Upon a request of a party, a court shall take judicial notice of an image, map, location, distance, calculation, or other information taken from a widely accepted web mapping service, global satellite imaging site, or Internet mapping tool, if such information indicates a date, time, or source. For purposes of this section, the court may consider any relevant factors, including the age of the information and the availability of other evidence. This section does not affect any other law governing the admissibility of evidence.
Fla. Stat. § 90.2035 — Judicial notice of information from web mapping services...
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Judicial Notice in the Digital Age: This is a modern statute that simplifies the process of admitting common digital information into evidence.
Core Principle: Upon request, a judge must take judicial notice of information from widely accepted online sources like Google Maps, Google Earth, or other internet mapping tools. This creates a "rebuttable presumption" that the information is accurate.
This means a party can introduce a printout from one of these services to prove things like:
- The distance between two locations.
- The general layout of a street or building.
- Satellite imagery of a particular place at a particular time (if the date is indicated).
The opposing party still has the right to challenge the accuracy of the information and present competing evidence if they believe the web service was incorrect.
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Cite as Fla. Stat. § 90.2035 (2024)
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