Do you add an operations charge at a Florida restaurant?
Quick answer
From July 1, 2026, Florida Fla. Stat. §509.214 (amended by SB 606 / ch. 2025-113) requires every public food service establishment that charges an operations charge — an automatic fee other than a government tax, including service charges, automatic gratuities, credit card surcharges, and delivery fees — to disclose the amount or percentage and the purpose on menus, written contracts, and websites/apps (or on a menu board / register sign if those do not apply), put a notice on the face of the bill, and print separate receipt lines for gratuity, operations charge, and sales tax (auto-gratuity stated separately). DBPR may impose administrative fines not to exceed $1,000 per offense for chapter 509 violations under §509.261(1)(a). Dining plans, packages, and fixed-price meals with price disclosed before purchase are exempt under §509.214(6).
Last reviewed October 13, 2026. Not legal advice.
Free guide: Florida restaurant operations charge law (§509.214): menu, bill and receipt rules since July 1, 2026
If your Florida public food service establishment charges an operations charge, §509.214 says you shall post the amount or percentage and the purpose in a font at least as large as your menu item descriptions (or your contract’s general provisions). If you do not provide menus, table service, or banquet/catering written contracts, the notice must appear in an obvious and clearly readable manner on the menu board or by the register where the customer pays.
The face of the bill must say an operations charge is included and clearly state the percentage or amount. Every customer receipt copy must keep gratuity, operations charge, and sales tax on separate lines — and if an operations charge includes an automatic gratuity, that auto-gratuity must be separately stated.
This kit lays those duties out in plain words, with blank notice templates, a POS vendor spec, a manager self-inspection checklist, and a spreadsheet to track which wording is live at each location.
- ✓Printable manager self-inspection checklist with §509.214 quoted word for word
- ✓Editable notice templates: menu footer, register/menu-board sign, website/app line, catering contract clause, bill-face line
- ✓POS / receipt vendor specification for separate tip, operations-charge, and tax lines
- ✓Version log for notice wording, locations, POS layouts, and self-inspection runs
- ✓Full §509.214 text plus official flsenate.gov and DBPR sources
Blank templates from the public law. Not legal advice, and it does not decide if §509.214 applies to your establishment. Covers Fla. Stat. §509.214 only (effective July 1, 2026), with the verified §509.261(1)(a) fine quote for chapter context. English only.
- ✓Instant download after payment
- ✓Official sources listed in the kit
- ✓12-month re-download access
- ✓Secure checkout by Stripe
Frequently asked questions
What is an operations charge under Florida §509.214?
Fla. Stat. §509.214(1)(b) says an “operations charge” means an automatic fee or charge, other than a government-imposed tax, that a customer is required to pay in addition to the cost of the food and beverage purchased. The term includes, but is not limited to, service charges, automatic gratuities, credit card surcharges, and delivery fees. This page does not decide whether a particular fee at your establishment is an operations charge.
When did Florida §509.214’s operations-charge rules take effect?
July 1, 2026. DBPR Industry Advisory 2026-01 (June 26, 2026) states: “Effective July 1, 2026, s. 509.214, Florida Statutes, requires that…” The section was amended by SB 606 (2025), ch. 2025-113.
Who must post operations-charge notices?
Fla. Stat. §509.214(2) says every public food service establishment which charges an operations charge shall include a notice on the food menu, written contract, and website or mobile application where food and beverage orders are placed, as applicable, that includes the amount or percentage and the purpose. If the establishment does not provide menus, table service, or written contracts for banquet, catering, or event services, the notice must appear on the menu board or on a sign by the register where the customer pays. This page does not decide whether your license type is covered.
What is exempt from §509.214?
Fla. Stat. §509.214(6) says this section does not apply to the purchase of a dining plan or package or fixed-price meal for which the price of the plan or package or meal is disclosed to the customer before purchase.
What fine can DBPR impose for chapter 509 violations?
Fla. Stat. §509.261(1) says any public food service establishment that has operated or is operating in violation of chapter 509 or the rules of the division may be subject by the division to: (a) “Fines not to exceed $1,000 per offense;” plus mandatory remedial training and license suspension, revocation, or refusal. Separately, §509.214(5) says that section does not create a private cause of action. This kit does not decide whether a particular notice issue is charged as a §509.261 offense.
What must customer receipts show?
Fla. Stat. §509.214(4) says each copy of a receipt that a customer receives must contain separate lines for gratuity, an operations charge, and sales tax so that it is clear to the customer what is being charged. If the operations charge includes an automatic gratuity, it must be separately stated on the receipt.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page and the kit are general information and blank templates built from the public law. They are not legal advice, are not tailored to your establishment, and buying a kit does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For your own situation, ask a Florida licensed attorney.
Official sources
- Fla. Stat. §509.214 (2026) — Notification of automatic operations charge and public food service establishment receipts
- Fla. Stat. §509.261 (2026) — Revocation or suspension of licenses; fines; procedure
- DBPR Industry Advisory 2026-01 (June 26, 2026) — Gratuities, Tips and Operations Charges
Law text checked against the official sources above on October 13, 2026. General information, not legal advice; laws and rules change, so check the current official text before you rely on it.
Who wrote this and how it was checked
Written and maintained by Astor Ventures. We publish template kits built from public law; we are not a law firm, and no attorney has reviewed this page.
- Last verified: , against Fla. Stat. §§509.214 and 509.261 on flsenate.gov and DBPR Advisory 2026-01.
- Next scheduled check: if the statute or DBPR advisory is amended, or within 12 months.
- Found an error? Email [email protected] and we will correct the page and the kit.