A lien is when a lienholder has a secured interest in a vehicle, mobile home or vessel in the form of a debt due to the lienholder and the lienholder’s information is placed on either a paper or electric certificate of title in addition to the owner’s information.
Vehicles must have a valid registration to operate on Florida roads. Customers may renew their vehicle or vessel for a period of one to two years and may renew a registration up to three months in advance of the registration expiration. Vehicle or vessel registrations expire at midnight on the first owner’s birth date unless the owner is a business or the vehicle is a heavy truck.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Bureau of Dealer Services issues and renews licenses for more than 15,0000 motor vehicle, auction, salvage, wholesale, mobile home, recreational vehicle dealers and manufacturers, distributors and importers each year. The bureau also licenses mobile home installers and monitors the construction and installation of mobile homes.
All applicants for a Commercial Driver License are required to have an Operator’s License and pass the vision requirements. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Applicants under 21 will be restricted to intrastate operation only.
Florida’s abundant waterways offer ample opportunities for boating, sailing and paddling. Chapter 328, Florida Statutes designates the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) as responsible for registering and titling the vessels traveling these waters. FLHSMV strives to assist consumers in navigating the fees, rules and regulations for vessel ownership. Beginning July 1, 2016, a customer who owns a recreational vessel equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or who owns a recreational vessel and a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is eligible to receive a registration fee reduction during an original or renewal vessel registration transaction.
Under section 322.21, Florida Statutes, veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability are eligible for a no fee driver license, with endorsements, or an identification card. The same veterans are also entitled to a no fee Veteran’s designation on their driver license or ID card. The “V” designation can be used to show proof of status for discounts at participating merchants. Qualified veterans should provide a valid identification card from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, indicating the 100 percent, total and permanent service-connected disability rating.
Section 320.0848, Florida Statutes, provides the authorization for the issuance of disabled person parking permits for both long-term and short-term mobility impairments and those certified as legally blind by an optometrist. Permits may be issued to driver license and ID card holders.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is committed to educating consumers on safe vehicle buying practices. Purchasing a vehicle is a major investment and many consumers may not be aware of several ways they can protect themselves against fraudulent vehicle sales. Consumers should do as much research as possible to protect their investment. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
The Motorist Modernization initiative is a multi-year phased plan for re-engineering the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ driver license and motor vehicle systems to create efficiencies in the department’s work processes, enhance safety features for law enforcement agencies and streamline interactivity for customers now and into the future. When complete, the initiative will modernize driver license and vehicle registration systems to serve Florida’s growing population, without growing government. Customers may experience shorter wait times at local driver license and motor vehicle service centers and will gain access to additional online options.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) provides information throughout its website, including online driver license and motor vehicle checks. Other reports such as driver histories, motor vehicle histories and crash reports can be ordered. FLHSMV maintains the Florida driver license, motor vehicle and related databases, which are queried and updated as citizens are issued licenses and registrations at the more than 400 locations throughout the state.
Starting in September 2018, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will begin using a new, more improved appointment system for driver license services in Broward, Miami-Dade and Volusia Counties. During the transition, appointment availability may be limited, or you may be redirected to a new web page for scheduling.
Dave Kerner, Executive Director