Florida law
Florida Statute 948.04
Section 948.04 of the Florida Statutes addresses the period of probation and the duties of a person serving it. It is the provision most often referenced when the length of a term — and whether it can end early — is in question.
This is a summary, not the statute
Nothing on this page is statutory text. It describes what the section deals with, in general terms, and has not yet been reviewed by a Florida attorney. Statutes are amended, and the version that governs a sentence is generally the one in effect when it was imposed. Read the official text before relying on any of this.
What the section covers
In broad terms, § 948.04 is the provision concerned with how long probation lasts and what is expected of the probationer during that period. It sits within Chapter 948, which deals with probation and community control generally.
Because it is the section addressing the term itself, it is the one usually cited when the question is whether that term can be brought to an end sooner than the judgment specified.
Why it matters for early termination
A motion to end probation early is asking a court to shorten something the sentence fixed. The provision governing the term is therefore the natural starting point, and the framing of a motion generally begins from it.
Two practical consequences follow. First, which subsection applies depends on the sentence, so the section has to be read against the judgment rather than in the abstract. Second, because the section has been amended over time, the version in effect at sentencing is the one that matters.
The halfway point
Much of the discussion of "the 50% rule" in Florida traces back to this part of Chapter 948. The important thing to understand is that a threshold, where one applies, marks the point at which a request may properly be put to a court — not a point at which anything happens by itself.
Reaching it does not create an entitlement, and it does not remove the court's discretion. The 50% rule page deals with this in more detail, and with the same caution.
Not the only provision involved
A request to end supervision may also engage the court's general authority over a person under supervision, which is addressed in § 948.05. Which provision a particular motion turns on depends on the case. The comparison page sets the two side by side.
Other provisions of Chapter 948 may also be relevant depending on the sentence — for instance where the supervision is community control rather than probation, or where an offense-specific regime applies. See types of probation.
How to use this in practice
Read the current official text of the section, then read your judgment and sentence beside it. The questions worth answering are: what term was imposed, which provision governs it, what version was in effect when you were sentenced, and whether anything in the sentence or a plea agreement constrains what can be asked for.
If that sounds like work best done with the documents in front of you — it is. That is what an eligibility review consists of.