Florida’s domestic violence statutes changed in an important way on July 1, 2026. House Bill 277, the Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions Act, passed the Legislature without a single no vote and was signed into law by Governor DeSantis in May. The changes affect penalties, injunctions, and how repeat allegations are treated, and they apply statewide, including in Miami-Dade.
- Repeat domestic violence offenses now face automatic reclassification to a higher-degree charge
- A withheld adjudication or nolo contendere plea can still count as a prior conviction under the new law
- Injunction violations become a felony after the second violation, not the third
- Judges can now weigh pet-threat and military protective order factors when granting an injunction
- Electronic monitoring pilot programs launched in Pinellas County and the Sixth Judicial Circuit, not Miami-Dade
- Victim relocation assistance increased, with a higher lifetime maximum
What changed under Florida’s HB 277 domestic violence law?
HB 277 made six changes that took effect July 1, 2026: repeat offenders now face automatic reclassification to a higher-degree charge, a withheld adjudication or nolo contendere plea can count as a prior conviction, injunction violations become a felony after the second violation instead of the third, judges gained new factors to weigh when granting injunctions, electronic monitoring pilot programs launched in Pinellas County and the Sixth Judicial Circuit rather than Miami-Dade, and victim relocation assistance increased. The changes apply statewide, including to cases handled in Miami-Dade.
What changed for repeat domestic violence offenders under HB 277?
A person convicted of a domestic violence offense who has a prior domestic violence conviction now faces a reclassified, higher-degree charge. Before this law, a prior conviction was one factor among many a prosecutor or judge might weigh. Now the reclassification is built directly into the statute. There is one notable exception: the enhancement does not apply to felony battery under Fla. Stat. Section 784.03(2), which already carries a separate enhanced structure.
How does a withheld adjudication factor into the new penalty enhancement?
This is the detail that catches people off guard. Under HB 277, a prior domestic violence conviction includes a determination of guilt from a plea or trial, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld or the plea was nolo contendere. Someone who resolved an earlier case with a withhold, believing it would not follow them, can still see that case count as a prior conviction for reclassification purposes on a new charge. See our full Legal Terms Glossary for how a withhold of adjudication and a nolo contendere plea differ from a conviction in other contexts.
What changed for violating a domestic violence injunction?
The penalty structure for injunction violations got significantly tighter. A violation of a domestic violence injunction is a first-degree misdemeanor. Before HB 277, that violation became a third-degree felony only on a third or subsequent violation against the same victim. Under the new law, the felony threshold drops to a second violation against the same victim, or any violation committed by someone who already has a prior domestic violence conviction against that same victim.
What new factors can a judge consider when deciding whether to grant an injunction?
HB 277 adds two specific factors to the list a court may weigh when a petitioner asks for a domestic violence injunction: whether the respondent threatened to kill or injure a family pet, and whether a military protective order exists between the parties. Neither factor is automatically disqualifying by itself, but both now carry explicit statutory weight they did not have before.
Are the electronic monitoring pilot programs in effect in Miami-Dade?
No, not directly. HB 277 creates two electronic monitoring pilot programs, a misdemeanor-level pilot in Pinellas County and a felony-level pilot in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, both running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. Miami-Dade is not one of the pilot counties. The enhanced penalties and injunction changes described above apply statewide regardless of the pilot locations, but court-ordered electronic monitoring under this specific program is currently limited to those pilot areas. Where electronic monitoring is ordered under the pilot, the court must impose it if there is clear and convincing evidence the defendant poses a threat of violence or physical harm to the victim.
What else changed for victims under HB 277?
Relocation assistance for domestic violence victims increased from $1,500 to $2,500 for a single claim, with the lifetime maximum rising from $3,000 to $5,000. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now required to enter dating violence and sexual violence injunctions into the statewide injunction verification database, alongside domestic violence injunctions.
What does this mean if I am facing a domestic violence charge or injunction now?
Any prior domestic violence resolution, including one that felt minor or that ended in a withhold, now carries more weight on a new charge than it did before July 1. That makes early representation more important, not less. See our Domestic Violence Criminal Defense page for how criminal charges are handled, and our Domestic Violence page for how the civil injunction side of these cases works for both petitioners and respondents.
The first consultation is free and confidential, with no obligation to retain. Calling early in a matter usually creates more options than calling late.