§ 90.101, Fla. Stat. — Short Title
Plain English
This is the section that names the law. Florida’s evidence rules aren’t a set of court-promulgated “Rules of Evidence”—they are a statute, the Florida Evidence Code, codified in Chapter 90. When you cite Florida evidence law, you cite “§ 90.XXX, Fla. Stat.,” not “Fla. R. Evid.”
From the Courtroom
The naming matters more than it looks. Lawyers trained on the Federal Rules of Evidence reflexively say “Rule 403” or “Rule 803.” In a Florida courtroom it is “§ 90.403” and “§ 90.803.” Getting the citation form right signals you actually know which body of law governs—and it keeps your briefs clean for the judge.
Key Points & Authority
- Names the chapter. This chapter is known and may be cited as the “Florida Evidence Code.”
- It’s a statute, not a rule set. Florida evidence law lives in Chapter 90, Fla. Stat. The Florida Supreme Court adopts the Code to the extent it is procedural.
- Citation form. Cite as § 90.XXX, Fla. Stat.—never “Fla. R. Evid.”
Federal Parallel
Unlike Florida’s Evidence Code, the Federal Rules of Evidence have no single “short title” section—they are court-adopted rules, and FRE 101 sets their scope. The deeper point is structural: Florida’s evidence law is a statute (Ch. 90, Fla. Stat.), while the federal counterpart is a body of rules. Cross-reference is text-only until the Federal Rules of Evidence Rule Book is built.
About this rule walkthrough
Part of The Evidence Code, hosted by John M. Phillips — Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Court TV analyst, admitted in 8 states + 9 federal districts + SCOTUS.
Free consultation: (904) 444-4444 · About John Phillips
Educational only — not legal advice.
Rule Text (verbatim from the Florida Supreme Court)
90.101 Short title.—This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Florida Evidence Code.”
Educational reference. Educational summary of Florida statutory law, not legal advice.
What this rule means in plain English
This is the section that names the law. Florida’s evidence rules aren’t a set of court-promulgated “Rules of Evidence”—they are a statute, the Florida Evidence Code, codified in Chapter 90. When you cite Florida evidence law, you cite “§ 90.XXX, Fla. Stat.,” not “Fla. R. Evid.”