Visitors may have questions when they are visiting the Capitol. Many of these questions are addressed in the downloadable Visitor's Guide.

Viewing the Legislative Session

The Florida Legislature normally convenes its annual regular session on the first Monday after the first Tuesday in March. In even-numbered years, the Legislature can move this date forward. Regular session lasts for 60 consecutive days. Special sessions can last up to 20 days and are convened at the request of the Governor or Joint Proclamation by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President.

If you or your group wishes to observe the Legislature after the completion of the tour, please refer to the following guidelines:

Gallery seating is limited, and availability is dependent upon the length of the daily session and the number of visitors seeking admittance.
Teachers who wish to visit the viewing gallery of the House or Senate chambers should inform the staff outside the galleries and notify them of the number of students in their group. It may be necessary to wait before entering.
Once inside, most groups have 15 minutes to observe the lawmakers in action.
Students should be reminded that important state business is being conducted in each chamber.
All visitors to the galleries must remain seated and quiet and may not applaud.
All phones, pagers and other electronic devices must be turned off before entering the gallery.
No one is allowed to lean over the gallery railing from the first row.
Flash photography is not allowed in the gallery.

Meeting Schedules

The schedule of legislative meetings for the Senate and House of Representatives is continually updated during session.

Security Guidelines

Individuals visiting the Capitol or viewing galleries will be asked to pass through metal detectors, and all personal belongings will be searched. Because of the security measures currently in place, it is strongly suggested that all non-essential personal items be left in your vehicle.

Meet Your Legislator

School staff are encouraged to set up a time and place to meet their legislators before or after the scheduled guided tour time. As each guided tour time is limited to an hour, any time spent waiting will be subtracted from the allocated time.

Contact information for the members of the Florida Legislature is available at the links below: