Pinellas County, FL Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Authorizing statute
- F.S. § 381.0038(4)
- Ordinance
- Ord. No. 21-02, 1-26-21
- Exchange ratio
- One-to-one, sterile for used
- Operator types
- Hospital, clinic, med school, 501(c)(3)
- Public funding
- Prohibited; private grants/donations only
- Annual report due
- August 1 to board and DOH
Summary
Pinellas County authorizes a contracted, single-operator sterile needle and syringe exchange program under F.S. § 381.0038(4). The operator exchanges used needles one-for-one at fixed sites, must safely dispose of returned needles, and cannot run without a board contract; the county pays none of the cost.
(a)Pursuant to the requirements of the Infectious Disease Elimination Act, established in F.S. § 381.0038(4), a syringe exchange program is authorized to operate within the geographic boundaries of Pinellas County, provided the operator is under contract with the board.(b)The syringe exchange program must offer the free exchange of clean, unused needles and hypodermic syringes for used needles and hypodermic syringes, with the primary goal of preventing the transmission of HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, and/or other blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users and their sexual partners and offspring, and with the secondary goal of providing a bridge to drug treatment, recovery support and other social services for intravenous drug users.(c)The syringe exchange program must only operate at one or more fixed locations within Pinellas County.(d)It is unlawful to operate a syringe exchange program unless the operator is under contract with the board pursuant to the requirements of F.S. § 381.0038(4). (Ord. No. 21-02, § 1, 1-26-21)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 0038(4). " The operator must be a hospital, a health care clinic, a medical school, a licensed addiction receiving facility, or a 501(c)(3) HIV/AIDS service organization (§ 42-466(a)). Operations under § 42-468 run strictly one-to-one: a participant gets one sterile needle and syringe for each used one turned in, with mandatory onsite counseling and referrals delivered within 72 hours, naloxone kits or referrals, and a ban on distributing spoons, filtration material or tourniquet-style items with the kits. " The program must file an annual report to the board and the Florida Department of Health no later than August 1 covering participants served, needles exchanged, and treatment referrals, and § 42-469(c) bars the program from collecting any participant's personal identifying information. Section 42-473 prohibits county, state, and municipal funds from paying for operations; the operator must fund the program through private grants and donations only.
Violations & Fines
Operating a syringe exchange program without a board contract is unlawful under § 42-464(d). Violations are enforced by Pinellas County Consumer Protection, county code enforcement officers, and the sheriff, with penalties set under Code § 1-8 (§ 42-472). Program staff, volunteers, or participants get no immunity for possessing needles outside the program or for redistributing them off-program (§ 42-471); officers who arrest in good faith are immune from resulting civil liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drop off used needles at a Pinellas County exchange site?
Does the contracted operator have to safely dispose of returned needles?
Is it legal to run a needle exchange in Pinellas County without county approval?
Does Pinellas County pay for the needle exchange program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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