Rule Text (verbatim from The Florida Bar)
The following are exempt from the filing requirements of rule
4-7.19:
(a) an advertisement in any of the public media that contains
no illustrations and no information other than that set forth in rule
4-7.16;
(b) a brief announcement that identifies a lawyer or law firm
as a contributor to a specified charity or as a sponsor of a public
service announcement or a specified charitable, community, or
public interest program, activity, or event, provided that the
announcement contains no information about the lawyer or law
firm other than the permissible content of advertisements listed in
rule 4-7.16, and the fact of the sponsorship or contribution. In
determining whether an announcement is a public service
announcement, the following criteria may be considered:
(1) whether the content of the announcement appears to
serve the particular interests of the lawyer or law firm as much as
or more than the interests of the public;
(2) whether the announcement concerns a legal subject;
(3) whether the announcement contains legal advice;
and
(4) whether the lawyer or law firm paid to have the
announcement published;
(c) a listing or entry in a law list or bar publication;
(d) a communication mailed only to existing clients, former
clients, or other lawyers;
(e) a written or recorded communication requested by a
prospective client;
(f) professional announcement cards stating new or changed
associations, new offices, and similar changes relating to a lawyer
or law firm, and that are mailed only to other lawyers, relatives,
close personal friends, and existing or former clients; and
(g) information contained on the lawyer’s Internet website(s);
and
(h) advertisements and other communications regarding legal
services made by or on behalf of a legal aid organization, which is a
not-for-profit business entity as defined elsewhere in these rules.
Adopted January 31, 2013, effective May 1, 2013 (108 So.3d 609);
amended May 15, 2025, effective July 14, 2025 (SC2025-0018).
Educational reference. This page summarizes a Florida Rule of Professional Conduct for educational purposes. The rule text and Comment are mirrored from the Florida Bar's official publication and are public domain. The plain-English summary and any commentary are the opinion of Phillips, Hunt & Walker and are general information only — not legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you believe a Florida lawyer has violated this rule, you can file a complaint with The Florida Bar at floridabar.org. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What this rule means in plain English
This rule lists ads that don’t need to be filed with the Bar for advertising review: ads with no illustrations and only information specifically permitted by rule, brief announcements identifying a lawyer as a contributor to a specific charitable cause, communications to existing or former clients, and several others. The exemptions exist to keep the Bar’s review system focused on the ads that pose actual misleading risk.