Simply refusing a breathalyzer will add another misdemeanor charge following a lawful arrest.
The Sunshine State is getting serious about driving crimes. Real serious. Beyond laws cracking down on excessive speeding, Florida is changing its drunk driving laws to stiffen the punishment for the crime. It includes a push to jail the worst offenders for up to 30 years.
Florida House Bill 687 imposes stricter punishments for drunk driving crimes, including decades of jail for manslaughter
Let’s say you had a bit too much to drink and made the stupid, dangerous decision to slide behind the wheel and drive home. Boom, blue and red lights fill your car’s cabin. Under Florida’s new drunk driving laws, refusing a breathalyzer request from a police officer is now a second-degree misdemeanor.
And that’s in addition to the charges following a lawful DUI arrest in the state. Simply refusing that alcohol breath test can land an offender in jail for up to 60 days. Understandably, things get much, much worse for more serious cases of drunk driving and boating under the influence (BUI).
According to the Florida House of Representatives, the bill “provides enhanced penalties for DUI & BUI manslaughter & vehicular & vessel homicide if [a] person has [a] prior conviction for specified offenses.”
Specifically, DUI cases resulting in manslaughter may be upgraded to a first-degree felony. That means up to 30 years in prison.
It’s not the first dramatic update to Florida’s road laws for 2025, either. Earlier this year, Florida lawmakers instituted the state’s “Super Speeder” law, promising harsher punishments for excessive speeding. Like House Bill 687, lawmakers hope the stricter penalties will deter motorists from dangerous driving behaviors and save lives.
Under that law, police can arrest drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by 50 mph on the spot. The same goes for drivers who hit 100 mph on public roads.
