Florida SB 490: Public Records/E-mail Addresses Collected by the Department of Highway Safety for Providing Renewal Notices

Bill Text

490 
Public Records/E-mail Addresses Collected by the Department of Highway Safety for Providing Renewal Notices 
2026-03-18T08:44:39Z 
Expanding an exemption from public records requirements for e-mail addresses collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for providing renewal notices to include e-mail addresses collected for use as a method of notification generally and not only for the purpose of providing renewal notices; expanding the exemption to include e-mail addresses collected for use as a method of notification related to vessel registrations; providing retroactive applicability; providing for future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; providing a statement of public necessity, etc. 
ENROLLED 
2026 
S 
2026-10-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
er 

 ENROLLED 
 2026 Legislature SB 490 

 2026490er 
 1 
 2 An act relating to public records; amending s. 
 3 119.0712, F.S.; expanding an exemption from public 
 4 records requirements for e-mail addresses collected by 
 5 the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 
 6 for providing renewal notices to include e-mail 
 7 addresses collected for use as a method of 
 8 notification generally and not only for the purpose of 
 9 providing renewal notices; expanding the exemption to 
 10 include e-mail addresses collected for use as a method 
 11 of notification related to vessel registrations; 
 12 providing retroactive applicability; providing for 
 13 future legislative review and repeal of the exemption; 
 14 providing a statement of public necessity; providing a 
 15 contingent effective date. 
 16 
 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 18 
 19 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section 
 20 119.0712, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 21 119.0712 Executive branch agency-specific exemptions from 
 22 inspection or copying of public records.— 
 23 (2) DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES.— 
 24 (c) E-mail addresses collected by the Department of Highway 
 25 Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to s. 319.40(3), s. 
 26 320.95(2), or s. 322.08(10), or s. 328.30 are exempt from s. 
 27 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This 
 28 exemption applies retroactively. This paragraph is subject to 
 29 the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 
 30 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2031, unless 
 31 reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the 
 32 Legislature. 
 33 Section 2. The Legislature finds that it is a public 
 34 necessity that e-mail addresses collected by the Department of 
 35 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for the use of e-mail in lieu 
 36 of the United States Postal Service as a method of notification 
 37 be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 
 38 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. Sections 320.95(2) 
 39 and 322.08(10), Florida Statutes, authorize the department to 
 40 collect e-mail addresses and use e-mail in lieu of the United 
 41 States Postal Service to provide renewal notices related to 
 42 motor vehicle license plates, driver licenses, and 
 43 identification cards. The department is also authorized to 
 44 collect e-mail addresses and use e-mail to provide renewal 
 45 notices related to vessel registrations pursuant to s. 
 46 328.30(3), Florida Statutes. SB 488 expands the circumstances in 
 47 which e-mail may be used in lieu of the United States Postal 
 48 Service by authorizing e-mail to be used as a method of 
 49 notification for various notices and orders issued by the 
 50 department in addition to renewal notices, including, but not 
 51 limited to, notices related to driver licenses, identification 
 52 cards, motor vehicle registrations, vessel registrations, and 
 53 orders to revoke, cancel, or suspend driver licenses. The 
 54 department’s use of e-mail as a method for corresponding with 
 55 customers has steadily increased in recent decades. E-mail 
 56 addresses are unique to each individual and, when combined with 
 57 other personal identifying information, can be used for identity 
 58 theft, consumer scams, unwanted solicitations, or other invasive 
 59 contacts. The public availability of personal e-mail addresses 
 60 puts the department’s customers at increased risk of these 
 61 problems. Such risks may be significantly limited by permitting 
 62 the department to keep customer e-mail addresses exempt. The 
 63 Legislature finds that these risks to consumers outweigh the 
 64 state’s public policy favoring open government. 
 65 Section 3. This act shall take effect on the same date that 
 66 SB 488 or similar legislation takes effect, if such legislation 
 67 is adopted in the same legislative session or an extension 
 68 thereof and becomes a law.