Dating Violence Battery in Florida

Under Florida law, the term “dating violence” is defined as physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse committed between individuals who have, or have recently had, a continuing and significant relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.

To distinguish it from a casual acquaintanceship or ordinary business and social fraternization, Florida law considers specific statutory factors to confirm the relationship exists:

• Frequency: The frequency and type of interaction must show that the individuals have been involved over time and on a continuous basis during the relationship.
• Expectation: The nature of the relationship must be characterized by an expectation of affection or sexual involvement between both parties.
• Recency: The dating relationship must have existed within the past six months.

Attorney for Dating Violence Battery in Pinellas County, FL

If you were arrested for dating violence in Clearwater, FL, or the surrounding areas in Pinellas County, FL, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm.

Our offices are located near the Criminal Justice Center (CJC) courthouse in Clearwater. We also have offices in New Port Richey and downtown Tampa.

We understand the unique defenses that apply to dating violence cases, and how to fight for the best result.

Call 727-210-7004.

Similarities Between “Dating Violence” and “Domestic Violence”

Florida public policy heavily aligns the handling of dating violence with domestic violence, treating the underlying criminal acts with equal severity.

Under Florida Statutes, both dating violence and domestic violence encompass the exact same slate of criminal offense resulting in physical injury, threat of injury, or death including:

• assault and aggravated assault
• battery and aggravated battery
• kidnapping
• false imprisonment
• sexual assault and sexual battery
• stalking and aggravated stalking

Differences Between “Dating Violence” and “Domestic Violence”

While Florida provides overlapping safety mechanisms and definitions for the crimes, the legal framework splits significantly regarding the living situations and required police investigations.

The fundamental distinction between Dating Violence and Domestic Violence centers on the living layout of the parties involved.

Domestic violence strictly requires the victim and offender to be “family or household members”—meaning they must be spouses, former spouses, related by blood or marriage, sharing a child in common, or currently/formerly residing together in the same single dwelling unit.

On the other hand, dating violence focuses strictly on the romantic nature of the connection within a six-month window, regardless of whether the couple ever lived together or shared a household.

Florida law imposes strict statutory duties on officers responding specifically to domestic violence calls that do not explicitly carry over to standard dating violence calls as a matter of mandatory investigative protocols including:

• a requirement that the officer administer a formal lethality assessment if the allegation is against an intimate partner; 
• the filing of a comprehensive written report with their supervisor that explicitly notes the crime was an incident of domestic violence, detailing all observed physical injuries; and
• providing written justifications in the report if they choose not to make an arrest or if they arrest multiple parties.

New Legislation Protecting Dating or Domestic Violence Victims

Victims of both domestic and dating violence have the standing to petition the circuit court for a civil protective injunction if they have reasonable cause to believe they are in imminent danger. These injunctions are entered into the statewide verification system to protect the victim.

Read more about finding an attorney for an order of protection injunction for dating violence in Pinellas County, FL.

Police officers are taught to handle investigations for dating and domestic violence by completing a standard basic skills courses.

In Florida, public policy strongly discourages the arrest of both parties in both domestic and dating violence cases, instead pushing for the determination and arrest of the primary aggressor based on probable cause.

The alleged perpetrators of either domestic violence or dating violence might be required to complete certified Batterers’ Intervention Programs to address abusive power and control dynamics by the court or after a referral by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Individuals can also volunteer to attend Florida’s Batterers’ Intervention Programs.

Effective July 1, 2026, Florida’s newly enacted law (CS/SB 296) grants victims of dating violence with the same protections previously reserved for domestic violence victims. For example, victims of dating violence may now apply to the Florida Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program, allowing them to use a substitute address to prevent perpetrators from locating them through public records.

This protection for victims of dating violence also removes their personal details from publicly accessible voter registration lists.

Both groups are the focus of a new state feasibility study tasked with developing a web-based 911 alert system. This Emergency 911 Feasibility Study explores using unique telephone numbers and user-generated phrases/codes to discreetly signal a need for immediate police response and share real-time data.

Read more about resources for victims of dating violence.

This article was last updated on Friday, June 12, 2026.