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FLORIDA - Florida lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill aimed at stopping individuals from profiting off state-run services by reselling appointments at DMV and tax collector offices.
The legislation, House Bill 961, makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to sell or attempt to sell appointments with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) or any tax collector office unless the person has been given written authorization.
The bill was pushed forward amid growing frustration in Miami-Dade County, where residents faced long wait times due to appointment scalping schemes.
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, who has been vocal on the issue, praised the state for stepping in to address the problem.
“We took on the scalpers, exposed how they were profiting off the public, and now, thanks to this new law, the state has our back,” Fernandez said in a public statement.
“Every resident deserves a fair shot at services—no middlemen, no markups.”
The issue gained traction after reports revealed that some individuals were allegedly booking large numbers of appointments and reselling them online at inflated prices, creating bottlenecks for legitimate users.
In response, Miami-Dade officials led efforts to push for a statewide solution.
Under the bill, offenders could face penalties including fines and up to one year in jail.
The legislation also includes updates to DHSMV service operations, such as expanding how documents can be delivered and updating policies for disabled parking permits.
The bill now awaits Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature to become law.