Privacy Law Library

Ownership and Control of Patient Records; Confidentiality (health care practitioners)

Florida Patient Records Law

Health

Florida's core medical-records privacy rule for doctors and other licensed practitioners. It requires practitioners to give patients copies of their records promptly and at no more than cost, bars disclosing records or discussing a patient's condition without written authorization except in listed cases, and sets duties when a practice closes or moves.

Where
Florida
Citation
Fla. Stat. 456.057
Status
In force
Last amended
2026-07-01
Enforced by
Professional licensing boards and the Department of Health; Florida Attorney General for records owners not licensed by the state
People can sue
No
Penalties
Licensees are disciplined by their licensing authority (456.057(15)); the Attorney General may seek injunctions and fines up to $5,000 per violation against unlicensed records owners (456.057(16)).
Applies to
  • Licensed health care practitioners and their employers that are 'records owners', and records custodians (456.057(1)-(4))
  • Does not apply to hospitals and other facilities licensed under chapter 395 (456.057(5))

What a privacy notice must say

  • When terminating practice, retiring, or relocating, notify patients (by newspaper advertisement or in writing) and offer copies, and notify the board of the new records owner and records location.Fla. Stat. 456.057(12)-(13)

Rights it gives people

  • On request, patients or their legal representatives must receive copies of all records of examination or treatment in a timely manner, without delays for legal review (with limits for certain psychiatric and psychological records).Fla. Stat. 456.057(6)

Practices it requires

  • Do not furnish records or discuss a patient's medical condition with anyone other than the patient, the patient's representative, or treating practitioners without written authorization, except as the section allows.Fla. Stat. 456.057(7)(a)
  • Charge no more than actual copying cost, including reasonable staff time, or the rule-set amount.Fla. Stat. 456.057(17)

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: The specific 2026 change to s. 456.057(7)(a) (related to child protective investigations, ch. 2026-165) was seen in the session law but not analyzed in detail. | Original enactment date not confirmed.

Research reference, not legal advice.