Motor Vehicle Registrations

In the state of Florida, a vehicle must have a valid registration to operate on Florida roads, and vehicle with out-of-state registrations are required by law to be registered within 10 days of the owner either becoming employed, placing children in public school, or establishing residency. A complete registration consists of the following:

• A metal plate (number on plate must match the number provided on the registration and decal) attached to the vehicle in the designated area per section 320.38, Florida Statutes.
• A registration certificate in the possession of the operator of the motor vehicle or carried in the vehicle at all times per section 320.0605, Florida Statutes.
• A registration decal is a sticker that is provided on the registration certificate. The validation decal should be affixed in the square provided in the upper right-hand corner of the Florida license plate.

This complete set is evidence of having paid the registration taxes and fees on a motor vehicle.

If you are a military service member or veteran, please visit the department’s Military and Veteran Information Section.

Beginning on or after October 1, 2018, when you purchase or register a motor vehicle qualifying for the Hope Scholarship Program in Florida, you may designate $105 per vehicle to an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization participating in the Program. If the state sales tax due is less than $105, you may designate the amount of state sales tax due. Your motor vehicle dealer, county tax collector, or private tag agent will remit your contribution to the organization and remit the remaining state sales tax and surtax to the Florida Department of Revenue. To make your contribution to the Hope Program, complete the following Hope Scholarship Contribution Election Form, which may be submitted by mail along with Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration and payment of sales tax.

Initial Registrations

The $225 Initial Registration Fee must be paid when the owner does not have a license plate or record of a license plate registered in their name for a vehicle he or she previously owned (in Florida), to transfer to a newly acquired vehicle. An initial registration must take place in person at a local service center at the time of titling by submitting the following;

• Proof of identity (required for all owners)
• Proof of Florida Insurance
• A completed Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration (HSMV form 82040)

Please note: Some situations may require additional documentation.

Renewing a Registration

Customers may renew their vehicle for a period of one or two years and may renew up to three months in advance of the registration expiration. Vehicle registrations expire at midnight on the first owner’s birth date unless the owner is a business. Heavy truck registration information can be found further down the page here .

To renew a registration via mobile app, the customer must provide the license plate or vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle they seek to register. If the department is unable to electronically verify valid insurance on the vehicle, no registration will be issued on the mobile app.

Online Registration Renewals

For a quick, convenient way to renew a vehicle or vessel registration online at MyDMV Portal where the following motor vehicle services are offered:

• One-year or two-year registration renewals for motor vehicles.
• Obtain a duplicate registration certificate if the customer’s registration certificate is lost.

To renew a registration online, the customer must provide personal identifying information of the owner of the vehicle to log in and complete the transaction. If the department is unable to verify valid insurance on the vehicle or vessel, no registration will be issued online or in person.

All online electronic payments are charged a $2.00 processing fee in addition to the total transaction.

If unable to renew online, customers must go into a local service center or call Customer Service at (850) 617-2000 for further information.

Customers using MyDMV Portal should receive their registration in the mail within 7-10 business days from the transaction date. Customers can receive an emailed confirmation receipt that may be used as proof of payment until the registration arrives in the mail. On the payment confirmation page customers must select ‘yes’, enter an email address, and click ‘Send Email Confirmation’ for the information to be emailed. If 20 calendar days have passed since applying for a registration and you have not yet received it in the mail, you may inquire about a lost in transit replacement by going into a local service center or by calling Customer Service at (850) 617-2000 for further information.

Renew via Mobile App

Customers may renew up to five vehicles and/or vessels at once via the mobile app, MyFlorida, for a period of one year or two years with only one processing fee. The app offers:

• One-year or two-year registration renewals for motor vehicles.
• Obtain a duplicate registration certificate if the customer’s registration certificate is lost.
• Motor Vehicle Information Check and information regarding vehicle registration stops.
• Payment options: Credit card or checking account.

The MyFlorida App is available on all mobile devices and allows customers to securely renew a registration on an eligible vehicle or vessel. Customers will receive a digital document to use until the registration arrives in the mail. A $4.00 processing fee is applied to each transaction for customers paying with credit card, or $3.75 for transactions paid through checking account.

Please note: no address changes can be made on the mobile app.

The MyFlorida app is available for download for free via iTunes and Google Play.

Additional Fees

A delinquent registration fee is imposed on any customer who fails to renew registrations of motor vehicles and mobile homes beginning on the eleventh calendar day of the month succeeding the month in which the renewal registrations were due. Section 320.07(4)(a), Florida Statutes, specifically requires the delinquent fee to be imposed on any applicant who fails to renew a registration before the end of the month in which renewal registration is due.

Please note: registrations are only valid until midnight on the registrant’s birthday.

The department’s License Plates Rate Chart may help you with estimating total fees.

Registering a Heavy Truck

The registration renewal date for Heavy Trucks weighing between 5,000 and 7,999 pounds will soon change to a renewal period based on the owner’s birth month, unless the owner is a business. With this change, customers renewing their Heavy Truck registration expiring Dec. 2020 will have the option to extend their renewal to their birth month in 2021 or an additional year to their birth month in 2022. Customers whose date of birth falls within January and June can pay a prorated amount to renew their registrations in December 2020 for 1 to 18 months. Likewise, customers whose date of birth falls within July and December would pay a prorated amount in December 2020 for 7-24 months.

HVUT stands for Heavy Vehicle Use Tax which is an annual federal highway tax imposed on certain heavy motor vehicles, including trucks, truck tractors, and buses using our public highways. The tax applies only to vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. The federal government then distributes revenues back to the states for highway construction and maintenance projects.

Section 320.02(7), Florida Statutes requires motor carriers to provide proof of payment or exemption from HVUT on motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 55,000 pounds or more prior to issuance of a registration.

Proof of Payment or Exemption

Either of the following documents is acceptable as proof of payment for state registration purposes:

1. A stamped received IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1 returned by the IRS to the taxpayer. (Note: the original form receipted by the IRS must be viewed by the clerk at the time of transaction who will then make copies and return the original form to the taxpayer.) DO NOT MAIL THE IRS FORM 2290 AND PAYMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
2. A copy of IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1 and a copy of proof of payment (i.e. credit/debit card receipt or front and back of cancelled check) used to pay the tax.
3. The original or a copy of the electronically filed IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1. The electronic copy will show a slightly visible watermark with the wording “Received XX / XX / XXXX.”
   (Note: Motor carriers with 25 or more vehicles subject to HVUT are required by the IRS to report electronically.)

The following is acceptable proof of exemption for state registration purposes:

1. A copy of a stamped received IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1, Part II for vehicles over 55,000 pounds but traveling less than 5,000 miles, an agricultural vehicle traveling less than 7,500 miles or for vehicles that are qualified as blood collector vehicles.

Additional HVUT Resources

• Federal Highway Administration Heavy Vehicle Use Tax
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
• IRS Information
• Florida IRS Offices

If you need additional information about DMV requirements for proof of payment of the Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, call us at (850) 617-3711 / (850) 617-2000.

Additional Resources:

• Voter Registration Information
• Insurance Requirements
• Motor Vehicle Registration Fees