Florida
As of May 2026, no Florida county has an independent civilian oversight body with operational scope over its sheriff's office. Florida became the first U.S. state to preempt local civilian oversight of law enforcement misconduct investigations when HB 601 (2024) was signed into law.
State context
HB 601 (Chapter 2024-86), signed April 12, 2024 and effective July 1, 2024, amended Fla. Stat. § 112.533 to bar political subdivisions from creating civilian oversight agencies that receive, process, or investigate complaints against law enforcement officers. Under the same act, only a sheriff or chief — not a county or city legislative body — may voluntarily establish a civilian board, which is restricted to reviewing policies and procedures and must include at least one retired law enforcement officer. Of roughly 21 pre-existing local boards, at least 15 dissolved or went dormant within six months.
Florida sheriffs are constitutional officers (Art. VIII § 1(d), Fla. Const.), elected independently in all 67 counties. Amendment 10 (2018) extended this structure to Miami-Dade, which had operated without an elected sheriff since 1967. Voters elected the first Miami-Dade Sheriff in nearly 60 years in November 2024; the office took effect January 7, 2025. The previously existing Miami-Dade County Independent Civilian Panel (which covered the Miami-Dade Police Department, not the new Sheriff) lost its investigative authority under HB 601 the same year the new Sheriff's Office was created.
Counties
| # | County | Oversight body / status | LE capability | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No oversight body established | ||||
| 01 | Alachua | — | — | — |
| 02 | Baker | — | — | — |
| 03 | Bay | — | — | — |
| 04 | Bradford | — | — | — |
| 05 | Brevard | — | — | — |
| 06 | Broward | — | — | — |
| 07 | Calhoun | — | — | — |
| 08 | Charlotte | — | — | — |
| 09 | Citrus | — | — | — |
| 10 | Clay | — | — | — |
| 11 | Collier | — | — | — |
| 12 | Columbia | — | — | — |
| 13 | DeSoto | — | — | — |
| 14 | Dixie | — | — | — |
| 15 | Duval | — | — | — |
| 16 | Escambia | — | — | — |
| 17 | Flagler | — | — | — |
| 18 | Franklin | — | — | — |
| 19 | Gadsden | — | — | — |
| 20 | Gilchrist | — | — | — |
| 21 | Glades | — | — | — |
| 22 | Gulf | — | — | — |
| 23 | Hamilton | — | — | — |
| 24 | Hardee | — | — | — |
| 25 | Hendry | — | — | — |
| 26 | Hernando | — | — | — |
| 27 | Highlands | — | — | — |
| 28 | Hillsborough | — | — | — |
| 29 | Holmes | — | — | — |
| 30 | Indian River | — | — | — |
| 31 | Jackson | — | — | — |
| 32 | Jefferson | — | — | — |
| 33 | Lafayette | — | — | — |
| 34 | Lake | — | — | — |
| 35 | Lee | — | — | — |
| 36 | Leon | — | — | — |
| 37 | Levy | — | — | — |
| 38 | Liberty | — | — | — |
| 39 | Madison | — | — | — |
| 40 | Manatee | — | — | — |
| 41 | Marion | — | — | — |
| 42 | Martin | — | — | — |
| 43 | Miami-Dade | — | — | — |
| 44 | Monroe | — | — | — |
| 45 | Nassau | — | — | — |
| 46 | Okaloosa | — | — | — |
| 47 | Okeechobee | — | — | — |
| 48 | Orange | — | — | — |
| 49 | Osceola | — | — | — |
| 50 | Palm Beach | — | — | — |
| 51 | Pasco | — | — | — |
| 52 | Pinellas | — | — | — |
| 53 | Polk | — | — | — |
| 54 | Putnam | — | — | — |
| 55 | Santa Rosa | — | — | — |
| 56 | Sarasota | — | — | — |
| 57 | Seminole | — | — | — |
| 58 | St. Johns | — | — | — |
| 59 | St. Lucie | — | — | — |
| 60 | Sumter | — | — | — |
| 61 | Suwannee | — | — | — |
| 62 | Taylor | — | — | — |
| 63 | Union | — | — | — |
| 64 | Volusia | — | — | — |
| 65 | Wakulla | — | — | — |
| 66 | Walton | — | — | — |
| 67 | Washington | — | — | — |