Florida Statute 944.292 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVII
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS

Chapter 944
STATE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 944.292

944.292 Suspension of civil rights.—

(1) Upon conviction of a felony as defined in s. 10, Art. X of the State Constitution, the civil rights of the person convicted shall be suspended in Florida until such rights are restored by a full pardon, conditional pardon, or restoration of civil rights granted pursuant to s. 8, Art. IV of the State Constitution. Notwithstanding the suspension of civil rights, such a convicted person may obtain restoration of his or her voting rights pursuant to s. 4, Art. VI of the State Constitution and s. 98.0751.

(2) This section shall not be construed to deny a convicted felon access to the courts, as guaranteed by s. 21, Art. I of the State Constitution, until restoration of her or his civil rights.

History.—s. 28, ch. 74-112; s. 1, ch. 76-139; s. 1, ch. 88-138; s. 1646, ch. 97-102; s. 28, ch. 2019-162.

F.S. 944.292 on Google Scholar

F.S. 944.292 on CourtListener

Amendments to 944.292

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 944.292

Total Results: 28

In Re Advisory Opinion of Governor Civil Rights

306 So. 2d 520, 1975 Fla. LEXIS 3808

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 6, 1975 | Docket: 1376758

Cited 63 times | Published

the Florida Correctional Reform Act creates Section 944.292 of the Florida Statutes to read as follows:

Ronald Bradbury v. Louie L. Wainwright

718 F.2d 1538, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 15509

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Nov 7, 1983 | Docket: 226443

Cited 54 times | Published

right to marry is not suspended by Fla.Stat.Ann. § 944.292 (suspension of civil rights upon conviction of

United States v. Harry H. Owens, A/K/A Bessellieu, Jamesea

15 F.3d 995, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 2491, 1994 WL 43475

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Feb 15, 1994 | Docket: 1026471

Cited 16 times | Published

automatically restored. 5 Florida Statute § 944.292 provides that “[u]pon conviction of a felony

Henderson v. Crosby

883 So. 2d 847, 2004 WL 1877369

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 24, 2004 | Docket: 1718199

Cited 15 times | Published

court dismissed the action on the authority of section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983), which suspended all

Singletary v. Costello

665 So. 2d 1099, 1996 WL 1113

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 3, 1996 | Docket: 1705088

Cited 13 times | Published

Rehab. Servs., 500 So.2d 674 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987); § 944.292, Fla. Stat. (1993). However, a convicted prisoner

Burkett v. State

518 So. 2d 1363, 1988 WL 2632

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 15, 1988 | Docket: 1778408

Cited 13 times | Published

cites no authority to support this assertion. Section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1985), provides: Upon conviction

Lloyd v. Farkash

476 So. 2d 305, 10 Fla. L. Weekly 2311

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 9, 1985 | Docket: 1277750

Cited 6 times | Published

presented by this appeal is whether Fla. Stat. § 944.292 (1983) unconstitutionally infringes upon a convicted

Schlenther v. Department of State

743 So. 2d 536, 1998 WL 329374

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 24, 1998 | Docket: 1243213

Cited 5 times | Published

restored in Connecticut, appellee maintains that section 944.292(1), Florida Statutes (1995), and section 8

Thompson v. State

438 So. 2d 1005

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 12, 1983 | Docket: 426439

Cited 5 times | Published

Statutes (1981). Defendant points out that while section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1981), provides for suspension

McCuiston v. Wanicka

483 So. 2d 489, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 415

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 14, 1986 | Docket: 1511910

Cited 4 times | Published

divested of his civil rights by virtue of section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983). In Watts v. Buck

Holden v. Florida Dept. of Corrections

400 So. 2d 142

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 17, 1981 | Docket: 1676919

Cited 4 times | Published

Washington's rehabilitation interests and because Section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1979), automatically suspended

Williams v. State

402 So. 2d 78

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 17, 1981 | Docket: 1313156

Cited 3 times | Published

appellant's conviction. Appellant argues that § 944.292, Florida Statutes (1979) provides that a felon's

Leone v. Florida Power Corp.

567 So. 2d 992, 1990 WL 146766

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 8, 1990 | Docket: 1721550

Cited 2 times | Published

petition should remain pending. [emphasis added] Section 944.292(2), Florida Statutes, as amended in 1988, provides

Calhoun v. DEPT. OF HLT & REHAB. SERV

500 So. 2d 674, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 197

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 6, 1987 | Docket: 1295053

Cited 2 times | Published

v. State, 195 So.2d 853 (Fla. 1967); see also § 944.292, Fla. Stat. (1985). B Second, the presumption

Calvin v. Jefferson County Board of Commissioners

172 F. Supp. 3d 1292, 2016 WL 1122884, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36121

District Court, N.D. Florida | Filed: Mar 19, 2016 | Docket: 64307770

Cited 1 times | Published

the JCI inmates of their voting rights, • see § 944.292(1), Fla. Stat. (2015), and it has implicitly deprived

Bailey v. Laurie, DeSantis

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 6, 2025 | Docket: 71038931

Published

01(1), Fla. Stat. (2023) (stating the same); § 944.292(1), Fla. Stat. (2023) (providing that upon a felony

James Michael Hand v. Ron Desantis

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jan 10, 2020 | Docket: 16681061

Published

The legislature amended Fla. Stat. § 944.292(1) by adding the following sentence: “Notwithstanding

Hand v. Scott

315 F. Supp. 3d 1244

District Court, N.D. Florida | Filed: Mar 27, 2018 | Docket: 64319121

Published

such rights are restored ..." FLA. STAT. ANN. § 944.292(1) (emphasis added). Defendants acknowledge as

Finfrock v. State

932 So. 2d 437, 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 7766, 2006 WL 1329387

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 17, 2006 | Docket: 64845558

Published

and, if they have, they have been restored. Section 944.292(1), Florida Statutes, states, “[u]pon conviction

In re Name Change Petition of Suber

675 So. 2d 1021, 1996 Fla. App. LEXIS 6658, 1996 WL 343004

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 25, 1996 | Docket: 64765524

Published

suspension of petitioner’s civil rights under section 944.292, Florida Statutes, occurred before the amendment

Calhoun v. Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

500 So. 2d 674, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 197, 1987 Fla. App. LEXIS 6189

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 6, 1987 | Docket: 64624273

Published

v. State, 195 So.2d 853 (Fla.1967); see also § 944.292, Fla.Stat. (1985). B Second, the presumption of

Collins v. Cote

490 So. 2d 164, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 1375, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 8379

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 18, 1986 | Docket: 64620183

Published

join with our sister courts in holding that Section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983) is unconstitutional

Aiani v. Boore

489 So. 2d 879, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 1350, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 8302

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 11, 1986 | Docket: 64619933

Published

Florida’s courts was suspended pursuant to section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983), and Watts v. Buck

Sabin v. Butter

493 So. 2d 469, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 625, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 6853

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 11, 1986 | Docket: 64621319

Published

Florida’s so-called “civil death” *470statute, section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1985), to the extent that

Dinkens v. Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit

489 So. 2d 46, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 500, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 6434

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 19, 1986 | Docket: 64619689

Published

(Fla. 2d DCA 1984), in which we held that section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983), prevents a convicted

Watts v. Buck

454 So. 2d 1079, 9 Fla. L. Weekly 1909, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 14944

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 5, 1984 | Docket: 64606552

Published

constitutes one of the civil rights suspended under section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1983).1 See Annot., 74 A

France v. State

436 So. 2d 428, 1983 Fla. App. LEXIS 22591

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 25, 1983 | Docket: 64599126

Published

appeal that the civil rights suspended under section 944.292, Florida Statutes (1979),1 do not include possession

Crossley v. State

334 So. 2d 17, 1976 Fla. LEXIS 4360

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: May 28, 1976 | Docket: 64554196

Published

Constitution, art. IV § 8 and art. VI § 4 (1975); Section 944.-292, Florida Statutes (1975) (“civil rights which