communications; penalties.—

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3), whoever:

(a) Intentionally accesses without authorization a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided, or

(b) Intentionally exceeds an authorization to access such facility,

and thereby obtains, alters, or prevents authorized access to a wire or electronic communication while it is in electronic storage in such system shall be punished as provided in subsection (2).

(2) The punishment for an offense under subsection (1) is as follows:

(a) If the offense is committed for purposes of commercial advantage, malicious destruction or damage, or private commercial gain, the person is:

1. In the case of a first offense under this subsection, guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 934.41.

2. In the case of any subsequent offense under this subsection, guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 934.41.

(b) In any other case, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply with respect to conduct authorized:

(a) By the person or entity providing a wire or electronic communications service;

(b) By a user of a wire or electronic communications service with respect to a communication of or intended for that user; or

History.—s. 9, ch. 88-184; s. 9, ch. 89-269.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 934.21

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd

§934.21EAVESDROPPINGSTORED COMMUNICTN FOR GAIN DESTRUCT SUBSQ VIOLF · 3rd

§934.21EAVESDROPPINGSTORED COMMUNICTN FOR GAIN DESTRUCT 1ST VIOLM · 1st

§934.21EAVESDROPPINGOTHER ACCESS STORED COMMUNICATIONM · 2nd

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 2011–2019 · leading case: Shawn Alvin Tracey v. State of Florida, 152 So. 3d 504 (Fla. 2014).

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Shawn Alvin Tracey v. State of Florida, 152 So. 3d 504 (Fla. 2014). · cites it 2× “The criminal penalties of section 934.21 and the civil remedy provided in section 934.”

Tracey v. State, 69 So. 3d 992 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011). “The criminal penalties of section 934.21 and the civil remedy provided in section 934.”

Pizarro-Garcia v. State, 265 So. 3d 732 (Fla. 5th DCA 2019). · cites it 2× “The judgment, however, erroneously cites to section 934.21, Florida Statutes (2016). On remand, the trial court is directed to correct the judgment.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.