Florida awarded more than $10 million in recruitment bonuses to 1,506 newly hired law enforcement officers this week, including 38 recruits in Pasco County, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday.
The payments were made through the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, which was created in 2022 to help state and local agencies recruit officers. Nearly 12,500 officers have received bonuses through the program since its launch, with payments totaling more than $83 million, according to the Governor’s Office.
Eligible officers receive a one-time $5,000 after-tax bonus. To qualify, an officer generally must have begun full-time employment with a Florida criminal justice agency on or after July 1, 2022, and not have previously worked as a law enforcement officer in the state.
“In the four years since, we have awarded nearly 12,500 bonuses totaling more than $83 million to our law enforcement officers,” DeSantis said while announcing the latest round of payments.
The program is administered through FloridaCommerce and is intended to help agencies recruit new officers, including candidates moving to Florida from other states.
Florida’s Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget includes $20 million for the recruitment bonus program. The budget also provides $19.8 million for pay increases for sworn state law enforcement officers and $2.5 million in pay increases for state firefighters.
The previous state budget raised the minimum base salary for state law enforcement officers to $60,000. According to the Governor’s Office, the state has also expanded officer wellness programs, education and training initiatives and scholarship assistance for recruits entering law enforcement academies.
The recruitment bonuses are one part of a broader effort by Florida officials to increase law enforcement hiring and retention. The program passed the 10,000-bonus mark earlier in 2026 before reaching nearly 12,500 recipients with the latest awards.
