§ 901.21, Fla. Stat. · Chapter 901. ARRESTS AND TEMPORARY DETENTIONS
Search of person arrested.
Text — 2026 Florida Statutes
(1) When a lawful arrest is effected, a peace officer may search the person arrested and the area within the person’s immediate presence for the purpose of:
(a) Protecting the officer from attack;
(b) Preventing the person from escaping; or
(c) Discovering the fruits of a crime.
(2) A peace officer making a lawful search without a warrant may seize all instruments, articles, or things discovered on the person arrested or within the person’s immediate control, the seizure of which is reasonably necessary for the purpose of:
(a) Protecting the officer from attack;
(b) Preventing the escape of the arrested person; or
(c) Assuring subsequent lawful custody of the fruits of a crime or of the articles used in the commission of a crime.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
s. 21, ch. 19554, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 8663(21); s. 10, ch. 70-339.
Source of truth
- Edition
- 2026 Florida Statutes
- Official file
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0900-0999/0901/0901.html
- Text hash
- sha256 fd317cd11f545cbbb0d91b92d573c47496b29a256df23ece240dc008c1f73551
- Composed by
- compose_v2.py 2026-10-04: the Legislature's structured HTML read in document order; verify_v2.py's independent reading agrees character for character
- composed from the Legislature's structured HTML (one source of text; no PDF extraction); a second, independent reading of the same bytes agrees character for character
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites § 901.21, Fla. Stat.. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.