[RichardMichael]

Tips on changing residency from home state to The Villages.

Steps - what to do first ?
Drivers License before Car Registration ... etc ...
is there a prioritization list somewhere ?

Where to start ? Motor Vehicles ??
where is the closest DMV to Buttonwood Village ?

Thanks in advance for advice !

I am new to posting on TOTV, hope i did this correctly !

[JerryLBell]

Excellent question. I'm looking forward to answers as my wife and I will be also facing this when we move to the house we bought in TV.

[outahere]

When we moved here a couple years ago, we went to the DMV and changed our drivers licenses and car registrations all at the same time. When you change your registration you will need the title and Florida proof of insurance cards from your auto insurance company. You should also drive any vehicle you are changing, to the DMV because they have to verify the VIN, in person. If you don't take the vehicle with you, they will send a police officer to your house to verify the number and you will get the new registration later - much easier/quicker to just drive the vehicle to the office. One thing that caught us by surprise was that we had to pay the difference in sales tax between MA and FL because we had purchased the vehicle within the past 6 months.

I think Buttonwood is in Sumter county, and there are two county offices here. One near the intersection of Morse and 466 and the other near Pinellas plaza off of Powell road in the southern part of The Villages.

Hope that helps, and welcome!!

[kfierle]

This link may help:

Gather Go Get the FLORiDA Card: Index

[Average Guy]

When I moved here I used the information that is in The Villages Phone Book. The latest 2016 phone book has the information on page 39. (Note that there are 2 Villages phone books. I am NOT referring to the one that has some advertising on the cover.)

The documentation states that there are 3 steps to getting your FL driver's license and vehicle tag:

1. Get your vehicle insured in FL.
2. Get your FL drivers license.
3. Get your vehicle registered in FL.

At the Driver's License Office, you need to bring the following documents:

1. Your Out of State Driver's License
2. One of the following 3 documents:
- A U.S. Birth Certificate
- A valid U.S. Passport
- Your Social Security card
3. Two proofs of residence address. There is a list of 21 acceptable proofs of residence listed in the telephone book.

No Xerox or Fax Copies will be accepted.

I hope this helps you.

[GayleJenkins]

This was VERY helpful TY

[Sable99]

Thank you for the information! I hope it isi useful sooner than later!

[JerryLBell]

Thanks much, Average Guy!

[theorem painter]

We got our Florida licenses and registration today at a cost of $525. We are both from New York and on my birth certificate my name is listed as first name and then last name. On my husband's birth certificate his name is directory style. They were not going to issue him a license because of this. Many supervisors had to be involved before they would agree to accept his birth certificate. Didn't matter that they had his NY license and it was done correctly. Not a lot of common sense in the Florida DMV.

[chuckinca]

I find Fla DMV much easier to deal with compared to Cal DMV - and less expensive and less time also.

(Mr Eckhart was my freshman HS typing class teacher - he probably saved my life in Vietnam when they choose my typing skills over my rifle skills and changed me from a grunt to a clerk)


.

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by theorem painter

We got our Florida licenses and registration today at a cost of $525. We are both from New York and on my birth certificate my name is listed as first name and then last name. On my husband's birth certificate his name is directory style. They were not going to issue him a license because of this. Many supervisors had to be involved before they would agree to accept his birth certificate. Didn't matter that they had his NY license and it was done correctly. Not a lot of common sense in the Florida DMV.

Try the Marion County tax collector. You might get better service than the MVD.
You do not have to live in the county.

[folkh]

Originally Posted by RichardMichael

Tips on changing residency from home state to The Villages.

Steps - what to do first ?
Drivers License before Car Registration ... etc ...
is there a prioritization list somewhere ?

Where to start ? Motor Vehicles ??
where is the closest DMV to Buttonwood Village ?

Thanks in advance for advice !

I am new to posting on TOTV, hope i did this correctly !

Before you change the registration on cars you need to get insurance, once you get that you can go to the tax collectors/drivers license office to change your registration and get your FL drivers license and also sign up to vote. I live in Marion County I went to Ocala to do the Homestead for the reduction in the real estate tax. Which won't go into effect until next year. I did all this this summer.

[RichardMichael]

Thank you all so much for this invaluable information.
i have been thinking on my own what i will need to do, and, i knew it would be a formidable task list.
this info and tips will save so much time !
Richard Michael

[Villageswimmer]

We thought the Sumter County office was extremely efficient and professional. After you have proof of insurance coverage, it's one stop shopping. Drivers license, registration, register to vote, homestead...all in one stop! Soooo much better than in PA.

[oot]

Originally Posted by Villageswimmer;11***00

We thought the Sumter County office was extremely efficient and professional. After you have proof of insurance coverage, it's one stop shopping. Drivers license, registration, register to vote, homestead...all in one stop! Soooo much better than in PA.

I agree. I went to the Sumter office on Powell Road and loved it. I would have waited in line over an hour in Michigan, then most likely sent home for more info. Here they check over your information before they even give you a ticket to wait. Yes, you have to have all your paperwork in the proper order (I had to go home to get name change information because of a divorce), but what they told me, all states will require the same items that Florida is requesting at this time. Must be a federal requirement coming soon.