Registering your vehicle is mandatory to legally operate it on Florida roads. Vehicle owners with out-of-state registration must register their vehicle within 10 days of starting employment, placing children in public school, or establishing residency in Florida. A valid vehicle registration includes:
- Metal license plate (the number on the plate must match the number on the registration certificate and decal) attached to the designated area on the vehicle per Section 320.38, Florida Statutes.
- Vehicle registration certificate which must be carried by the vehicle operator or kept in the vehicle at all times per Section 320.0605, Florida Statutes.
- Registration decal which is a sticker provided on the registration certificate. This decal must be affixed to the square in the upper right-hand corner of the Florida license plate.
This paperwork serves as proof that motor vehicle registration taxes and fees have been paid.
If you are military personnel or a veteran, please visit the department’s Military and Veterans Information section.
Effective October 1, 2018, when purchasing or registering a motor vehicle that qualifies for the Florida Hope Scholarship Program, you may designate $105 per vehicle to a participating eligible not-for-profit scholarship-funding organization. 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 transmit your contribution to the organization and remit the remaining sales tax and applicable surtax to the Florida Department of Revenue. To contribute to the Hope Program, complete the following Hope Scholarship Contribution Election Form, which can be mailed in with the Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration and sales tax payment.
The $225 Initial Registration Fee must be paid when an owner does not have a license plate or a registered license plate record for a previously owned vehicle (in Florida) to transfer to the newly purchased vehicle. Initial registration must be completed in person at a local service center at the time of titling by submitting the following documentation:
- Proof of Identity (required for all owners)
- Proof of Florida [Insurance](https://www.flhsmv.gov/insurance/)
- Completed [Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration](https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82040.pdf) (Form HSMV 82040)
Note: Some circumstances may require additional documentation.
Customers may renew their vehicle registration for either one or two years and may renew up to three months in advance of the registration expiration date. Vehicle registrations expire at midnight on the first owner’s birthday unless the owner is a business. Heavy Truck registration information can be found towards the bottom of this page.
To renew registration via the mobile app, customers must provide the license plate or vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle they wish to register. If the department is unable to electronically verify valid insurance on the vehicle, then no registration will be issued on the mobile application.
For fast and convenient online vehicle registration renewal, visit the MyDMV Portal, which provides the following motor vehicle services:
- Renew a motor vehicle registration for one or two years.
- Obtain a duplicate registration certificate if a customer’s registration certificate is lost.
To renew registration online, customers must provide the vehicle owner’s personal identifying information to log in and complete the transaction. If the department is unable to verify valid insurance on the vehicle, then no registration will be issued online or in person.
All online electronic payments are assessed a $2.00 convenience fee in addition to the total transaction amount.
If online renewal is not possible, customers should visit a local service center or call Customer Service at (850) 617-2000 for further assistance.
Customers using the MyDMV Portal will receive their registration in the mail within 7-10 business days from the transaction date. Customers may receive an email confirmation receipt that can be utilized as proof of payment until the registration arrives in the mail. On the payment confirmation page, customers must select ‘yes’, enter email address and click on ‘Send Email Confirmation’ for the information to be sent via email. If 20 calendar days have passed since registration and it has not been received in the mail, you may inquire about replacing a registration lost in transit by visiting a local service center or by calling Customer Service at (850) 617-2000 for further assistance.
Customers can renew up to five vehicles and/or vessels at the same time through the MyFlorida mobile app, for either one or two years with just one convenience fee. The app offers:
- Renew a motor vehicle registration for one or two years.
- Obtain a duplicate registration certificate if a customer’s registration certificate is lost.
- Check Motor Vehicle Information and information related to stopping a vehicle registration.
- Payment options: Credit Card or Checking Account.
The MyFlorida App is available on all mobile devices and allows customers to securely renew registrations on eligible vehicles or vessels. Customers will receive digital documentation to use until the registration arrives in the mail. A $4.00 convenience fee is applied per transaction for customers paying with a Credit Card or $3.75 for transactions paid via Checking Account.
Note: Address changes cannot be made on the mobile application.
The MyFlorida App is available for free download via iTunes and Google Play.
Delinquent registration fees are applied to any customer who does not renew their motor vehicle and mobile home registration beginning on the eleventh day of the month following the month the renewal registration was due. Section 320.07(4)(a), Florida Statutes, specifically requires a delinquency fee to be applied to any applicant who fails to renew registration prior to the end of the month the renewal registration was due.
Note: Registration is only valid until midnight on the registrant’s birthday.
| License Tax | Delinquency Fee |
|---|---|
| up to $25.00 | $5.00 |
| $25.01 to $50.00 | $10.00 |
| $50.01 to $100.00 | $15.00 |
| $100.01 to $400.00 | $50.00 |
| $400.01 to $600.00 | $100.00 |
| $600.01 and over | $250.00 |
For Hire vehicles cost more to register and renew registration due to the tax structure in Section 320.08(6)(a) Florida Statutes, which states “For Hire” motor vehicles with a fixed fee paying passenger is $17.00 plus $1.50 per each cwt (100 pounds). Section 320.08(6)(b), Florida Statutes states “For Hire” motor vehicles with more and paying passenger is a fixed fee of $17.00 plus $2.00 per each cwt (100 pounds). The department’s License Plate Rate Chart may assist in estimating the total fees.
The registration renewal date for Heavy Trucks weighing between 5,000 and 7,999 pounds will soon be changing to a renewal deadline based on the owner’s birth month, unless the owner is a business. With this change, customers renewing Heavy Truck registrations expiring in December 2020 will have the option to renew to their birth month in 2021 or add a year to their birth month in 2022. Customers with birthdates that fall in January and June can pay a prorated amount to renew their December 2020 registration for 1 to 18 months. Likewise, customers with birthdates that fall in July and December will 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 that applies to certain heavy motor vehicles, including trucks, truck tractors, and buses using our public highways. The tax only applies to vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. The federal government then apportions the revenue 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 having a gross vehicle weight of 55,000 pounds or more before a registration will be issued.
Either of the following documents is acceptable as proof of payment for state registration purposes:
- Stamped received IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2290.pdf) returned to the taxpayer by the IRS. (Note: the original form received by the IRS must be viewed by the clerk at the time of the transaction who will then make a copy and return the original form to the taxpayer.) DO NOT SEND IRS FORM 2290 AND PAYMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT.
- Copy of the IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1 and a copy of proof of payment (e.g., credit/debit card receipt or the front and back of the cancelled check) used to pay the tax.
- Original or copy of the electronically filed IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1. The electronic copy will display a barely visible watermark with the words “Received XX/XX/XXXX.” (Note: Motor carriers with 25 or more vehicles subject to HVUT are required by the IRS to file electronically.)
The following is acceptable as proof of exemption for state registration purposes:
- Copy of the stamped received IRS Form 2290, Schedule 1, Part II for vehicles over 55,000 pounds but traveling under 5,000 miles, agricultural vehicles traveling under 7,500 miles, or for vehicles that qualify as a blood collector vehicle.
If you need more information about the DMV’s requirements for proof of payment of Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, please call us at (850) 617-3711 / (850) 617-2000.
