(1) The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any persons or damage to any vehicle or other property in an apparent amount of at least $500 shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the crash to the local police department, if such crash occurs within a municipality; otherwise, to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office or station of the Florida Highway Patrol. A violation of this subsection is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318.

(2) Every coroner or other official performing like functions, upon learning of the death of a person in his or her jurisdiction as the result of a traffic crash, shall immediately notify the nearest office or station of the department.

(3) Any person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been struck by a bullet, or any other person to whom is brought for the purpose of repair a motor vehicle showing such evidence, shall make a report, or cause a report to be made, to the nearest local police station or Florida Highway Patrol office within 24 hours after the motor vehicle is received and before any repairs are made to the vehicle. The report shall contain the year, license number, make, model, and color of the vehicle and the name and address of the owner or person in possession of the vehicle.

(4) Any person who knowingly repairs a motor vehicle without having made a report as required by subsection (3) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. The owner and driver of a vehicle involved in a crash who makes a report thereof in accordance with subsection (1) is not liable under this section.

(5) Subsection (1) does not apply to a fully autonomous vehicle operating with the automated driving system engaged in the event of a crash involving the vehicle if the vehicle owner, or a person on behalf of the vehicle owner, promptly contacts a law enforcement agency to report the crash or if the fully autonomous vehicle has the capability of alerting a law enforcement agency to the crash.

History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 1, ch. 72-164; s. 1, ch. 73-25; s. 11, ch. 76-31; s. 1, ch. 89-271; s. 299, ch. 95-148; s. 8, ch. 96-350; s. 87, ch. 99-248; s. 14, ch. 2012-197; s. 4, ch. 2019-101.