Round To The Nearest Nickel: DeSantis Signs Gaetz Bill As Pennies Go Away

May 13, 2026

On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that allows businesses to round up or down to the nearest nickel when people are paying with cash because pennies are no longer being made by the U.S. Mint. The bill was sponsored in the Florida Senate by Sen. Don Gaetz of Northwest Florida.

The new law took effect immediately and states that cash purchases will be rounded to the nearest nickel — those that end in 1 or 2 cents will be rounded down to zero, those ending in 3 or 4 cents will be rounded up to 5 cents. Those transactions that end in 6 or 7 cents will be rounded down to 5 cents, and those that end in 8 or 9 cents will be rounded up to 10 cents.

The rounding does not impact sales tax; it is applied to the final, after-tax, total. The legislation does not have any impact on people who are paying with debit or credit cards.

File photo.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP