How Do You File a Complaint With the Florida Attorney General

The state of Florida Attorney General is an office that oversees the legal matters for the state. The Florida Attorney General office has multiple duties in the state including overseeing fraud, issuing warnings about safety, prosecuting cases on behalf of the state, and monitoring the potentially-legal issues that affect Floridians.

Through the Office of the Attorney General, Florida citizens have the means to report fraudulent business practices in a number of industries. The Florida Attorney General may choose to prosecute on behalf of the citizens. The Attorney General Florida is not the only office of oversight in the state, however. There are many divisions of the Attorney General Florida office and connected offices within the state to oversee specific areas of concern like:

• Complain with Consumer Protection
• Complain with the Insurance Department
• Complain with the Health Department
• Filing a complaint with the Department of Education
• Filing a complaint with the Department of Labor
• Filing for unemployment benefits in Florida
• Complain with the Department of Children and Family
• Complain with the Department of Financial Services
• Other complaints

Consumer Protection

The Florida Attorney General Consumer Protection Division handles the enforcement of civil law. When Floridians file a consumer complaint, they are accumulated in the Consumer Protection office. The State Attorney General’s Office complaints are reviewed, looking for incidents of fraud that might violate the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

If fraud is found through a Florida Attorney General complaint, the office may pursue legal action against the company or entity that used unfair or deceptive practices. According to the Attorney General’s website, this division of the office has resolved 558 investigations and recovered more than $10 billion. $9.8 billion is returned for the benefit of Florida citizens.

It is important to know that filing Florida Attorney General consumer complaints is not a guaranteed means of action. The Attorney General is not a lawyer working on the behalf of individuals. Once you fill out the Florida Attorney General complaint form, your incident is reviewed by the office. The office may notice a pattern of behavior by a company and choose to pursue the complaints, but they may also choose to not open a legal case immediately. If multiple people file a Florida Attorney General complaint, the office will be more likely to take action.

How to File a Complaint With the Florida Attorney General

To file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office, you will start on the website. Here you will find instructions on how to report fraud as well as how to complete the form. There is a complaint form template for both price gouging and more generalized reports. In the instructions on how to complain online, the website directs you to either submit the form online or to print it and mail it.

The online employee complaint form is straightforward. Before you begin the form, be sure you have gathered all your information today about the incident you are reporting.

Your Florida Attorney General complaint will be more successful if you can give specific details about the incident including dates, times, names, and provide evidence like receipts, emails, or images. Hold this documentation in a safe place. There is not a space to include it on the form, but you may need it if the Florida Division of Consumer Services decides to open an investigation.

Contact the Florida Attorney General Office

Wondering how do I contact the Florida Attorney General? There are several Florida Attorney General contact options:

• Complete the online consumer complaint form for generalized reports.
• File a complaint about price gouging. 
• Call the Florida Attorney General phone number at 1-866-966-7226.
• Print and mail a form to the Florida Attorney General’s office address at:

Office of Attorney General
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

Insurance Department

The Florida Department of Insurance, or DOI, is a branch of the government similar to the OAG. Unlike the Attorney General’s wide range of oversight, the DOI focuses on compliance and regulation of insurance. The DOI is the Florida department of insurance fraud as well as a means to report other concerns about insurance practices. The DOI website is not, however, the home for the Florida department of insurance licensing.

While the Florida Department of Insurance provides oversight and legal advice for businesses and agents, it is not where consumers complain about insurance practices. If you have a concern about how you have been treated by your insurance company or agent, the Department of Consumer Affairs handles the Florida department of insurance complaints.

How to File Insurance Complaint

To submit a complaint about insurance, you will need to complete the complaint form on the Florida Department of Consumer Affairs website. This department regulates consumer insurance complaints and also homeowner rights and some healthcare complaints.

As the Florida Department of Insurance complaints, the DCA has very clear instructions on their website. You can submit a complaint online, by phone, or by email.

The online complaint form requires several things to be sure you have reported all of the details about insurance fraud Florida regulators need to be aware of. Before completing the online insurance fraud form, be sure to prepare your information.

The Office of Consumer Affairs also encourages you to review your insurance policy ahead of time to be sure you have the exact name of the policy-holding company. If you use the wrong spelling or name, it may delay the response time to your complaint.

Contact the Florida Department of Insurance

To file a complaint about insurance, you will need the contact information for the Florida Department of Consumer Affairs.

• Submit a complaint online.
• Email the Department at Consumer.Services@myfloridacfo.com.
• Call the Department of Consumer Affairs at 1-877-693-5236.

If you have a question about insurance regulation, however, you can call the Florida Department of Insurance phone number at (850) 413-3137.

Health Department

The Florida Department of Health does not work alone to protect consumers. Many government agencies can assist you with various health-related complaints.

The Office of the Attorney General offers advice and warnings about health fraud on the OAG website. According to the OAG article about health fraud, consumers are encouraged to file a health complaint with the Attorney General’s office or with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

There is also information about healthcare and healthcare providers available through the Florida Department of Public Health. On the website for the Florida Department of Public Health, you can learn about your rights, file a complaint, or investigate the credentials of a medical professional. The Florida Department of Health license database includes healthcare credentials you can explore to be sure your medical team is certified and safe. The Department of Public Health also oversees the Florida Department of Mental Health.

How to File a Healthcare Complaint

If you would like to make a Florida Department of Health complaint, you can do so by completing the online complaint form provided by the department.

To file a complaint through the Florida DOH, you will start on the Florida Health Care Complaint Portal. Here you will find options to complain about a business or person or both. Once you make your selection, you will continue to be given choices until the website has narrowed down the specific department for the type of complaint you are making.

Contact the Florida Department of Health

If you’d like to contact the Florida Department of Health, you can do so in several ways:

• File a complaint through the Florida Health Care Complaint Portal.
• Call the Health Department at 850-245-4339.
• Email the DOH at ConsumerServices@flhealth.gov.

Department of Education

The State of Florida Department of Education oversees schools, colleges, teacher certification programs, and early childhood programs. Concerns about schools and student safety in Florida should be brought to the attention of the Florida Department of Education.

While there is not an official complaint form available for the FLDOE, there are ways to contact the Education Commissioner and his department with a concern or question about a program.

Contact the Florida Department of Education

To contact the Florida Department of Education, you can reach out in several ways:

• Email at Commissioner@fldoe.org.
• Call the Florida Department of Education Phone Number at 850-245-0505.
• Send mail to the FLDOE address at:

325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Employment, Labor and Workforce Development

The agency in the state overseeing the rights of employees is officially the Florida Department of Labor. It is also referred to as the Florida Department of Employment. The Florida Department of Labor handles labor disputes and complaints, as well as unemployment benefits.

How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits

To apply for Florida unemployment benefits, you will start on the DEO website. There the Florida Department of Unemployment guides you through the process to file a claim.

To get started filing a claim, click on the Apply Here button on the DEO website for unemployment. From there, you will be directed through a series of questions about your previous employment and be directed to the appropriate portal. You may be eligible for benefits through the federal government or the Department of Economic Opportunity, the other Florida department of unemployment.

On the Economic Opportunity website, you will need to create an account or log in to an existing account to apply for benefits.

How to File a Labor or Work Complaint

If you need to file a complaint about discrimination in the workplace, you can do so with the Florida Commission on Human Relations. You will download the complaint form and complete it before mailing or faxing it back to the office.

Remember than a complaint must be made within 365 days of an incident. Fill out as much information as you can on the form, including specifics about the incident in question. You will have the option at the end of the form to consult with the department or file a charge of discrimination.

Contact the Florida Department of Labor

There are several Florida Department of Labor contact options:

• Call the Florida Department of Labor phone number: 850-488-7082
• Fill in the Florida Department of Labor complaint form and fax it back to 850-487-1007.

Department of Children and Family

The safety and care of children in the state are monitored by the Florida Department of Children and Family. The DCF oversees providers like childcare facilities, programs for children with disabilities, and background screening. The Florida Department of Children and Family also oversees issues like child abuse, child trafficking, and foster care. The DCF is also the Florida department of juvenile justice.

How to Complain About Child Care or Child Abuse

If you have a complaint about a childcare facility or program for children, you can contact the Child Care division of the DCF through an online form. You also have the option to report abuse or negligence through the DCF abuse reporting tool online.

While the contact form about childcare is not monitored around the clock, the online Abuse Hotline is.

Contact the Florida Department of Children and Family

You can contact the Florida DCF in several ways:

• Call the Department of Children and Family using one of the contact numbers.
• Complete the online contact form for child care complaints.
• Use the online reporting tool for abuse or negligence.

Department of Financial Services

There are many programs that provide financial oversight in Florida. The chief agency is the Florida Department of Financial Services, or DFS. The DFS oversees, is connected to, or performs the functions of many other financial agencies. These agencies include the Florida Department of Banking, the Florida Public Service Commission, the Departments of Revenue and Finance, and the Departments of Business Regulation.

The DFS works at a high level to monitor issues, accountability, blockchains, and to provide oversight for unclaimed property, accounting, and more. The smaller agencies, like the Florida Department of Finance or Revenue, that make up the larger DFS, provide more specific services, including handling complaints and concerns.

How to File a Complaint With the Department of Financial Services

The Department of Financial Services maintains a large collection of reporting links. These links allow you to make a complaint through the Department of Financial Services in Florida, but some of the actual complaints will be made at the federal level for things like identity theft and fraudulent action with the workman’s computer.

The top link for fraud will allow you to report to the Federal Trade Commission, not the state of Florida’s government agency. Other links will take you to the specific department in Florida that handles the infraction.

You can call the Florida Department of Financial Services phone number at 1-877-693-5236.

How to File a Complaint With the Department of Revenue

The Florida Department of Revenue handles issues like child support payments and property taxes as well as alcoholic beverage licenses. The department is responsible for business and property taxes, which affects consumers on many levels.

If you would like to file a complaint with the State of Florida Department of Revenue, you will start by contacting the division of the agency that handles the issue of concern. There is not an online form to complete specifically for complaints, but you can email or call the various departments in the Department of Revenue.

If you have a complaint about child support services, you have multiple options for how to speak to someone. Start on the Child Support webpage, and then select your preferred means of contact. 

If you have a complaint about property taxes, you can call the Department of Revenue or submit your property tax questions via email at DORPTO@floridarevenue.com.

Contact the Florida Department of Revenue

To contact the State Department of Revenue, you have multiple options:

• Call the appropriate Florida Department of Revenue phone number.
• Send correspondence to the Florida Department of Revenue address for property tax emails at DORPTO@floridarevenue.com.
• Chat online with a representative about child support during traditional work hours.
• Email the Florida Department of Revenue about child support.

How to File a Complaint With the Department of Business Regulation

The Florida Department of Business Regulations is primarily a licensing bureau. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, or DBPR, handles license applications for any number of commerce-related areas including construction permits, sales permits, service licenses, various licenses, and more.

If you have a concern with a regulated entity in the State of Florida, you may be able to file a complaint against that entity through the DBPR using this online complaint form.

Each type of license has its form that can be completed online or a link to the appropriate oversight board where you will find additional instructions. You also have the option to download the form and submit it via mail for your specific complaint.

There are only certain things that the Florida Department of Business can handle when it comes to complaints. The website explains that the DBPR cannot help in certain areas like fee and price disputes, contract terms, workmanship issues, or certain consumer issues in hotels or restaurants.

Contact the Florida Department of Business Regulations

You have several options to contact the Florida DBPR:

• Contact the DBPR through their online complaint form.
• Call the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations phone number at (850)487-1395
• Email the Department of Business through their contact form.

Other Complaints

Other, smaller, departments within Florida oversee very specific sorts of complaints. If you have a complaint about something not covered above, you may need to contact one of these smaller areas.

Food Products, Excessive Phone Calls, and Auto Repairs

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services monitors and regulates agricultural practices in the state as well as other specific consumer services. For example, the Consumer Services division handles complaints about the Do Not Call List. If you have a concern about excessive phone calls, food products, or auto repairs, contact the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• File a complaint online.
• Contact the regional office of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Promotions, Sweepstakes, and Lotteries

There is no official Florida Gaming Commission. Gaming events like promotions, sweepstakes, lotteries, and more are overseen by the Office of the Attorney General or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

If you have a complaint about gambling or sweepstakes, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General:

• Complete the online consumer complaint form.
• Call the Florida Attorney General phone number at 1-866-966-7226.
• Print and mail a form to the Florida Attorney General’s office address at:

Office of Attorney General
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050

Transportation, Tollways, and Travel Bans

The Florida Department of Transportation handles roadways, toll programs, and other transportation concerns in the state of Florida. FDOT also handles traffic and travel alerts, including those related to COVID-19. To contact the Florida Department of Transportation with a concern or complaint, you can:

• Call the Department of Transportation at 866-602-3264.
• Report an issue through the FDOT Fraud website.

Government agencies in Florida are designed and run to assist consumers and citizens. These various agencies monitor complaints, send out notices and alerts, and can choose to investigate and even open legal action against companies and entities that have committed fraudulent or illegal business practices.

If you have been negatively affected by illegal or unethical business practices, contact the appropriate agency above. Your complaint may lead to alerts to help others or even charges and fines. These agencies exist to protect consumers. Utilize what they offer to protect yourself and others in the state of Florida.

We hope you found some useful infromation in this article. For more tips on how to file a complain, please visit our 'How to complain' section in the PissedConsumer Help Center.

By Rebecca Garland
Business and Education Expert
Rebecca Garland, M.S. is a business and education writer. She holds secondary teaching certifications in six areas, has a degree in Business, and earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. As an expert, Rebecca has been working with international clients since 2005.

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