Unsecured load
Florida Statute § 316.520
Summary verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes: October 1, 2026.
Quick Summary
A highway vehicle must be built and loaded to prevent cargo from dropping, shifting, leaking, blowing, or escaping. Owners and drivers hauling loose material, trash, or other objects must use an appropriate close-fitting cover or securing device. Limited traction-sand and road-maintenance discharges are excepted; the agricultural local-haul exception removes a specified cover requirement but does not eliminate the general duty to prevent escape. Document load and securement defects. A willful failure causing serious bodily injury or death creates a separate criminal track.
Summary sources
Classification, Points & Penalties
Classification, Points & Penalties
- Category
- Load
- Type
- Non-Moving
- Civil / Criminal
- Civil
- Offense Classification
- Nonmoving infraction
- Points
- 0
- Fine / Penalty
- $30 base nonmoving penalty; offense-specific penalties/court costs may differ
Base fines are not the total payable amount. Costs, enforcement method, crash consequences, prior history, and court disposition can change penalties or points. A reported zero does not rule out license suspension or revocation.
Court & Enforcement
Court & Enforcement
- Mandatory Court
- Yes — §318.19(4) for violations of subsections (1) or (2)
- NTA Eligible
- N/A — civil citation
- Custodial Arrest
- No — civil infraction (absent separate lawful basis)
NTA means notice to appear. Eligibility is conditional; these fields do not independently authorize arrest. Confirm the exact statutory track, lawful arrest authority, traffic procedure, and agency policy.
Arrest authority guideCivil infractions resulting in death or serious bodily injury require a hearing under §318.19.