The Florida attorney general is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Florida. The officeholder is a member of the Florida Cabinet and the head of the state Department of Legal Affairs. The office is one of Florida's three elected state cabinet posts, along with the chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.
James Uthmeier has been the 30th and current attorney general since 2025, having been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to replace Ashley Moody, who resigned to become a United States senator.
Qualifications and term of office Article IV, Section 4, of the Constitution of Florida establishes the cabinet and the position of the attorney general. As with other elected statewide offices in Florida, the attorney general is limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms.Fla. Const. art. VI, § 4 The attorney general must meet the following qualifications to be eligible for the office:
A registered elector; Not be less than 30 years old; Have resided in the state for the preceding 7 years; and Have been a member of the Florida Bar for 5 years.
The attorney general is second (behind the lieutenant governor) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Florida.
Removal from office The Florida attorney general can be impeached for committing a "misdemeanor in office" by the State House of Representatives, and then convicted and thereby removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the State Senate.Fla. Const. art. III, § 17
Powers and duties Title IV, Chapter 16 of the Florida statutes establish the general duties of the office. The general duties of the attorney general are as follows:
Issue official opinions on any question of law when requested in writing by a state officers or legislator; Appear on behalf of the state in any civil suit or criminal prosecution, and in the Supreme Court of Florida and its appellate courts; Act as co-counsel of record in capital collateral proceedings; Other duties incident or usual to the office; and Request the opinion of the justices of the supreme court as to the validity of any initiative petition circulated pursuant to Section 3 of Article XI of the Florida constitution.
The Solicitor General of Florida is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the attorney general. The current solicitor is Henry C. Whitaker.
List of Florida attorneys general +Attorneys general by party affiliation Party Attorneys general Democratic 27 Republican 11 Whig 1 # Image Name Term of service Political party1Joseph Branch1845–1846Democratic2Augustus Maxwell1846–1848Democratic3James T. Archer1848Democratic4David P. Hogue1848–1853Whig5Mariano D. Papy1853–1861Democratic6John B. Galbraith1861–1868Democratic7James Westcott III1868Democratic8A. R. Meek1868–1870Republican9Sherman Conant1870–1871Republican10J. B. C. Drew1871–1872Republican11Horatio Bisbee Jr.1872Republican12J. P. C. Emmons1872–1873Republican13William A. Cocke1873–1877Democratic14George P. Raney1877–1885Democratic15Charles Merian Cooper1885–1889Democratic16William Bailey Lamar1889–1903Democratic17James B. Whitfield1903–1904Democratic18W. H. Ellis1904–1909Democratic19Park Trammell1909–1913Democratic20Thomas F. West1913–1917Democratic21Van C. Swearingen1917–1921Democratic22Rivers Buford1921–1925Democratic23J. B. Johnson1925–1927Democratic24Fred Henry Davis1927–1931Democratic25Cary D. Landis1931–1938Democratic26George Couper Gibbs1938–1941Democratic27J. Thomas Watson1941–1949Democratic28Richard Ervin1949–1964Democratic29James W. Kynes1964–1965Democratic30Earl Faircloth1965–1971Democratic31Robert Shevin1971–1979Democratic32James C. Smith1979–1987Democratic33Bob Butterworth1987–2002Democratic34Richard E. Doran2002–2003Republican35Charlie Crist2003–2007Republican36Bill McCollum2007–2011Republican37Pam Bondi2011–2019Republican38Ashley Moody2019–2025Republican -- John M. Guard 2025 Republican39James Uthmeier2025–presentRepublican
See also Constitution of Florida Florida Cabinet Florida Democratic Party Republican Party of Florida
References
External links
Florida Attorney General articles at ABA Journal News and Commentary at FindLaw Florida Statutes at Law.Justia.com U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Florida" at FindLaw The Florida Bar Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi profile at National Association of Attorneys General Press releases at Florida Attorney General's office