1. What is a registration?
2. How do I register a vehicle if I am out of state?
3. What are the basic registration fees?
4. What are temporary license plates used for?
5. Does my registration expire on my birthday or the end of my birth month?
6. Can anyone renew my license plate for me?
7. Do I have to turn in my license plate when I cancel insurance?
8. Why can't I pay for a two or three-year registration?
9. Do I carry the registration on me or in the car?
10. I am registering a vehicle for the first time in Florida. Is automobile insurance mandatory?
11. What type of insurance is required to purchase and maintain a Florida tag and registration?
12. Can I maintain my current policy issued in my previous state of residence?
13. What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle that I've registered in Florida?
14. How to I go about getting this insurance?
15. Do you have a service to get me a Disabled Parking Permit?
16. What are the rules regarding a Florida Driver License?
17. How do I obtain a Florida Driver License?

1. What is a registration?

A registration is evidence of having paid the registration tax on a motor vehicle. It consists of a metal license plate, a serially numbered validation decal and a registration certificate. In the State of Florida, a motor vehicle is required by law to be registered within ten days of the owner either becoming employed, placing children in public school, or establishing residency. Registering your motor vehicle goes hand in hand with the titling process.

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2. How do I register a vehicle if I am out of state?

Complete our Automobile Registration in Florida Form and Follow Mailing instructions on the form, to pay with a credit card, you may call us.

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3. What are the basic registration fees?

See the fee schedule on this site, the figures stated are budgets and include all costs except Sales and Use Tax which is only due. IF you have previously registered a vehicle in FL and let the registration lapse, we will make every effort to save you the $100.00 "initial registration" fee included in the state costs. Please provide us with any information about that vehicle or your previous FL driver license number, we are diligent bulldogs about only paying the taxes when they are due and not overpaying.

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4.What are temporary license plates used for?

Florida law provides for a variety of legal uses of temporary license plates. The state will only want to issue temporary tags in cases where the vehicle does not have a current registration. The license plates are valid for 30 days, and may be renewed for an additional 30 days if necessary, but no more. This is why we ask for the expiration of your current registration and recommend a 60 day lead time on registering vehicles in FL

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5. Does my registration expire on my birthday or the end of my birth month?

Registrations issued in the name of an individual expire at midnight on the day of their birth date NOT NOON, MIDNIGHT of night before, except for mobile homes and commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicles expire at midnight on the last day of the month of May (if registered semiannually) or December (for annual registration). Registration issued in a company name are assigned a designated month and the registration expires at midnight on the last day of that month.

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6. Can anyone renew my license plate for me?

Yes, however, the individual renewing your license plate must provide proof of insurance, a copy of your current registration or a renewal notice and the proper fees. Some registrants are required to meet specific criteria when applying for an original license plate and registration. They are then required to prove they still meet those criteria every year upon renewal. Examples: disabled veterans, non-resident military, forestry, agricultural or horticultural and X-series license plates.

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7. Do I have to turn in my license plate when I cancel insurance?

When insurance is canceled and motor vehicle records indicate the vehicle is still owned by the same person and the license plate is still valid, the Bureau of Financial Responsibility, Division of Driver Licenses requires that the license plate be canceled. DO NOT LET YOUR INSURANCE LAPSE IT IS A SERIOUS OFFENSE.

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8. Why can't I pay for a two or three-year registration?

With our service, you can, we renew the vehicle automatically annually for three years.

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9. Do I carry the registration on me or in the car?

Section 320.0605, Florida Statutes, requires the registration certificate or an official copy to be in the possession of the operator of the motor vehicle or carried in the vehicle at all times. Therefore, either way is permissible as long as a copy can be produced for law enforcement upon demand.

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10. I am registering a vehicle for the first time in Florida. Is automobile insurance mandatory?

Yes. If you own a vehicle with at least four wheels and are registering it, you must have insurance. Florida coverage is an insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery in Florida by an insurance company licensed by the Florida Department of Insurance.

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11. What type of insurance is required to purchase and maintain a Florida tag and registration?

Florida's minimum coverage is $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL) as long as you have a valid Florida tag, even if the vehicle is in another state or inoperative. There are no exemptions in the law. However, if you have been involved in a crash, or been convicted of certain offenses, you may be required to purchase bodily injury liability coverage (BIL).

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12. Can I maintain my current policy issued in my previous state of residence?

No. The minimum required insurance must be issued through a Florida agent with an insurance company licensed to sell in Florida. Most insurers have Florida agents and are licensed to issue policies in Florida. Just ask your agent to transfer your current insurance to Florida when you register a vehicle in Florida.

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13. What if I fail to keep insurance on my vehicle that I've registered in Florida?

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is authorized to suspend your driving privilege, including your vehicle tag and registration, for up to three years or until proof of Florida insurance is provided, whichever is first.

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14. How to I go about getting this insurance?

Your first call should be to your current insurance agent, tell them you will be moving the vehicle to FL and use the Lake City address for their records. IF this quote from them is unsatisfactory, please call us and use our auto insurance Search service, we can get you two good quotes.

We offer the following suggestions regarding auto insurance, these gems of wisdom were provided by our attorney when we were forced to sue our insurance companies to get them to pay for damages from an accident. Had we done these things, prior to the accident, we may not have had to wait the 6 years that it took to settle the case.
1 - Buy Bodily Injury damage liability at a level sufficient to protect your assets, this level is what will cause people to sue you, as well as determine the amount of personal coverage since the insurance company will not sell policies with low PDL and high personal coverage. Minimum should be a 50/100policy, this will cause the insurance co to pay small claims and yet not have a limit so high that ambulance chasers will want to pursue you. These are really the only people who will pursue you since the cost of mounting a suit in FL exceeds 50K. We suggest minimum 100/300 since policies lower than that also report to the credit bureaus and tell them you are a deadbeat, thus lowering your credit score.
2 - Buy extended PIP to the limit that the insurer will allow, most only allow a total of 35K but some go higher. This is the part of the policy that actually protects you when you need it. Your agent does not want to sell this product so you will need to hound them to perform probably. DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO PUSH YOU TO A 10K LIMIT TO SAVE PREMIUM MONEY.
3 - Be sure the Uninsured Motorist coverage matches the BIL coverage for limits, this is also the amount that will pay you. IF YOU ARE IN AN ACCIDENT AND NOT AT FAULT, THE OTHER DRIVER WILL PROBABLY BE UNDERINSURED (Most Drivers are!!) AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE COVERAGE. HEALTH INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER DAMAGES FROM AUTO ACCIDENT UNTIL THE ACCIDENT CLAIM IS SETTLED. SEE THE 6 YEAR STATEMENT ABOVE.
4 - If you hold a Driver License, be sure you are listed as a Driver on someone's auto policy, even though you do not own a car. Because my 87 year old father, living with my sister, was not a listed driver on her policy (even though he drove her car occasionally) her insurance refused to pay when he was struck by another driver while walking across the street. The only coverage was the underinsured motorist whose 10K limits were breached within one hour of the accident. (So much for good neighbor's) Had he been listed on the policy, her uninsured limit would have prevailed. Persons over 50 years of age are 20 times more likely to be hit as pedestrians than to be in an at fault accident.

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15. Do you have a service to get me a Disabled Permit so I can use the Blue parking?

Y· Disabled persons must have either a current Florida driver license or a Florida identification card issued by the Florida Division of Driver Licenses. The driver license or ID number must be affixed to the parking permit.

· FOR THIS REASON WE CANNOT PROVIDE DISABLED PERMITS, SINCE YOU MUST APPEAR IN PERSON IN FL TO GET A FL DRIVER LICENSE, WE SUGGEST YOU GET THE HANDICAPPED PERMIT AT THE SAME TIME.

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16. What are the rules regarding a Florida Driver License?

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues the following classes of licenses: Class A, B, C, D, and E.
Classes A, B, and C are for drivers of commercial motor vehicles such as large trucks and buses. Classes D and E are for drivers of non-commercial vehicles.
There is a separate manual entitled Commercial Driver License Manual for Truck and Bus Drivers available at any driver license office. If you wish to drive a commercial motor vehicle, you must be properly tested and licensed to do so.
Who Needs One?
1. If you live in Florida and want to drive a motor vehicle on public streets and highways.
2. If you move to Florida and have a valid license from another state, you must get a Florida license within 30 days of becoming a resident. You are considered a resident of Florida if you:
· enroll your children in public school, or
· register to vote, or
· file for a homestead exemption, or
· accept employment, or
· reside in Florida for more than six consecutive months.
Who Does Not Need One?
The following persons may drive in Florida without having a Florida driver license if they have a valid license from another state or country:
· Any non-resident who is at least 16 years old.
· Persons employed by the United States Government driving a United States Government motor vehicle on official business.
· Any non-resident working for a firm on a contract for the United States Government. (This exemption is only for 60 days.)
· Any non-resident attending college in Florida.
· Persons who drive only vehicles like farm tractors or road machines temporarily on the highway may drive without a license.
· A licensed driver who lives in another state and travels regularly between his home and work in Florida.
· Non-resident migrant farm workers even though they are employed or place children in the public schools, providing they have a valid license from their home state.
· Members of the Armed Forces stationed in Florida and their dependents, with these exceptions:
a. Service member or spouse claims homestead exemption (All drivers in family must obtain Florida licenses),
b. Service member becomes employed (All drivers in family must obtain Florida licenses),
c. Spouse becomes employed (Spouse and children who drive must obtain Florida licenses),
d. Child becomes employed (Only employed child who drives must obtain Florida license).

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17. How do I obtain a Florida Driver License?

You will need to personally visit a Florida Driver License offiice, please use these rules as a guideline for the requirements additional requirements may be found at The State of Florida websitettp://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/faqkeys.html#OOS

United States Citizens
Florida law requires identification, proof of date of birth and social security number (if issued) from all customers before a driver OVER
license or identification card can be issued. Each U.S. citizen who applies for an original driver license or identification card must submit:

One of the following (3) documents:

1. Original or certified United States birth certificate, including territories and District of Columbia; or
2. Valid United States passport (not expired); or
3. Certificate of Naturalization
4. Effective April 10, 2002, United States Military ID cards with an officer rank will be accepted as proof of citizenship only; however, not as proof of primary identification.
5. NOTE: Proof of citizenship or legal presence may be required for renewal, duplicate or replacement licenses. Please come prepared to present one of the above identification documents as proof of citizenship or legal presence.

And a secondary document, which substantiates the primary document, is required. Document may include, but is not limited to, the original or certified copy of one of the following:

1. School record stating date of birth, which must contain the registrar's signature.
2. Transcript of the birth record filed with a public officer charged with the duty of recording certificates.
3. Baptism certificate, which shows date of birth and the place of baptism.
4. An insurance policy on the customer's life which has been in force for at least two years and has the month, day and year of birth.
5. United States military or military dependent identification card.
n Effective April 10, 2002, United States Military ID cards with an officer rank will be accepted as proof of citizenship only; however, not as proof of primary identification.
6. Florida or out-of-state driver license, valid or expired.
7. Florida license record or identification card record.
8. Selective Service Registration (Draft Card).
9. Florida Vehicle Registration certificate (HSMV 83399, owner's copy) obtained from the tax collector's office where the customer's vehicle was registered, Florida, or out-of-state registration certificate, if name and date of birth are shown.
10. Florida and out-of-state non-driver identification cards (state issued).
11. Receipt copy of your last Florida driver license issuance.
12. Immigration form I-571.
13. Federal form DD-214 (military record).
14. Marriage certificate.
15. Court order, which includes legal name.
16. A Florida voter registration card, which was issued at least 3 months previously.
17. Personal identification by an examiner or by a person well known to the examiner.
18. Social Security Card.
19. Family bible record or birth announcement in baby book.
20. Parent consent form of minor.
21. Out-of-country driver license or identification card, government issued

United States Citizens With Out-of-State Licenses
Any person who holds a license or identification card from one of our 50 states (except as noted below), the District of Columbia, or United States Territories may present his/her license or ID card as primary identification document. An approved secondary identification document is also required. A social security number, if issued, MUST be included on the application.
Important Note: Driver licenses from the following states

AlaskaConnecticutHawaiiIllinoisIndiana IowaMichiganMinnesotaNebraskaNew Jersey North CarolinaOregonRhode IslandTennesseeTexas UtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWisconsin

are acceptable as secondary identification and to reciprocate driving privileges, and must be accompanied by one of the following:
1. Original or certified United States birth certificate (including territories and District of Columbia)
2. Valid United States passport (not expired)
3. Certificate of Naturalization.
4. Effective April 10, 2002, United States Military ID cards with an officer rank will be accepted as proof of citizenship only; however, not as proof of primary identification.

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