Establishing residency in FLA
 

If I make an appointment at the Wildwood County Tax Collector/DMV site can I get my car registered/tags, new license and register to vote all at once? Or is there something that needs to get done first before the other.

Website is not specific about how to get it all done at the same time.

I'd like to make an appointment within the week of moving into my new place if possible.

Thanks!

Sumter County on 466 by Morse can do all you need

I did all at once at the County building on Powell Road in December 2022. I walked in with no appointment, left under an hour with mission accomplished.

Just remember that insurance should be on your mind ! ORLANDO, Fla. —
Following recent major hurricanes like Ian and Nicole in 2022, and Idalia last year, Florida homeowners ought to prepare for increases of up to 23% this year, according to a new report by Insurify.

Condo owners, for example, are bracing for the state to rule on a more than 50% rate hike request by Castle Key and Amica Mutual Insurance companies.

Thanks! What type of docs did you take?

You need proof of Florida insurance and your current drivers license. I’m pretty sure that’s it.

As I recall, they asked for our birth certificates.

If you are registering cars that were purchased outside of Florida, be prepared to spend several hundred dollars to get them registered in Florida.

Thank you!

Were they able to take a passport instead of a birth certificate?

There’s no way they ask for birth certificates. I literally just did this 3 months ago and I don’t even have a birth certificate. I had a CA registered car and I think it was a couple hundred to register it here.

Yes but you need to live in Sumter county and no appointment is necessary

We also had to bring the titles to our vehicles. They send them off to the State to be held. We were surprised by that.

Florida Residency
 

You will need your existing car titles, drivers license and proof of FL auto insurance. Be sure to do that before you get to FL to be effective when you move here. Be sure the car is with you because they will go outside and check the VIN number of the car (s) you are registering.
Next door to the DMV is the appraisal office where you will want to register for the Homestead exemption for real estate tax purposes, if you qualify. You will need your settlement sheet for that. The applications are due in March each year and it is too late for this year but you can apply for next year.

Proof of Florida Auto Insurance / Colorado Vehicle Title / Colorado Drivers License / Utility Bill with Florida address (for Homestead exemption)

You need to look at these two pages from the Sumter County Tax Collector's page:
Drivers License
Titles, Tags, and Registrations

- You will need proof of age and identity. A Real ID compliant license from another state *might* be sufficient (I don't recall) but a passport and social security card will work.
- You will need proof of Florida address (two different pieces)

- You will need the original title for your current vehicle
- You will need VIN verification. They might be able to do this at the tax collector's office or there is a form you can take to a sheriff's office to have it done
- You will need to know which style of Florida plate you want, there are several to choose from
- You will need proof of Florida insurance for the vehicle

All of the above is explained on the tax collector's site.

I believe you can register to vote on the same form that you apply for the drivers license.

Changing residency
 

I suggest you stop by and pickup the info sheet. It will give you everything you need in order to make the change. They require a lot, including physically seeing your vehicles.

When I came down here I called them to get the right info - just a suggestion.

Why don’t you just call and you will know the answer to your questions

"Squirrel" (to register car and get license at the same timely appt?) But ok...

Tower Hill Insurance for home ins is a very reasonable insurance co-op. Got it through The Villages Insurance which is of course a well "oiled machine" and gets one good deals on insurance. T V isn't building a mega-metropolis for the next 15 yrs without an good insurance business in place to serve it. Lol one should stay in The Bubble.

Stay away from Progressive on home insurance they aren't part of T V "Dream" "plan" if they want to price gouge Villagers. Screw them and all the others if they don"t want to play nice.

OP walkin Powell Rd / 466A or 466/Morse Blvd. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Only if there is a lienholder on the vehicle. IF you own the vehicle free and clear, a new Florida title will be mailed to you.

https://www.sumtertaxcollector.com/index.html

there you will find a list of documents you need to take with you

My daughter just did this, without an appt. Need current license from state you are moving from, car registration & proof of insurance and car title. If you don’t have a free title, they must get proof from lender. Hope this helps.

Easy peezy
 

Nice poeple at powell location .

You can request a paper title in lieu of the electronic one held with the state. No big deal.

If your previous license does not have a star in the top corner for real id compliant, you must bring a passport or birth certificate.

When I got a car title, they told me that the Florida title is an electronic document that you can access online, but they do not mail you a paper copy. I went to the DMV office on Powell Road, and they printed a copy for me for 10 dollars. But, the paper copy is not an official title.

Are the cars financed? If so that's the reason.

A birth certificate and passport are not needed. Only your current driver's license and registration and title. The Sumter County office at 466 and Morse is super quick (not sure if Powell is the same).

It isn't mandatory the state hold the title; you can request them not to and they'll send it to you.

Good advice by many folks here. Establishing residency here is a snap: everything is handled in one building and they are VERY efficient at what they do. My previous home state (Minnesota) is several decades behind when it comes to efficiency.

One thing to remember: if you were a well-to-do citizen of your former state, that means that you were also a taxPAYER in your formal state and they're gonna be sorry to see you leave, so you will need to make your "leaving" unambiguous. I had heard from several sources back in Minnesota (didn't verify it with the proper authorities so I can't vouch for its truthfulness though knowing Minnesota I find it entirely plausible) that you had to leave the state with no address(es) still listed as being in Minnesota, because once you leave if there are ANY Minnesota addresses still in your name they'll assume that is your "primary residence" and tax accordingly. Selling our home was no problem but I had rental property there in my name, with the last one selling on December 30 of the year we moved here. I've also heard that there are states considering tax audits of folks who have fled for greener pastures to see if there is any possible way they can find some way to squeeze a few more nickels out of them.

Like I said, I can't vouch for the above. But "I'd rather be safe than sorry" is always a good motto.

We moved here in 2016 and the DMV asked to see our birth certificates. My wife was born in a military hospital and she had a 'certificate of live birth' that had been accepted in all states, including Florida in the 1960's, but in 2016 they needed a true government-issued birth certificate.

I guess the law has changed since then.

I agree. It was a different world doing business with them at the “gold dome”. In CT we would have been in line and waiting for 3-4 hours but here at the county building on Powell Rd. in and out less than an hour.

Sumter County for license and registrations.

Yes.
 

The answer is yes.

What you’ll learn from this site is that if you ask for the time, the bored retirees will be compelled to explain how a watch is made.

How did they del with transferring title to Florida?

I have a lease car and they have title in both names

Video on FL resident
 

How to Become Florida Resident, How to protect yourself, Your Pets, Homestead, Driver License, Title https://youtu.be/Hd7iAWCBGp4Video link I hope

And unbelievably FL requires NO annual vehicle inspections, unlike most states. There are so many unsafe vehicles on the roads, plus under insured vehicles. Unsafe cars on the roads really increase the number of accidents when it's left to the owner who doesn't check their vehicle or doesn't have to spend the money to fix unsafe issues.

Not currently. I registered my out of state car just last year & I had to surrender the out of state title. I was given a choice of getting the new title mailed to me, or paying an additional $10 to have the new title produced on the spot. (Sumter County Service Center 7375 Powell Road, corner of 466A). You must give them the old title. As others have mentioned, the car itself has to be handy, as they will verify the VIN.

I had purchased the car for cash three years earlier, & the title never had a lien on it. It was originally issued to me in my name.

If you do have a lien on the car, then you need more documents, ie: a release of lien.

The price to register one out of state car last year was $440.75 I don't know if the price has risen or dropped since then.

You do not give them the old plates, those are yours to dispose of, unless your home state wants them back. You do get to choose the kind of new Florida plate you receive. You get one plate for the back. My old state had back & front plates.

Any other questions, please ask. I tried to remember my questions. Oh, & what others have said it true, you must have current Florida car insurance & you bring the insurance card with you.

This is a must - you have to show proof of Fl ins for your car, have the title if paid for, or info on who finances it, and I think 2 forms of ID showing your Fl address. When I went Geico insured my car in Fl - I owned a home already so proof of ID address was readily available. You will get your plates, DL, and voters card that way. Fl yearly stickers are renwed on your birthday so that's different than where I came from. Keep that in mind. The fee can be hefty but it's only once and stickers in Fl are much cheaper than Il for example. Good luck!

I have lived in states that require an annual vehicle inspection. What a huge waste of time and money! Every vehicle gets inspected every year. Even brand new vehicles are inspected. The service stations and the state make a lot of money, but, in terms of increased safety, the return on investment is almost nil. It would be better to spend the money inspecting the drivers, not the vehicles.

Regarding insurance, why doesn't the state require a sticker on the vehicle that proves that the vehicle is insured, like they require for the vehicle registration?

Not even close. 1/4 of the states require annual vehicle inspections. A little under 1/3 require annual or biannual. Most states require no annual inspections.

And as another poster has pointed out, the annual inspections benefit the inspection stations more than they improve safety.