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Is it illegal to sleep in your car in Florida?
I’ve lived in Florida my entire life, but I’ve never actually explored the state. So I decided to take a month off to really dive into my home state. To cut costs and enjoy the weather, I was thinking of sleeping in my car. Can I legally do so?
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
If you have a thin budget, sleeping in your car can cut costs. Fortunately, it is legal to sleep in your car in Florida. However, it’s one of the only states that dictate where and how long you can sleep in your car.
So before you pull over for a night’s sleep, make sure you follow these laws:
- There’s a three-hour parking limit at rest stops—overnight parking and/or camping are illegal.
- Some Florida cities and counties ban sleeping in your car. (Key West is probably the most famous place where you can’t sleep in your car.) This is to stymie vagrancy while also boosting income for hotels and tourism.
- You can’t pull over to sleep on highway shoulders, as these are reserved for emergency vehicles.
- You can be arrested for DUI while you’re sleeping in a car, even if the car is not in motion.
From beaches to swamps to the oldest city in the U.S.,
Florida
is definitely worth exploring. If you want some tips on where to go, check out a few of these ideas:- Drive the Overseas Highway, which runs the length of the Florida Keys.
- Try a Tampa-style Cuban sandwich (added salami) in the old cigar district of Ybor City.
- Take a fanboat near the Everglades.
- Explore the state capital in Tallahassee.
- Go for a dip on the Emerald Coast near Destin.
If you’re getting ready to plan your trip, remember that adding roadside assistance or
towing and labor coverage
can put your mind at ease. It’s also a great time to review your car insurance policy and shop around with the Jerry
app.Jerry is a licensed insurance broker that will collect quotes from over 50 top-rated insurers in minutes. After you find a great rate, Jerry can help you buy new insurance and cancel your old policy. Users save an average of $887 per year.
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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