Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 985.101 (2025)
Taking a child into custody.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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985.101 Taking a child into custody.—
(1) A child may be taken into custody under the following circumstances:
(a) Pursuant to an order of the circuit court issued under this chapter, based upon sworn testimony, either before or after a petition is filed.
(b) For a delinquent act or violation of law, pursuant to Florida law pertaining to a lawful arrest. If such delinquent act or violation of law would be a felony if committed by an adult or involves a crime of violence, the arresting authority shall immediately notify the district school superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee, of the school district with educational jurisdiction of the child. Such notification shall include other education providers such as the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, university developmental research schools, and private elementary and secondary schools. The information obtained by the superintendent of schools pursuant to this section must be released within 48 hours after receipt to appropriate school personnel, including the principal of the child’s school, or as otherwise provided by law. The principal must immediately notify the child’s immediate classroom teachers. Information provided by an arresting authority under this paragraph may not be placed in the student’s permanent record and shall be removed from all school records no later than 9 months after the date of the arrest.
(c) By a law enforcement officer for failing to appear at a court hearing after being properly noticed. However, before a court issues an order to take a child into custody for failing to appear, it must consider all of the following information relating to whether the child’s nonappearance was willful:
1. Whether notice was sent to the child’s address included in the official court record.
2. Whether any person provided notice to the child in any format.
3. If the child is represented by counsel, whether counsel for the child has information that the nonappearance was not willful or was otherwise beyond the child’s control.
4. Whether a department representative had contact or attempted to have contact with the child.
5. Whether the department has any other specific information to assist the court in making the determination.
(d) By a law enforcement officer who has probable cause to believe that the child is in violation of the conditions of the child’s probation, supervised release detention, or conditional release supervision; has absconded from nonresidential commitment; or has escaped from residential commitment.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to allow the detention of a child who does not meet the detention criteria in part V.
(2) Except in emergency situations, a child may not be placed into or transported in any police car or similar vehicle that at the same time contains an adult under arrest, unless the adult is alleged or believed to be involved in the same offense or transaction as the child.
(3) When a child is taken into custody as provided in this section, the person taking the child into custody shall attempt to notify the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child. The person taking the child into custody shall continue such attempt until the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child is notified or the child is delivered to the department under ss. 985.14 and 985.145, whichever occurs first. If the child is delivered to the department before the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is notified, the department shall continue the attempt to notify until the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child is notified. Following notification, the parent or guardian must provide identifying information, including name, address, date of birth, social security number, and driver license number or identification card number of the parent or guardian to the person taking the child into custody or the department.
(4) Taking a child into custody is not an arrest except for the purpose of determining whether the taking into custody or the obtaining of any evidence in conjunction therewith is lawful.
History.—s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 3, ch. 92-130; s. 7, ch. 92-287; ss. 26, 31, ch. 94-209; s. 1340, ch. 95-147; s. 7, ch. 95-267; ss. 15, 23, ch. 97-238; ss. 8, 13, ch. 98-207; s. 12, ch. 99-284; s. 6, ch. 2000-134; s. 22, ch. 2000-135; s. 16, ch. 2001-125; s. 2, ch. 2005-263; s. 15, ch. 2006-120; s. 8, ch. 2014-162; s. 5, ch. 2018-86; s. 2, ch. 2021-219; s. 4, ch. 2024-130.
Note.—Subsections (1), (3), (4) former s. 39.037; s. 985.207. Subsection (2) former s. 39.044(3); s. 985.215(3).
Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 985.101
M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd§985.101(1c)FAILURE TO APPEARCHILD FAIL TO APPEAR AT COURT HEARING
§985.101(1d)PROB VIOLATIONCHILD ABSCOND FROM RES NONRES COMMITMENT
§985.101(1d)PROB VIOLATIONCHILD IN VIOL OF IMPOSED CONDITIONS
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2007–2021 · leading case: BM v. Dobuler, 979 So. 2d 308 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008).
BM v. Dobuler, 979 So. 2d 308 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008). “" § 985.101, Fla. Stat. (2007); see also A.”
S. G., a child v. State of Florida, 252 So. 3d 323 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018). “This statute provides that a child may be taken into custody by law enforcement when the officer has “probable cause to believe that the child is in violation of the conditions of the child’s probation, nonsecure detention, postcommitment probation, or conditional release…”
E.A.R. v. State, 4 So. 3d 614 (Fla. 2009). “(2007) (disposition and post-disposition). . Unfortunately, in this case, the title provides very little insight regarding what may constitute a sufficient departure “reason" because it merely reiterates the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard present in section 39.”
AK v. Dobuler, 951 So. 2d 989 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007). “Section 985.101, Florida Statutes (2007) provides that if a child fails to appear at a court hearing, the trial court is authorized to issue an order, known as a "pick-up" order, to take the child into custody.”
Neely v. State, 126 So. 3d 342 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013). “We are aware that section 985.101(3), Florida Statutes (2010), requires police to attempt to notify a juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian upon taking the juvenile into custody.”
State v. C.J., 219 So. 3d 974 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017). “” § 985.101(l)(d), Fla. Stat. (2016). “The test for probable cause is whether the [totality of the] facts and circumstances within an officer’s knowledge are sufficient to warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that [it is more likely than not that] an offense has…”
H.D. v. Shore, 134 So. 3d 1062 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). “See § 985.101(l)(d), Fla. Stat. (2012). But secure detention is not thereafter authorized based solely on that violation unless the other statutory criteria are met.”
EAR v. State, 4 So. 3d 614 (Fla. 2009). “[27] Unfortunately, in this case, the title provides very little insight regarding what may constitute a sufficient departure "reason" because it merely reiterates the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard present in section 39.”
J.J. v. State, 181 So. 3d 522 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “After a juvenile is taken into custody, see § 985.101(1), the juvenile must be “released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.”
Sharron Tasha Ford v. City of Boynton Beach (Fla. 4th DCA 2021). “Of the information the police officers could have legally requested from appellant pursuant to section 985.101, her local physical address was the only information she did not immediately provide.”
Andrew Joseph, Jr. v. Chad Chronister (11th Cir. 2021). “Corporal Clark did not attempt to call Andrew’s parents to let them know their son had been detained and was in custody, as required by Fla. Stat. § 985.101 (3). Nor did any of the other HCSO officers at the processing area.”
J.J. v. State (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “After a juvenile is taken into custody, see § 985.101(1), the juvenile must be "released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.”
— 985.101(1) — 2 cases
J.J. v. State, 181 So. 3d 522 (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “After a juvenile is taken into custody, see § 985.101(1), the juvenile must be “released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.”
J.J. v. State (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “After a juvenile is taken into custody, see § 985.101(1), the juvenile must be "released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.”
— 985.101(1)(b) — 1 case
J.J. v. State (Fla. 2d DCA 2015). “After a juvenile is taken into custody, see § 985.101(1), the juvenile must be "released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.”
— 985.101(1)(d) — 3 cases
S. G., a child v. State of Florida, 252 So. 3d 323 (Fla. 1st DCA 2018). “This statute provides that a child may be taken into custody by law enforcement when the officer has “probable cause to believe that the child is in violation of the conditions of the child’s probation, nonsecure detention, postcommitment probation, or conditional release…”
I. K. v. State of Florida (Fla. 2d DCA 2018).
I.K. v. State, 257 So. 3d 1163 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018).
— 985.101(3) — 2 cases
Neely v. State, 126 So. 3d 342 (Fla. 3d DCA 2013). “We are aware that section 985.101(3), Florida Statutes (2010), requires police to attempt to notify a juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian upon taking the juvenile into custody.”
Sharron Tasha Ford v. City of Boynton Beach (Fla. 4th DCA 2021). “Of the information the police officers could have legally requested from appellant pursuant to section 985.101, her local physical address was the only information she did not immediately provide.”
— 985.101(l)(d) — 2 cases
State v. C.J., 219 So. 3d 974 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017). “” § 985.101(l)(d), Fla. Stat. (2016). “The test for probable cause is whether the [totality of the] facts and circumstances within an officer’s knowledge are sufficient to warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that [it is more likely than not that] an offense has…”
H.D. v. Shore, 134 So. 3d 1062 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). “See § 985.101(l)(d), Fla. Stat. (2012). But secure detention is not thereafter authorized based solely on that violation unless the other statutory criteria are met.”
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