By Adrian Middleton, Sword & Shield, PLLC · Updated Friday, October 9, 2026
What Lakeland investigators see most
In the Division's records, 93% of Polk County orders were issued for failure to obtain coverage. The county had 34 orders in all of 2025 and 52 in 2026 through November 5, already more than the full prior year.
What happens after service
- 1
The order is posted and all operations stop.
At the Lakeland site and, once served on the employer, at every Florida worksite. $1,000 per day for working in violation (s. 440.107(7)(c)).
- 2
The Request for Production of Business Records follows.
Payroll, tax, bank, contract, coverage and exemption records for the preceding 12 months (24 for understated payroll or a prior order). Due within 21 days, which also controls the premium credit and the 25% first-time reduction.
- 3
The penalty is calculated.
Two times the premium on the uninsured payroll, or imputed at $2,036.93 per worker per week if records are not produced. Served as an Order of Penalty Assessment with its own 21-day petition deadline.
- 4
Conditional release.
Coverage in place, $1,000 down and a payment agreement get the crew back to work while the amount is finalized or contested.
Deadlines for Polk County employers
| Clock | Length | Starts |
|---|---|---|
| Petition to contest the order | 21 days | Receipt of the stop-work order |
| Produce records; premium credit; 25% reduction | 21 days | Receipt of the records request |
| Pay or sign payment agreement (keeps conditional release) | 21 days | Service of the first penalty calculation |
| Replace an imputed penalty with records | 20 business days | First penalty assessment calculation (Rule 69L-6.028) |
Why a Tallahassee firm for a Lakeland order
Every stop-work order case, wherever it starts, is decided in Tallahassee: the Division, the Division of Administrative Hearings and DBPR are headquartered there, and so is Sword & Shield, PLLC. We represent Lakeland employers by phone and video and appear in Tallahassee in person.
Also serving
- Winter Haven
- Davenport
- Bartow
- Haines City
Before you do anything else
Do not hand the investigator any records, do not give a statement, and do not keep working. Read the do's and don'ts, run the free penalty calculator, and call or text the cell. The consultation is free and answered 24 hours a day.
The steps that apply anywhere in Florida
The process and the deadlines are the same statewide. These pages go deeper on each stage.
Questions
Which Division office handles Lakeland stop-work orders?+
Polk County job sites are generally worked by the Bureau of Compliance district office for Polk County. The investigator's name and district appear on the order itself. Your attorney deals with that district office; you should not.
Do I have to come to Tallahassee?+
No. The consultation, the records review and nearly all of the case are handled by phone and video. If a formal hearing is needed it is held at the Division of Administrative Hearings in Tallahassee or by video, and we appear for you.
Can a Lakeland stop-work order affect my jobs elsewhere in Florida?+
Yes. Once served on the employer, the order applies to every worksite in the state where the employer is not in compliance, and it follows the principals into any successor company in the same trade.