F.S. 574.01 Administration of law.
This act shall be administered within the Division of Marketing and Development of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
SALE OF LEAF TOBACCO
F.S. Ch. 574
in effectF.S. 574.02 Purpose of act.
The purpose of this act is to enable producers to have sufficient time to properly cure, prepare, and have an adequate time to market their leaf tobacco. Nothing herein shall prohibit a producer from selling his or her tobacco at a private sale at any time. The provisions of this act shall apply only to sales of leaf tobacco produced in the calendar year in which the sale is made.
F.S. 574.03 Warehouseman; licenses and fees.
(1)
A warehouseman operating a warehouse for the sale of flue-cured tobacco shall, on or before July 1 of each year, obtain from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services a state flue-cured tobacco warehouse license for the privilege of operating such warehouse.
(2)
Each applicant, with an application for license, shall remit a license fee based upon total pounds sold during the previous year on the following scale:
(a)
Less than 1,000,000 lbs., $100;
(b)
1,000,000 lbs. and less than 2,000,000 lbs., $200;
(c)
2,000,000 lbs. and less than 3,000,000 lbs., $300;
(d)
3,000,000 lbs. and less than 4,000,000 lbs., $400;
(e)
4,000,000 lbs. and less than 5,000,000 lbs., $500;
(f)
5,000,000 lbs. and less than 6,000,000 lbs., $600;
(g)
All in excess of 6,000,000 lbs., $600 and 6 cents per 1,000 lbs.
(3)
A warehouseman not operating a warehouse the previous year may procure a license by paying the license fee based upon the total estimated pounds that the new warehouseman estimates he or she will market during the complete marketing season.
(4)
A new warehouseman operating an old warehouse shall pay license fee based on sales of the preceding year by the previous warehouseman.
(5)
The fees levied shall be based on official statistical data reported to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by the United States Department of Agriculture.
(6)
As a prerequisite to the issuance of a license under the provisions of this section, each applicant shall furnish evidence to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that the applicant has in force a standard fire and extended coverage insurance policy for the full market value of the maximum amount of tobacco contained in his or her sales warehouse at any one time during the marketing season for which the license is sought. The insurance policy shall be written by an insurance company of the warehouseman’s choice authorized to transact business in this state, and such insurance coverage shall be approved in form by the Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial Services Commission, and a copy of the insurance policy shall be filed with the director of the Division of Marketing and Development of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The policy shall contain an endorsement requiring notification to the director of the Division of Marketing and Development of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by the insurance company at least 10 days prior to cancellation of their intention to cancel the policy.
F.S. 574.07 Revocation of licenses.
If any warehouseman shall hold a sale prior to the date determined by the department, the license of that warehouseman shall be revoked and shall not be reinstated or reissued in that calendar year. The revocation of license as provided herein shall be in addition to the penalty for the violation of the provisions of this act.
F.S. 574.08 Accounts of sales; weekly reports.
Each warehouseman of flue-cured tobacco doing business in the state shall keep a correct daily account of the number of pounds of flue-cured tobacco sold by type upon the floor of his or her warehouse during the previous day. On or before Monday of each succeeding week, each warehouseman shall file with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services a statement under oath indicating the amount of all flue-cured tobacco sold by type on the floor of his or her warehouse during the previous week. The report made to the department shall be so arranged and classified as to show the number of pounds of tobacco sold for producers by state of origin and the average price per pound, the number of pounds sold for dealers and the average price per pound, the number of pounds sold by the warehouseman for his or her own account, and number of pounds sold for other warehousemen and the average price per pound. In addition thereto, each licensee shall make additional reports as required by law or rules adopted by the department.
F.S. 574.09 Department; records; penalty.
(1)
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall keep all weekly reports of sales as returned to it from each tobacco market in this state so far as to show the total number of pounds sold by type for producers by state of origin, for dealers, and for warehousemen. The department shall keep such records open to inspection by the public and shall periodically cause the same to be published in the market news report of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or through some other news media.
(2)
Any warehouseman failing to file the report required by s. 574.08 shall be subject to a penalty of $100 and, additionally, may be cited to show cause why his or her license should not be suspended or revoked.
F.S. 574.12 Tobacco warehouses; charges, fees, penalties.
(1)
The charges for auctioneer fees, for weighing and handling, and for commissions for selling leaf tobacco upon the floor of the tobacco warehouses shall be determined by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(2)
The proprietor of each warehouse shall render to each seller of tobacco at his or her warehouse a bill plainly stating the amount charged for weighing and handling, the amounts charged for auction fees, and the amounts charged for commission on each sale.
(3)
It is unlawful for any charges in addition to or in excess of those named by the department to be made or accepted, and any proprietor or person in charge of a leaf tobacco warehouse in this state who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
F.S. 574.13 Penalty.
Any person violating the provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided by law.
F.S. 574.14 Rules.
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this chapter.
F.S. 574.131 Injunction proceedings.
In addition to the remedies provided in this chapter and notwithstanding the existence of any adequate remedy at law, the department is authorized to make application for injunction to a circuit court or circuit judge, and such circuit court or circuit judge shall have jurisdiction, upon hearing and for cause shown, to grant a temporary or permanent injunction, or both, restraining any person from violating or continuing to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule duly adopted by the department, such injunction to be issued without bond.
Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter574/AllFetched: 7/8/2026