TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As a tropical system nears the Sunshine State, the Florida attorney general has activated the state's price gouging hotline.
The hotline is in effect for the 54 counties under a state of emergency declared by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday.
As of Friday, this does not affect Palm Beach County or the Treasure Coast since they are not under a state of of emergency.
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State price gouging laws are in effect for the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a news release that the gouging law applies to "items and services essential to getting ready for, or recovering from, a storm within the areas of a declared state of emergency."
State
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"Invest 97L is expected to bring heavy rain and powerful winds to much of the state," Moody said in a statement. "To help Floridians prepare for this event, we are activating the price gouging hotline to accept reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities. As the system approaches, I’m urging Floridians to finalize their storm preparations, monitor weather reports and follow the guidance of local authorities. Stay Safe, Florida."
During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water.
Anyone who suspects price gouging can report it to the Florida Attorney General's Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.
The state that violators of the price gouging law are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.
