Coral Springs has become the first city in Florida to ban cryptocurrency kiosks, commonly called Bitcoin ATMs, after scams cost local victims nearly $350,000 over the past two years. The City Commission unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-115 on Oct. 21.
The city said more than half of the local victims were over 60, and 44% were told by scammers to make multiple transactions through the machines. Police Chief Brad Mock said protecting residents from financial exploitation is a priority and that the ordinance gives police another tool. He credited Detective Chad Whittington and the City Attorney’s Office with developing the law.
Kiosks let users turn cash into digital currency sent to a crypto wallet. Those transfers are hard to trace and almost impossible to reverse. Scammers often pose as government officials, police or bank representatives, pressure victims to withdraw cash and feed it into the machines. The FBI reported more than 10,956 kiosk-related complaints nationwide in 2024, with losses of about $247.7 million.
Existing operators have 60 calendar days after the effective date to remove their machines. Certain written placement contracts signed on or before Aug. 25, 2026, are exempt until they expire or Aug. 25, 2027, whichever comes first.
The ordinance does not stop residents from buying, selling or using cryptocurrency through personal devices or digital wallets. It applies only to physical kiosks. The Code Compliance Division will enforce it, and businesses, property owners and operators that do not comply could face daily fines.
City officials said government agencies and police will never demand payment through cryptocurrency kiosks. Anyone who receives such a request should stop communicating with the caller and contact law enforcement right away.
