Motor Vehicle, Recreational Vehicle and Mobile Home Dealer/Broker Licenses

Please visit our Consumer Education section for information on buying and selling vehicles, low speed vehicles, mobile home safety, and filing a complaint.

Motor vehicle, mobile home and recreational vehicle dealers must meet the licensing requirements of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) to conduct business in Florida. Please see sections 320.27, 320.77 and 320.771, Florida Statutes, and Florida Administrative Codes, 15C-7.003 and 15C-7.004 for additional information.

The following persons, partnerships and corporations require a dealer license in the state of Florida:

• Any entity that buys, sells, offers for sale, displays for sale or deals in three or more motor vehicles within any 12-month period.
• Any entity that buys, sells, offers for sale, displays for sale or deals in one or more mobile home or recreational vehicles within any 12-month period.

Applicants must complete the following steps in order to obtain their dealer license:

Pre- License Requirements

• Step 1, Locate your nearest compliance examiner by going to our locations page, selecting your county and scroll to the Motorist Services Regional Offices section. Requirements for location, display space and office for motor vehicle dealers can be found in Florida Administrative Code 15C-7.003.  Requirements for location, display space and office space for mobile home dealers and recreational vehicle dealers can be found in can be found in sections 320.77 and 320.771 (320.77(3)(g)(h)(i), 320.771(3)(g)(h)(i)), Florida Statutes. 
• Step 2, Obtain a Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN from Internal Revenue System);
• Step 3, Obtain a sales tax number from the Florida Department of Revenue;
• Step 4, Complete a pre-licensing dealer training class requirement from a FLHSMV approved dealer training school; and
• Step 5, Obtain electronic fingerprinting for all officers of the dealership from a Florida Department of Law Enforcement approved service provider.

License Requirements

• Step 1, Submit a completed application (see form 86056) to FLHSMV with required documents (see below) and fee to the regional office responsible for the dealership;
• Step 2, Provide proof of Garage Liability Insurance to the FLHSMV for a minimum of $25,000 combined single-limit liability coverage including bodily injury and property damage protection and $10,000 personal injury protection. Independent, auction and wholesale dealer applicants have the option to submit a general liability insurance policy coupled with a business automobile policy, which shall include, at a minimum, $25,000 combined single-limit liability coverage including bodily injury and property damage protection and $10,000 personal injury Salvage dealers are exempt from this requirement;
• Step 3, Provide the FLHSMV with the original surety bond form 86020 for motor vehicle dealers; form 86019 for recreational vehicle dealers and form 86018 for mobile home dealers);
• Step 4, Submit an irrevocable letter of credit in lieu of the surety bond for motor vehicle and mobile home dealer applicants. See form 86057 for motor vehicle dealers and form 86058 for mobile home dealers;
• Step 5, Provide proof of registration to the FLHSMV of the business entity and fictitious name, if any, with the Florida Division of Corporations.
• Step 6, Provide a copy of completion of dealer training to the FLHSMV; The applicant will be awarded a certificate of completion by a Department approved Dealer Training School after they complete the pre-licensing class. A copy of this certificate of completion is required with the license application.
• Step 7, Provide a copy of a lease agreement to the FLHSMV; and
• Step 8, Provide a proof of electronic fingerprinting to the FLHSMV from an FDLE service provider. Applicant must contact the FDLE approved service provider and be electronically fingerprinted. The provider will give the applicant a receipt and submit the fingerprints to FDLE.  Applicant must attach a copy of this receipt with their license application.