ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
On Thursday, Trooper Steve was asked, “Can I legally sleep in my car?”
In Florida, sleeping in your car isn’t automatically illegal, but Trooper Steve says the fine print comes down to location, local rules, and safety.
“If you’ve ever pulled into a parking lot and thought, ‘I’m too tired to drive, can I just sleep here for a bit?’ you’re not alone,” he said. “There’s no statewide ‘ban’ on sleeping in your car. Florida doesn’t have a single statewide law that says you can’t sleep in a parked vehicle. In general, if you’re legally parked, you’re not breaking a state law simply by resting.”
Getting specific, Trooper Steve points to HB 1365 (effective Oct. 1, 2024), which targets public camping/sleeping on public property — think sidewalks, parks, and rights-of-way — but the law specifically does not include staying overnight in a registered, insured vehicle that’s parked somewhere it may lawfully be.
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Even if state law doesn’t forbid it, Trooper Steve says cities and counties can have their own rules about overnight parking or sleeping in vehicles on public streets, beach lots, parks, and other public spaces.
“When signs say ‘No Overnight Parking,’ they usually mean it,” he said. “Florida rest areas are designed for short breaks. The general public is limited to up to three hours at rest areas and welcome centers under Florida’s rules, and FDOT repeats that guidance in its official Q&A.”
Further, Trooper Steve says that if you’re impaired, sleeping in your car can still turn into a DUI investigation.
“Florida’s DUI law applies if someone is driving or in ‘actual physical control’ of a vehicle,” he said. “If you’re thinking about sleeping in your car, the safest bet is a legal parking spot (preferably private property with permission) and always pay attention to posted signs, because in Florida, it’s usually not the sleeping that gets you, it’s the location.”
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