Motorist Services

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

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