Reflects Florida Statutes current through the 2026 session; every statute cited on this page was checked against the official text on the date shown below. Every figure links to the official statute on Online Sunshine, which opens in a new window.
A “minimum mandatory” is a prison term a judge must impose and cannot suspend, reduce, or go below. A “sentencing enhancement” is different — it does not create a new crime, but increases the sentence available for an existing one, based on the defendant’s record. Both are set out below.
10-20-Life — firearms — § 775.087
Where a defendant actually possessed a firearm during an enumerated felony, § 775.087, Fla. Stat. imposes:
- Possess a firearm — 10-year minimum mandatory
- Discharge a firearm — 20-year minimum mandatory
- Discharge causing death or great bodily harm — 25 years to life
Felon in possession of a firearm — § 775.087 / § 790.23
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is a second-degree felony under § 790.23. Where the felon actually possessed the firearm, § 775.087(2) imposes a 3-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment.
The 3-year minimum mandatory requires actual possession — not constructive possession.
Other offense-specific minimum mandatories
| Offense | Minimum mandatory | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Drug trafficking (weight-based) | 3, 7, 15, 20 or 25 years, by substance and weight — full table | § 893.135 |
| DUI manslaughter | 4 years | § 316.193 |
| Sexual battery — victim under 12, offender 18 or older | Capital felony — death or life imprisonment | § 794.011(2)(a) |
| Dangerous sexual felony offender — a qualifying sex offense committed at 18 or older with an aggravating factor (serious personal injury, deadly weapon, multiple victims, committed while under court jurisdiction, or a prior qualifying conviction) | 25 years to life. If the offense was committed on or after October 1, 2014: 50 years to life. | § 794.0115 |
| Lewd or lascivious molestation — victim under 12, offender 18 or older | Life imprisonment, or a split sentence of at least 25 years followed by probation or community control for life | § 800.04(5)(b) / § 775.082(3)(a)4.a |
| — second or subsequent such offense, committed on or after July 1, 2008 | Life imprisonment | § 775.082(3)(a)4.b |
| Aggravated fleeing or eluding causing serious bodily injury or death | 3 years | § 316.1935 |
| Battery on a law enforcement officer (a third-degree felony under § 784.07(2)(b)) while possessing a firearm or destructive device | 3 years | § 784.07(3)(a) |
| — the same battery, while possessing a semiautomatic firearm with a high-capacity detachable box magazine, or a machine gun | 8 years | § 784.07(3)(b) |
| Battery on a law enforcement officer committed in furtherance of a riot | 6 months | § 784.07(2)(b) |
The 3-year and 8-year terms under § 784.07(3) apply only where the defendant possessed a weapon during the battery. Battery on an officer without a weapon carries no minimum mandatory, and § 784.07 imposes no minimum mandatory for aggravated assault or aggravated battery on an officer — those offenses are reclassified upward in degree instead.
Sexual battery under § 794.011 is graded by felony degree rather than by a minimum mandatory built into that statute. Except for the capital-felony tier above, the minimum mandatory for a sexual offense generally comes from the Dangerous Sexual Felony Offender Act, § 794.0115.
Sentencing enhancements — § 775.084 & § 775.082
These do not create new crimes. They increase the sentence available for the crime charged, based on the defendant’s prior record.
HFO — Habitual Felony Offender — § 775.084(4)(a)
Qualifies: two or more prior felonies, where the new felony was committed while serving a sentence or supervision, or within 5 years of the last conviction or release. The prior and current offense cannot both be simple drug possession under § 893.13.
Effect — extends the maximum sentence (roughly doubles it), but is not itself a minimum mandatory:
- Life or first-degree felony → life
- Second-degree felony (normally 15 yr) → up to 30 years
- Third-degree felony (normally 5 yr) → up to 10 years
HVFO — Habitual Violent Felony Offender — § 775.084(4)(b)
Qualifies: a prior enumerated violent felony, within the same 5-year window. Adds a minimum mandatory on top of the extended term:
- Life / first-degree → life, min. mandatory 15 years
- Second-degree → up to 30 years, min. mandatory 10 years
- Third-degree → up to 10 years, min. mandatory 5 years
The enumerated felonies — § 775.084(1)(b)1. The prior conviction (or attempt or conspiracy) must have been for one of these fifteen offenses. Nothing else counts:
- Arson
- Sexual battery
- Robbery
- Kidnapping
- Aggravated child abuse
- Aggravated abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult
- Aggravated manslaughter of a child
- Unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb
- Armed burglary
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated stalking
Note what is absent: home invasion robbery and carjacking are not on the HVFO list, though both appear on the three-time violent felony offender list below. An out-of-state conviction also does not qualify for HVFO, because § 775.084(1)(b)1. contains no equivalent-offense provision.
Three-Time Violent Felony Offender — § 775.084(4)(c)
Qualifies: two or more prior adult convictions for the enumerated offenses, and the current offense is also one of them, committed while serving a sentence or supervision for an enumerated offense or within 5 years of the last such conviction or release.
The enumerated felonies — § 775.084(1)(c)1. The same fifteen offenses listed under HVFO above, plus:
- Home invasion/robbery
- Carjacking
- An offense under the law of any other jurisdiction whose elements are substantially similar to any of the above, or an attempt to commit one
Effect — the court must impose these mandatory minimums (unlike HFO and HVFO, this one is not discretionary):
- Felony punishable by life → life
- First-degree → 30 years
- Second-degree → 15 years
- Third-degree → 5 years
The statute does not prevent the court from imposing a longer sentence otherwise authorized by law. § 775.084(4)(c)2.
VCC — Violent Career Criminal — § 775.084(4)(d)
Qualifies: three or more prior enumerated violent felonies and a qualifying current offense. The most severe enhancement:
- Life / first-degree → life
- Second-degree → up to 40 years, min. mandatory 30 years
- Third-degree → up to 15 years, min. mandatory 10 years
The qualifying prior offenses — § 775.084(1)(d)1. This is a different and broader list than the two above. Three or more prior adult convictions for:
- Any forcible felony as defined in § 776.08
- Aggravated stalking — § 784.048(3) and (4)
- Aggravated child abuse — § 827.03(2)(a)
- Aggravated abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult — § 825.102(2)
- Lewd or lascivious battery, molestation, conduct, or exhibition — § 800.04 or § 847.0135(5)
- Escape — § 944.40
- A felony violation of chapter 790 involving the use or possession of a firearm
§ 776.08 “forcible felony” means: treason; murder; manslaughter; sexual battery; carjacking; home-invasion robbery; robbery; burglary; arson; kidnapping; aggravated assault; aggravated battery; aggravated stalking; aircraft piracy; unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb; and any other felony involving the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.
Two further requirements that are easy to miss: the defendant must have been incarcerated in a state or federal prison, and the current primary offense must itself be an enumerated felony committed on or after October 1, 1995. § 775.084(1)(d)2.–3.
VFOSC — Violent Felony Offender of Special Concern — § 948.06(8)
VFOSC is not a sentencing enhancement like the others above. It is a designation that applies when a person on felony probation or community control violates that supervision, and changes how a violation of probation must be handled.
Who qualifies — § 948.06(8)(b). A person on felony probation or community control who: is supervised for a qualifying offense; has a prior conviction for one; violates by committing one; or has already been found to be a habitual violent felony offender, a three-time violent felony offender, or a sexual predator and then commits a qualifying offense.
The qualifying offenses — § 948.06(8)(c). This list is its own; it does not track the § 775.084 lists above:
- Kidnapping or attempted kidnapping (§ 787.01); false imprisonment of a child under 13 (§ 787.02(3)); luring or enticing a child (§ 787.025(2)(b) or (c))
- Murder or attempted murder (§ 782.04); attempted felony murder (§ 782.051); manslaughter (§ 782.07)
- Aggravated battery or attempted aggravated battery (§ 784.045)
- Sexual battery or attempted sexual battery (§ 794.011(2), (3), (4), or (8)(b) or (c))
- Lewd or lascivious battery (§ 800.04(4)); molestation (§ 800.04(5)(b) or (c)2.); conduct (§ 800.04(6)(b)); exhibition (§ 800.04(7)(b)); exhibition on computer (§ 847.0135(5)(b))
- Robbery (§ 812.13); carjacking (§ 812.133); home invasion robbery (§ 812.135) — or attempts
- Lewd or lascivious offense upon or in the presence of an elderly or disabled person (§ 825.1025)
- Sexual performance by a child (§ 827.071)
- Computer pornography (§ 847.0135(2) or (3)); transmission of child sexual abuse material (§ 847.0137); selling or buying of minors (§ 847.0145)
- Poisoning food or water (§ 859.01)
- Abuse of a dead human body (§ 872.06)
- Any first- or second-degree felony burglary or attempted burglary (§ 810.02(2) or (3))
- Arson or attempted arson (§ 806.01(1))
- Aggravated assault (§ 784.021)
- Aggravated stalking (§ 784.048(3), (4), (5), or (7))
- Aircraft piracy (§ 860.16)
- Unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb (§ 790.161(2), (3), or (4))
- Treason (§ 876.32)
- Any offense committed in another jurisdiction which would be one of the above if committed in Florida
Effect — on a violation of probation, the court must make written findings as to whether the offender poses a danger to the community. If the court finds the offender is a danger, it must revoke probation and may impose any sentence it could have originally imposed. A VFOSC is also generally held without bail pending the violation hearing.
New in 2026 — Offenses by foreign agents — § 775.08255
This section did not exist before the 2026 session. Unlike the enhancements above, it is not built on prior record — it is built on purpose.
Qualifies: the penalty for any misdemeanor or felony may be reclassified if the offense was committed for the purpose of benefiting, promoting, or furthering the interests of a foreign government, a designated foreign terrorist organization, or an agent of either. An “agent” is a person acting on behalf of, or employed or controlled by, such a government or organization.
Effect — reclassification one full degree upward:
| Second-degree misdemeanor | → first-degree misdemeanor |
| First-degree misdemeanor | → third-degree felony |
| Third-degree felony | → second-degree felony |
| Second-degree felony | → first-degree felony |
| First-degree felony | → life felony |
And a minimum mandatory. A person convicted of a first-degree felony or a life felony under this section must be sentenced to a minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law. § 775.08255(3).
The related terrorism definitions in §§ 775.30–775.34 were amended in the same session to add a “domestic terrorist organization” category, meaning an organization whose designation has been published in the Florida Administrative Register under the new § 943.03102. See What Changes October 1.
PRR — Prison Releasee Reoffender — § 775.082(9)
Qualifies: commission, or attempted commission, of an enumerated offense within 3 years of release from a state, county, federal, out-of-state, or foreign correctional facility — or while serving a prison sentence or on escape status. § 775.082(9)(a)1.–2.
The enumerated offenses — § 775.082(9)(a)1.
- Treason
- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Sexual battery
- Carjacking
- Home-invasion robbery
- Robbery
- Arson
- Kidnapping
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated stalking
- Aircraft piracy
- Unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb
- Any felony that involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against an individual
- Armed burglary
- Burglary of a dwelling or burglary of an occupied structure
- Any felony violation of § 790.07, § 800.04, § 827.03, § 827.071, or § 847.0135(5)
- Battery on a law enforcement officer which results in bodily injury — added effective 2026 by ch. 2026-149, Laws of Fla.
The decision to pursue PRR sentencing belongs to the state attorney, who must prove the status by a preponderance of the evidence. § 775.082(9)(a)3.
Effect — the sentence equals the statutory maximum and must be served in full (100%), with no parole, gain-time, or early release:
- Life felony → life
- First-degree → 30 years
- Second-degree → 15 years
- Third-degree → 5 years