Registering A Vehicle In Florida
Florida residents must register your vehicle for the first time whenever you purchase or are given one. The process is different depending on whether you buy the vehicle from a car dealership or from a private individual.
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Florida Car Registration Renewal Options
Completing your motor vehicle registration renewal in Florida can be a simple process, as there are various methods for you to choose from. Namely, the FLHSMV offers these procedures online, in person and by mail.
Generally, you may choose whichever method works best for you, keeping in mind that different counties have different regulations, and that certain renewal methods may not be offered in your particular area.
How To Renew Your Car Registration Online
Requesting a vehicle registration renewal online in Florida is one of the most popular and convenient methods, as it allows you to complete this procedure from home. Once you visit the official FLHSMV online portal, you will be asked to input your personal details and vehicle information. Then, you will be asked to pay for the required fees with a credit card. Once your request is properly completed, you will receive a renewed registration credential.
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Renew Fl Registration In
If youre unable to process your registration renewal through the mobile app or online, or if you need your new registration and tags immediately, you can still renew your registration by visiting your local FLHSMV office*.
You may be asked to provide your:
- License plate number and VIN .
- Drivers license.
- Payment for the renewal fee.
*Verify this location is a Motor Vehicle Services or Dual Services center before you arrive.
Buying From A Car Dealership
Authorized car dealerships can issue temporary license plates and file the title/registration for you. You may want to ask any dealership where you are shopping for cars if they are authorized to use the Electronic Temporary Registration and the Electronic Filing System .
The dealer is required to transfer the title and registration within 30 days. If the transfer has not been completed in that time, you should contact the county tax collector’s office for registration and titling. You must also fill out a Bill of Sale with the seller of the vehicle to prove record of the transaction. The seller will need to submit this form to the tax collector’s office, but it is extremely valuable for you to have a copy for your own records.
Please visit our FL Bill of Sale page for more detailed information on bills of sale and notices of sale in Florida.
After you and the seller have completed a FL Bill/Notice of Sale, take the following steps to register your vehicle:
- Properly fill out the title with the seller of the vehicle.
- Make sure to cross-reference the VIN on the car with the one listed on the title. If the car has not been titled in Florida, you will need to get a VIN inspection.
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Selling A Car Truck Or Other Vehicle
Once you sell a vehicle, it is important that you fill out a Notice of Sale This protects you in the future from liability of the sold motor vehicle, vessel or mobile home. In addition to filing this form, you should obtain a notarized copy of your bill of sale, certificate of title or other type of transaction document showing it was sold.
Next, submit the Notice of Sale form to your local tax collector’s office. In addition, the purchaser must apply for and be issued a Certificate of Title to validate that you have sold the vehicle to them.
Additional DMV Resources:
Registration & Tag Renewals
Under Florida law, all vehicles that operate on Florida roads must have a valid registration. Vehicles with an out-of-state registration must be registered in Florida within 10 days of the owner of the vehicle establishing residency.
Your tag registration consists of three parts:
- A license plate, also known as a tag, attached to the vehicle
- A decal sticker attached to the upper right-hand corner of your tag and
- A paper registration certificate that must be carried in the vehicle or in the possession of the driver of the vehicle.
Registration is valid for a period of one or two years, depending on which registration period you select, and expires at midnight on the first owners birthday. The decal sticker denotes the expiration month and year of the registration. Tags, or license plates, are valid for a period of ten years. On the tenth year of renewal, a new tag will be issued.
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Registration Renewal Fees In Florida
Renewing your registration will require you to pay a few types of fees: your vehicle registration fee, a late fee , additional fees and, if you choose to renew through our site, our agency fee. The fees are broken down as follows:
Vehicle Registration Fee:
- The base fee to renew a passenger vehicle is between $14.50 and $32.50, depending on vehicle weight.
- A complete list of fees can be found here.
Late Fee :
- If your decals have already expired, you may be required to pay a late fee when you renew. This fee may vary anywhere from $5 to $250.
Additional Fees:
- Where applicable, there will be additional statuatory fees and certain fees assessed based on the vehicle’s use and class code.
- If you request a digital copy of your renewal, you will incur a $5 digital delivery fee.
Third Party Agency Fee:
- This site charges an agency fee starting at $24.75 to process your online transaction with the state on your behalf. This fee is not required and will not be assessed if you choose to renew your vehicle through the official state portal. There are valuable benefits associated with this fee, including One-Click Renewal, Night/Weekend email support, quick status checks, error-free processing, DHSMV advocates and much more. We also guarantee your satisfaction, so if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Summary:
private third party agency
- One-Click Renewals
Reasons Your Renewal Could Be Refused
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles can withhold the registration of a motor vehicle for the following reasons:
- Failure to comply with directives or pay fines ordered by traffic court. This type of suspension is known as a driver license D6 suspension. For more information, please contact the tax collector office.
- Registration is paid by a dishonored check. This stop is placed on the registration owner regardless of who wrote the check. Contact the tax collector office for further information.
- Driver license suspension because of delinquent child support. For more information, visit a local Child Support Office or contact the Department of Revenue at 1-800-622-5437.
- Wrecker Operator Lien is claimed against an individual for recovery, towing and storage of an abandoned vehicle, vessel, or mobile home. Contact the wrecker company or the Office of Will Roberts â Tax Collector for more information.
- Failure to pay parking tickets or toll violations. Contact the local tax collector office for more information.
- Failure to turn car over to re-possessor.
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When Do You Need To Get A Copy Of Your Vehicle Registration In Florida
Obtaining a DMV registration replacement in Florida is a procedure that must be completed under different circumstances. For instance, replacing a DMV lost registration is a common reason for initiating the replacement process. However, you must also apply for a duplicate registration card if you have a damaged or stolen registration certificate.
Occasionally, state DHSMV may issue you a registration certificate with typographical errors. In such cases, you will have to notify the department of the mistake and apply for a replacement document.
Can You Replace Damaged Florida License Plates
Whether your license plates are just getting old or were damaged in an accident, you do want to get a replacement vehicle registration. It is required that law enforcement can read your plates under normal conditions at a distance of 50 feet or you can be ticketed for faulty equipment.
Bring your old plates to a local FDHSMV office, pay a duplicate plate fee, and receive shiny new ones.
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Florida Car Registration Fees
Arranging payment for the total car registration cost in Florida is the last step toward obtain valid vehicle documents. Note that the department imposes various car registration fees, since it completes both the titling and registration processes at the same time. A sample of the most common FL vehicle registration fees is outlined below:
- $225 initial registration fee for applicants who have not yet been issued a Florida car registration
- $27.60 for a one-year registration or $55.20 for a two-year registration for passenger vehicles weighing less than 2,500 pounds
- $35.60 or $71.20 for a one-year or two-year registration, respectively, for passenger vehicles weighing between 2,500 and 3499 pounds
- $45.60 or $91.20 for a one-year or two-year registration for private vehicles weighing 3,500 or more
- $7.35 plate transfer fee, if applicable
- $28.00 new plate issuance fee
- $77.25 original paper title fee
- $2 lien recording fee
- $20 additional late title and registration fee, if applicable
Renew Fl Registration Online
The quickest way to renew your FL vehicle registration is online.
Visit the FLHSMV virtual office and get ready to provide your:
- Street address.
- Social security number.
- for payment of the renewal fee and $2 processing fee.
After you complete your transaction your new registration and stickers should arrive by mail within 7-10 business days.
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Registration Renewals Via Mail
This method requires an authorization detailed on yourrenewal notice. Otherwise, they wont be able to process your renewal.
You will need to send your fee payment to the addresswritten on your renewal notice or to your local tax collectors agency.
If you have pending fees owing to late registrationrenewals, youll better contact your DMV agency or find another more effectivemethod.
Utility And Boat Trailers
1,999 pounds and under
Florida does not issue titles on utility and boat trailers weighing 1,999 pounds or less. These trailers receive a license plate and a registration that serves as the ownership document and contains a bill of sale. For registration requirements, read our boat/utility trailer publication.
2,000 pounds and over
Utility and boat trailers weighing 2,000 pounds or more require a title and registration. If you have purchased a trailer that weighs 2,000 pounds or more, read our Florida title transfer publication and out-of-state title transfer publication for full requirements.
If the trailer is homemade and has never been titled or registered, you must obtain an inspection and an FLT number from a DMV Regional Office before applying for title and registration. To schedule an appointment, call the Palmetto DMV Regional Office at .
You can find a list of trailer weigh stations in our boat/utility trailer publication.
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New Resident Sales Tax
In Florida, you may be subject to paying sales, use, and local discretionary taxes on your automobile when first registering it in your home state. Whether or not you’re required to pay the taxes will depend on the length of time you’ve had the vehicle and your choice of license plate. For motor vehicles owned six months or less:
- FL sales tax is prorated depending on taxes you’ve already paid in another state.
- For example, let’s say you’ve paid 4% in another state. You’d subtract that from the 6% FL tax, making it only 2%.
Vehicle owned over six months:
- You will not have to pay sales, use, or discretionary taxes for a vehicle that has been owned and bought in a different state.
- Your title and initial registration fee from a different state must confirm that you’ve been the owner of the vehicle for over six months.
Surrender License Plate By Mail
You can surrender your Florida license plate by mail, without having to visit us in person. To surrender your plate, please download, complete and submit the Surrender License Plate by Mail Form along with your plate to Orange County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 545100, Orlando, FL 32854. Remember to include your email address as notification of receipt of the surrendered plate will be made via email.
Please Note
If a person other than the owner/registrant is surrendering the license plate and decal, a photocopy of their photo identification must be provided with the Surrender License Plate by Mail form.
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Florida Dmv Sticker Replacement
In addition to replacing your car registration in Florida, you also have the option of requesting a duplicate license sticker after you damage or lose it. Note that the state DHSMV implements a separate DMV sticker replacement procedure. You can replace your license decal with the Application for Replacement License Plate, Validation Decal or Parking Permit.
You can submit the application for a replacement decal along with the DMV replacement sticker fee through a nearby license plate agency or a county tax collectors office. Once the department processes your request, it will issue you a replacement decal that must be affixed in the square space on the plates upper right-hand corner.
How To Renew Your Car Registration By Mail
You can renew a car registration in Florida through the mail by providing the same information and documents outlined in previous sections. To do so, you must send your complete application package to the mailing address of your nearest FLHSMV office, which will be listed on your renewal notice.
It is important to note that your renewal must take place within a limited timeframe before it expires, so you should only use mail application if you are sure that you are able to have it delivered and processed with the FLHSMV in time. If you are late to request a DMV car registration renewal, you may be asked to pay certain late fees.
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How To Register A New Car In Florida
To get a vehicle registration in Florida after purchasing a new vehicle from a dealership, you will not be required to submit any forms to the department. In such cases, the dealer will apply for a new car registration and certificate of title on your behalf. After processing your payment and signature, the dealership will issue you FL temporary tags with a 30-day validity period. You can then drive off your vehicle from the lot and operate it until the dealership receives and forwards your permanent paperwork.
Temporary Dmv Registration In Florida
Car owners have the option to apply for a temporary registration in Florida, which will allow them to legally operate a motor vehicle under limited circumstances. In most cases, car dealers are responsible for issuing temporary tags. However, you can also obtain a short-term vehicle registration without the assistance of a dealer.
As an example, you can apply for a temporary car registration in FL if you have transferred your license plates to a newly-purchased vehicle and you need to operate your old vehicle for sale purposes. On the other hand, if you are an out-of-state motorist purchasing a Florida vehicle, you can obtain temporary plates for purposes of transporting the car to your home state.
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Procedures For Renewing Vehicle Registration
Motor vehicle owners are required to renew their car registrations on an annual basis. If the renewal fee and documentation are not received by midnight on the owners birthday, the registration is considered expired. As the owner of the vehicle in question, you will likely be subjected to late fees if you fail to meet this deadline. Additionally, if you are caught driving with an expired registration and are pulled over by police, you may face penalties such as fines.
The type of penalties you may face depends on the length of time for which your registration has been expired. Generally, you face a noncriminal infraction for driving with registration that has been expired for fewer than six months. If your registration is expired for six months or longer, but it is your first time that the registration has not been renewed in that long, you also do not face criminal charges.
How To Replace A Florida Vehicle Registration
Replacing a stolen, damaged or lost car registration in Florida is a mandatory step for vehicle owners who do not have a valid registration card in their possession. Motorists can apply for a copy of a vehicle registration through the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles . Failure to get a duplicate registration card when required to do so may lead to certain legal consequences, such as traffic tickets for driving without a valid registration.
The process to replace a car registration in FL can be completed through the various county tax collector offices or authorized license plate agencies. As an added convenience, the DMV also offers a fast and reliable online replacement option through its official website. Regardless of the chosen application method, vehicle owners will have to provide specific information and pay the applicable fees in order to get a replacement registration. Find out more details about the process below.
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Renew Your Vehicle Registration
We are strongly encouraging our tax payers and customers to conduct any Tax Collector business transactions including renewing vehicle and vessel registrations using the RenewExpress link located to the right under Online Options and access the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle services to replace or renew a Florida driver license or ID card, replace or renew vehicle, vessel, or mobile home registrations and obtain a paper title using the MyDMVPortal link located to the right under Online Options instead of visiting our Public Service Office in person.
Unofficial third party sites, such as eTagsDirect, are offering to process online car registration renewals. These private companies are not affiliated with the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector or the state of Florida and charge excessive fees for their online services.
Motor vehicle renewal notices are mailed to the registered owner 90 days before the renewal is due. Renewal notices are considered a courtesy service and are not guaranteed.
All motor vehicles, vessels, mobile homes and trailers in Florida must be registered and renewed for either one or two-year periods. When you choose the two-year renewal, you will receive the registration with an additional year added to the expiration date.
The Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s office receives the following methods of payment:
- Cash
No debit or credit cards accepted.
