Enjoy Spring Break Responsibly, Don’t Drink & Drive

Don't Drink & Drive image
~ DHSMV urges residents and visitors to always designate a sober driver ~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) urge residents and visitors to Arrive Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive as they celebrate spring break this month. DHSMV and FHP are partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida Sheriffs Association, AAA – The Auto Club Group and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association to encourage individuals to enjoy their spring break vacation responsibility by not driving impaired.

“With record numbers of motorists on Florida roads, students and families enjoying their spring break are reminded to designate a sober driver or find a safe ride home,” said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “Drinking and driving can turn a fun and exciting vacation into a nightmare. Help everyone Arrive Alive this spring break; plan ahead and never let an impaired friend drive. Take the keys and save a life.”

As one of the top Spring Break destinations in the nation, DHSMV reminds high school and college-aged students flocking to Florida’s warm climate and beautiful beaches to drive responsibly. Preliminary data shows that there were more than 37,000 crashes resulting in more than 2,000 serious bodily injuries and 295 fatalities statewide in March 2017, making it the month with the highest number of total crashes, injuries and fatalities.

“The Florida Highway Patrol is enhancing its efforts this month, with an emphasis on impaired drivers,” said Colonel Gene S. Spaulding, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Be sure to use good judgment, enjoy your time in Florida and don’t drink or use drugs and drive.”

Since 2013, more DUI citations have been issued in March than in any other month of the year. Impaired drivers not only put the lives of everyone on the roadway at risk, they can face serious legal and monetary consequences. Penalties for DUIs can include expensive fines, license revocation and jail time. This spring break, law enforcement agencies across the state will continue to enforce the state’s drinking age laws to help keep impaired drivers off the roads.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s (DBPR) Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco enforces the state’s beverage law and is responsible for licensing all Florida establishments that sell or service alcohol. This spring break, DBPR is partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies to help further enforce the legal drinking age and ensure that establishments are serving alcohol only to those age 21 or older.

“The DBPR’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco is committed to enforcing the minimum age for possession of alcohol and ensuring licensed Florida businesses remain in compliance during spring break,” said DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem. “Spring break is a great time to enjoy everything the Sunshine State has to offer, and we want to ensure everyone does that safely and in accordance with the law.”

“As visitors and residents celebrate their spring break in our state each year, we see an increase in drunk driving incidents. The Florida Police Chiefs Association is proud to partner with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to promote safe and responsible driving during spring break,” said Miami Shores Police Chief Kevin Lystad, President of the Association. “We know all too well that drinking and driving often leads to serious injuries or fatalities. It’s important to educate Floridians and guests about the dangers of impaired driving. Florida’s police chiefs fully support and endorse this initiative.”

“With its miles of beaches and beautiful weather, Florida is one of the prime destinations for youth to celebrate Spring Break each year,” said Sheriff Mike Adkinson, President of the Florida Sheriffs Association. “Given that our primary mission is to protect the citizens we serve, our Florida Sheriffs fully support the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle’s Arrive Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive initiative this March.”

“Spring Break is a great time to celebrate with friends and family, but it can easily take a tragic turn when alcohol is involved,” said Matt Nasworthy, Florida Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group.

“Before anyone has their first drink, please plan ahead to make sure all of your loved ones get home safely.”

Regulatory Compliance Services (RCS), a subsidiary of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), provides risk management and regulatory compliance training to the state’s hospitality industry. RCS training programs include Responsible Vendor Training and Alcohol Compliance to educate servers and sellers on the legal manner of serving alcohol and preventing underage drinking.

“Florida is fortunate to be revered as one of the nation’s leading destinations, welcoming 113 million visitors in 2016,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “Admired for our world-class hospitality industry, it is our duty to lead by example. We strongly encourage our businesses across the state to serve responsibly and create wonderful memories for our guests. As Florida’s premier provider of responsible alcohol vendor training, we are dedicated to risk management and strongly recommend that businesses and patrons refocus awareness and take precaution during this busy season.”

Visit DHSMV’s website for more information and resources for the Arrive Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive Spring Break campaign. The public is encouraged to report dangerous and drunk drivers by dialing *FHP (*347).

March 1, 2018 /  

Boxing Commission to Sanction UFC Event in Orlando

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida State Boxing Commission announced today it will sanction an event hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Orlando on Saturday, February 24. The event will continue to further advance the state’s status as a top destination for combat sports.

Jonathan Zachem, Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation said, “I am very excited that UFC will be in Orlando this weekend. Combat sporting events help boost our economy by generating tax revenue for the state and positively impacting tourism in the local area.”

DBPR’s Florida State Boxing Commission is responsible for the licensing and regulating of professional boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and approves amateur sanctioning events in Florida. For additional information and upcoming sanctioned events, visit the Boxing Commission’s website here.

February 23, 2018 /  

Gov. Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future Budget Strengthens Florida’s Business-Friendly Environment

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget recommends $154 million to support the continued commitment of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to make Florida the best place for businesses and job creators. Gov. Scott’s budget also supports DBPR’s overall mission to license efficiently and regulate fairly, allowing Florida businesses and professionals to succeed and create jobs for future generations of Floridians.

Gov. Scott said, “Over the past seven years we have fought to make Florida more business-friendly and worked to cut more than 5,000 burdensome regulations. This has helped Florida businesses create more than 1.3 million new jobs across the state and we will not slow down our efforts to make Florida the best place for job creators and families to succeed. I am proud to announce these investments today, which will help make sure the state can continue to efficiently welcome new businesses and opportunities to Florida.”

Jonathan Zachem, DBPR Secretary, said, “Under Governor Scott’s guidance, we’ve worked hard to improve efficiency and reduce burdensome regulations for the more than one million businesses and professionals licensed by DBPR. One of our proudest achievements this year was the launch of the Business Information Portal at www.OpenMyFloridaBusiness.gov. The new site takes prospective business owners step-by-step through starting a new business in Florida.”

Gov. Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget includes:

  • Unlicensed Activity Awareness: The budget proposes continuing $2.2 million to combat unlicensed activity. DBPR will continue to proactively seek out unlicensed activity while educating the public about the need to only hire licensed professionals. In Fiscal Year 2016-2017, the Division of Regulation performed 726 sweeps, 41 undercover enforcement operations and 797 outreach events to educate Floridians about the importance of hiring licensed professionals and the dangers unlicensed individuals pose.
  • License application processing: In 2016, DBPR processed 365,854 applications – 74,571 more than when Gov. Scott took office in 2011 – without any additional staffing. The budget proposes continuing $8.2 million for the Central Intake Unit, which processes an average of 7,000 applications each week. Additionally, over 99.5% of license-renewal applications were completed online. This allows department licensees to renew in real time and get to work more quickly.
  • Food safety: DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants’ inspection practices enable the division to communicate more effectively to licensees in a pro-business manner. The Division works to be transparent with the public on the results of an inspection, which are published in real time on the DBPR website and DBPR Mobile App. The budget proposes continuing $21.7 million to allow the division to continue to protect the health and safety of Floridians and guests to the state while implementing regulations that make good business sense for Florida’s 96,847 food service and lodging establishments.

Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said, “We appreciate Gov. Scott’s continued investment in the health and safety of Florida’s consumers and visitors. Tourism is essential to Florida’s economy and, thanks to DBPR’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants, Florida continues to lead in food safety and innovation.“

Scott Shalley, President and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said, “Floridians are feeling more optimistic and confident in our improving economy. We applaud Gov. Scott and DBPR for continually identifying ways of helping Florida’s retailers and businesses grow and succeed.”

Bill Martin, CEO of the Florida Realtors, said, “Gov. Scott has always focused on job growth for Florida’s real estate professionals and businesses. I applaud the governor and DBPR for their efforts to ensure Floridians can get to work more quickly.”

November 14, 2017 /  

DBPR Opens New Office in Miami-Dade County

DORAL, Fla. –On Monday, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) opened a new office in Miami-Dade County for the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes.

The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes oversees Florida residential communities regulated by DBPR through education; mediation and arbitration; complaint resolution; and developer disclosure. Miami-Dade condominium owners can seek guidance at the new office for questions or issues regarding their condominiums. Walk-ins are welcome and DBPR team members are on standby, ready to assist.

The new office is located at:

DBPR Division of Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes
8240 NW 52nd Terrace, Suite 520
Doral, FL 33166

Ribbon Cutting

October 18, 2017 /  

DBPR Awards $200,000 to Minority Accounting Students

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced today that it has awarded the Clay Ford Minority Scholarship to 40 fifth-year minority accounting students from 14 different universities across Florida.

Award recipients will receive $3,000 to $6,000 per semester for a maximum of two semesters.

“DBPR is thrilled to assist these deserving students with jump-starting their careers in the CPA profession,” said DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem.

Applications are accepted each year on a rolling basis and will be applied to the appropriate school year. The deadline for applications for the 2018 – 2019 school year is June 1, 2018.

For information regarding eligibility requirements and the application process, please visit www.myfloridalicense.com/CPAScholarship.

October 6, 2017 /