Florida · House Bill 253 · 2025 Regular Session

Offenses Involving Motor Vehicles

HB 253 Sponsored by Douglas Michael "Doug" Bankson Became law

  1. Introduced Jan 27, 2025
  2. In committee Feb 6, 2025
  3. Passed the House  
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor May 16, 2025
  6. Became law May 19, 2025

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

Reclassifies offense of driving, moving, or causing to be moved vehicle or equipment with certain lighting on highway as third degree felony in specified circumstance; increases the penalty for knowingly altering a motor vehicle registration certificate, a license plate, a temporary license plate, a mobile home sticker, or a validation sticker or obscuring a license plate from a noncriminal traffic infraction to a…

Read the full title (98 words)

Reclassifies offense of driving, moving, or causing to be moved vehicle or equipment with certain lighting on highway as third degree felony in specified circumstance; increases the penalty for knowingly altering a motor vehicle registration certificate, a license plate, a temporary license plate, a mobile home sticker, or a validation sticker or obscuring a license plate from a noncriminal traffic infraction to a second degree misdemeanor; provides criminal penalties if person purchases, possesses, manufactures, sells, offers to sell, or otherwise distributes license plate obscuring device; provides enhanced penalty if person uses license plate obscuring device for specified purposes.

Every action

50 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

Show the 42 earlier steps
  1. HouseFiled
  2. CommitteeReferred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee · House Criminal Justice Subcommittee
  3. CommitteeReferred to Government Operations Subcommittee · House Government Operations Subcommittee
  4. CommitteeReferred to Judiciary Committee · House Judiciary Committee
  5. CommitteeNow in Criminal Justice Subcommittee · House Criminal Justice Subcommittee
  6. House1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
  7. HousePCS added to Criminal Justice Subcommittee agenda
  8. CommitteeFavorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee · House Criminal Justice Subcommittee17–0 vote
  9. CommitteeReported out of Criminal Justice Subcommittee · House Criminal Justice Subcommittee
  10. HouseLaid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
  11. HouseCS Filed
  12. House1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
  13. CommitteeReferred to Government Operations Subcommittee · House Government Operations Subcommittee
  14. CommitteeReferred to Judiciary Committee · House Judiciary Committee
  15. CommitteeNow in Government Operations Subcommittee · House Government Operations Subcommittee
  16. CommitteeAdded to Government Operations Subcommittee agenda · House Government Operations Subcommittee
  17. CommitteeFavorable by Government Operations Subcommittee · House Government Operations Subcommittee18–0 vote
  18. CommitteeReported out of Government Operations Subcommittee · House Government Operations Subcommittee
  19. CommitteeNow in Judiciary Committee · House Judiciary Committee
  20. CommitteeAdded to Judiciary Committee agenda · House Judiciary Committee
  21. CommitteeFavorable with CS by Judiciary Committee · House Judiciary Committee19–0 vote
  22. CommitteeReported out of Judiciary Committee · House Judiciary Committee
  23. HouseLaid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
  24. HouseCS Filed
  25. House1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
  26. HouseBill referred to House Calendar
  27. HouseAdded to Second Reading Calendar
  28. HouseBill added to Special Order Calendar (4/16/2025)
  29. HouseAmendment 779263 filed
  30. HouseRead 2nd time
  31. HouseAmendment 779263 adopted
  32. HousePlaced on 3rd reading
  33. HouseAdded to Third Reading Calendar
  34. HouseRead 3rd time
  35. HouseCS passed as amended; YEAS 115, NAYS 0
  36. HouseMessage sent to senate
  37. SenateIn Messages
  38. CommitteeReferred to Rules · Senate Rules
  39. SenateReceived
  40. CommitteeWithdrawn from Rules -SJ 489 · Senate Rules
  41. SenatePlaced on Calendar, on 2nd reading
  42. SenateSubstituted for CS/CS/SB 44 -SJ 489
  1. SenateRead 2nd time -SJ 489
  2. SenateRead 3rd time -SJ 489
  3. SenateCS passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 48936–0 vote
  4. HouseIn Messages
  5. HouseOrdered enrolled
  6. GovernorSigned by Officers and presented to Governor
  7. GovernorApproved by Governor
  8. Chapter No. 2025-36

Roll calls

5 recorded votes: 2 on the floor, 3 in committee. Each shows how every member voted.

Passage · Full House

115–0
Apr 16, 2025 · journal entry
Yes 115 No 0 Not voting 4
Democrats: 33 yes, 0 no Republicans: 82 yes, 0 no
How each member voted

Yes · 115

Not voting · 4

CS passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 489 · Full Senate

36–0
Apr 23, 2025 · journal entry
Yes 36 No 0 Not voting 2
Democrats: 10 yes, 0 no Independents: 0 yes, 0 no Republicans: 26 yes, 0 no
How each member voted

Yes · 36

Not voting · 2

Committee and other votes

DateWhereQuestionResult
Mar 12, 2025 House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Favorable with CS by Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Members

Yes · 17

Not voting · 2

 Passed 17–0
Mar 25, 2025 House Government Operations Subcommittee Favorable by Government Operations Subcommittee
Members

Yes · 18

 Passed 18–0
Apr 8, 2025 House Judiciary Committee Favorable with CS by Judiciary Committee
Members

Yes · 19

Not voting · 3

 Passed 19–0

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 1 cosponsor: 1 Democrat.

  • Douglas Michael "Doug" BanksonR Primary sponsor · District 39
  • JC Judiciary Committee Sponsoring committee
  • CJ Criminal Justice Subcommittee Sponsoring committee
All 1 cosponsor

From Florida's official records (leg.state.fl.us; flhouse.gov), checked Nov 2, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.