Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog
Florida’s waterways, hunting grounds, and natural preserves attract millions of residents and visitors each year. Whether you’re fishing off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, hunting in the Everglades, or enjoying a day on your boat in Broward County, encounters with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers are more common than many people realize. Unfortunately, what many people don’t understand is that FWC citations carry consequences that can be far more severe and harder to contest than typical traffic violations. 
If you’ve received an FWC citation in Broward County or surrounding areas, you may be facing criminal charges, substantial fines, loss of licenses and permits, and even jail time. The stakes are high, and the legal terrain is treacherous for those who attempt to navigate it without experienced legal representation from a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer with a track record of success in FWC violation cases.
Why FWC Officers Have Broader Authority Than You Think
Many people mistakenly believe that FWC officers operate under the same constraints as municipal police officers or that wildlife violations are similar to traffic tickets. This is not correct.
Expanded Search and Seizure Powers
Unlike traditional law enforcement, FWC officers possess extraordinary search authority when it comes to enforcing fish and wildlife laws. Under Florida Statute § 379.3311, FWC officers are granted the power to:
- Stop and board any vessel without a warrant to inspect for compliance with fish and wildlife regulations.
- Search coolers, livewells, storage compartments, and cargo areas without your consent or probable cause.
- Inspect hunting and fishing equipment, licenses, and permits at any time.
- Examine any wildlife, fish, or game in your possession to verify species, size, and bag limits.
- Enter private property where hunting or fishing occurs to enforce wildlife laws.
These warrantless search provisions have been upheld by Florida courts under the legal theory that individuals engaging in regulated activities like hunting and fishing have a reduced expectation of privacy. In practical terms, this means that simply being on the water or in the field gives FWC officers legal grounds to conduct searches that would be unconstitutional if performed by other law enforcement agencies.
What does this mean for you? It means that if you have undersized fish in your cooler, over-limit catches, improperly tagged game, or illegal equipment aboard your vessel, FWC officers can find it—and they don’t need your permission or a search warrant to do so.
