RISEUPTOHIV
RISEUPTOHIV
EDUCATION • RESOURCES • ADVOCACY
About Contact
ES HT
Quick Answer

Where can I find a syringe services program in Florida?

Answered in plain language, anchored to CDC, HIV.gov, and NIH.

Educational information only — not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation.
← Home
Share Facebook X WhatsApp Text Email LinkedIn Reddit Threads Bluesky

Florida has a handful of legal syringe services programs, not dozens — programs currently operating serve Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Orange, Broward, and Palm Beach. State law lets each county authorize one, requires a one-for-one exchange, bars any public funding, and forbids collecting your identifying information[1]. All of them also test for HIV and hepatitis C. Start with our locator.

What Florida law actually allows

Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA) on June 27, 2019, allowing county commissions to authorize sterile needle and syringe exchange programs for people who inject drugs[1]. That is the whole reason coverage is patchy: the state permits programs, but a county has to say yes.

Three rules shape what a Florida program can do. Programs cannot use state, county, or municipal funds and must run on grants and private donations. Your personal identifying information cannot be collected or used for any purpose. And the exchange is strictly one-for-one — one sterile syringe for each used one returned[1][2].

To open, a county must pass an ordinance, execute a letter of agreement with the state under § 381.0038, F.S., partner with its county health department, and contract with a licensed hospital or clinic, an accredited Florida medical school, a licensed addiction receiving facility, or a 501(c)(3) HIV/AIDS service organization. Every program must also provide HIV and hepatitis education, counseling or referral for drug treatment, HIV and viral hepatitis screening or referral, and naloxone kits or referrals[2].

Miami-Dade and Hillsborough

IDEA Exchange (Miami-Dade) opened December 1, 2016 — World AIDS Day — as Florida's first legal syringe services program, run by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and named for the law that followed it. Beyond exchange, it offers substance use treatment, HIV prevention, testing and treatment, hepatitis C testing and treatment, wound care, and peer navigation for housing and insurance[3].

The fixed site is 1668 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33136, open Mon, Wed, Fri 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Tue, Thu 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Clinic: 305-243-2799. Mobile unit staff: 786-606-9047[4]. Mobile stops rotate through Florida City, Overtown, North Miami-Dade, Opa-Locka, Miami Beach, and Liberty City — call or email ideaexchange@miami.edu first, because stops change[5].

IDEA Exchange Tampa (Hillsborough) opened in January 2021 as Florida's second legal exchange, working with Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida. It runs one-for-one exchange, free rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing at every site, wound care at mobile sites, free Narcan and overdose-prevention education, insurance navigation, and a Bridge Clinic with on-site medication for opioid use disorder and hepatitis C treatment. Phone (813) 606-9378[6].

Orange, Broward, and Palm Beach

IDEA Orlando, at Hope & Help (Orange County) — 4122 Metric Dr #800, Winter Park, FL 32792, open Monday and Friday 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Services are free, anonymous, and confidential. First enrollment takes 30–45 minutes and you get an enrollment card to bring back, which the program says also serves as an educational tool if you are questioned by legal authorities. HIV and hepatitis C screening is encouraged every three months. The program states plainly that it does not force anyone into treatment and does not judge people who come through its doors. Found a syringe anywhere in Orange County? Don't touch it — call 407-749-2105 for safe pickup[7].

The SPOT (Broward) is the only syringe services program approved by the Broward County Commission under IDEA. It is a mobile medical clinic offering exchange, naloxone distribution, health screenings, mental health support, addiction assistance, and connections to support services[8].

FLASH Exchange, with Rebel Recovery Florida (Palm Beach) — Florida Access to Syringe and Health services — opened April 1, 2021 at 400 N Congress Ave, Suite 130, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. It offers one-to-one and negotiated exchange, referral to substance use treatment, peer recovery support, naloxone training, confidential HIV and hepatitis C screening, anonymous take-home HIV self-tests, immediate linkage to HIV treatment, and basic wound care. It receives no municipal, county, state, or federal funding[9].

Why these programs exist, in evidence

Syringe services programs are associated with an estimated 50% reduction in HIV and hepatitis C infections, and transmission drops by more than two-thirds when programs are paired with medication that treats opioid dependence. New participants are five times more likely to enter drug treatment and three times more likely to stop using drugs than people who don't use a program[10].

Nearly 30 years of research shows comprehensive programs are safe, effective, and cost-saving, and do not increase drug use or crime. They also protect neighbors and first responders through safe sharps disposal[10]. Florida's own health department cites evidence that exchange programs significantly reduce overdose deaths and prevent HIV and hepatitis B and C, and notes there are more than 200 programs across 34 states[1].

Local SSP status by county

If your county isn't on the list above, check the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, which keeps the statewide exchange finder and provides technical assistance to counties still exploring a program — it also lists IDEA Exchange Pinellas, which has no published address or phone, so go through the Collective rather than driving somewhere[11]. FL DOH publishes an implementation map that tracks four county stages: exploring, ordinance approved, letter of agreement executed, and operational[12].

Two things to know if you're organizing locally: programs must report to their county and the state by August 1 each year[2], and Florida directs people looking for naloxone to isavefl.com[1]. For questions about IDEA itself, the FL DOH HIV/AIDS Section is at 850-245-4422, and the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline is 1-800-352-2437.

Related questions

Is it legal to use a syringe services program in Florida?

Yes, where a county has authorized one. The Infectious Disease Elimination Act, signed June 27, 2019, allows county commissions to authorize exchange programs, and state law says your personal identifying information cannot be collected or used for any purpose.

Do I have to bring used syringes to get new sterile ones?

In Florida, yes. State law requires a one-to-one exchange — one sterile syringe for each used syringe returned. Some programs, such as FLASH Exchange in West Palm Beach, describe negotiated exchange as well, so ask when you enroll.

What else can I get at a Florida syringe services program?

By law, every program must offer HIV and hepatitis education, counseling or referral for drug treatment, HIV and viral hepatitis screening or referral, and naloxone kits or referrals. Several also provide wound care, medication for opioid use disorder, and peer navigation.

Which Florida counties have a syringe services program?

Programs currently operating serve Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Orange, Broward, and Palm Beach; a Pinellas program is listed in the state harm reduction directory without published contact details. Check the Florida Harm Reduction Collective for the current statewide picture.

Find HIV Testing and Care Near You
Search testing, care, and harm reduction services by location.
Can I Get HIV From Sharing Needles?
The actual risk, and the practical ways to lower it starting today.
HIV and Hepatitis C Co-Infection
Why both get tested together, and why hep C is now curable.
Where Can I Get an HIV Test in Florida?
Free and low-cost testing across the state, including at-home options.
HIV Prevention
PrEP, PEP, harm reduction, and U=U — every tool that works.
What HIV actually feels like, stage by stage, from a PLWH perspective.
HIV Testing Options
Window periods, test types, and where to test — including free Florida options.
Newly Diagnosed
The first 24 hours, first 7 days, first 30 days after a positive test.
HIV Symptoms in Women
How symptoms and progression can differ, and why women are diagnosed later.
Undetectable = Untransmittable
The clinical evidence behind U=U and what "undetectable" actually means.
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026 by the RiseUpToHIV. Educational content only — not medical advice.

References & Sources

  1. Florida Department of Health — Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA). Signing date, the no-public-funds and anonymity rules, evidence summary, and the isavefl.com naloxone finder. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
  2. Florida Department of Health — IDEA: Exchange requirements. One-to-one exchange rule, county setup steps under § 381.0038, required services, and August 1 reporting. ↩ ↩ ↩
  3. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine — IDEA Exchange, About Us. December 1, 2016 opening as Florida's first legal SSP, and the full service list. ↩
  4. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine — IDEA Exchange, Contact. Fixed-site address at 1668 NW 7th Ave, hours, and clinic and mobile phone numbers. ↩
  5. IDEA Exchange — Contact and mobile schedule. Program-run page listing rotating mobile stops and the program email address. ↩
  6. IDEA Exchange Tampa — Services. Hillsborough program services, Bridge Clinic, and phone number. ↩
  7. Hope & Help — IDEA Orlando Syringe Service Program. Winter Park address, hours, enrollment process, and the syringe pickup line. ↩
  8. The SPOT — Broward County syringe exchange program. Broward's county-approved mobile medical clinic and its services. ↩
  9. Rebel Recovery Florida — FLASH Exchange (Palm Beach). April 1, 2021 opening, West Palm Beach address, services, and funding status. ↩
  10. CDC — Syringe Services Programs. Effectiveness evidence: 50% infection reduction, treatment entry rates, and safety findings. ↩ ↩
  11. Florida Harm Reduction Collective — Find a syringe exchange. Statewide exchange directory, including the Pinellas listing with no published contact details. ↩
  12. Florida Department of Health — Syringe Exchange Program implementation map. State map defining county stages: exploring, ordinance, letter of agreement, operational. ↩

Community publications like POZ, Positively Aware, and TheBody inform framing and lived-experience context on RiseUpToHIV. Every clinical, epidemiological, or public-health claim above is anchored to a primary source.