Getting our Florida license plates and licenses.

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Old 11-18-2011, 08:31 AM
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Default Getting our Florida license plates and licenses.

For those who have gone before that told me that this was quite a procedure, I am sorry that I didn't listen.

You go to the new Sumter County service center on 466A where the new library is.

The three of us went yesterday to get new plates for our one car and to get new drivers licenses for both of us and a Florida I.D for Helene.

We left about 12:30 and got home about four.

You will need proof of car insurance from Florida company, copy of ORIGINAL birth certificate from governmental agency, not hospital, two documents to prove your residency, marriage license, from ALL Marriages, not from church, from governmental agency,(We were fortunate to have to show proof for just one marriage, the guy said the most he'd seen was 13) car title, Social Security card, they will NOT accept Medicare card. (We had to leave and go to Social Security Office in Leesburg), No Zerox or faxed copies will be accepted.

The car you are driving must be present for inspection to insure correct serial number. At the same time you can register to vote.

You have to pass a vision test only for the new drivers license and the cost for all of this with buying two year license plate was $623. Your drivers license is good for eight years, the plates for two if you pay next years now.

They were very patient and so were we. My oldest friend told me she cried at one point.

Just be prepared.

I think we are now frogs. TIRED Frogs..........
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Old 11-18-2011, 08:39 AM
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Marion county opened a office across from Walmart in Lady Lake. We were there yesterday for a tag for our RV and there were 6 clerks with 0 customers. Nice flat screen TV's. Took us around 10 minutes in and out. I liked it but what a waste of payroll it seemed.
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Old 11-18-2011, 08:43 AM
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Marion county opened a office across from Walmart in Lady Lake. We were there yesterday for a tag for our RV and there were 6 clerks with 0 customers. Nice flat screen TV's. Took us around 10 minutes in and out. I liked it but what a waste of payroll it seemed.
Tags are easy. It is the Driver Licenses that are the pain.
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Old 11-18-2011, 08:50 AM
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Default Driver's license

Oh my! What an ordeal. Thanks for the warning. I had not idea this would be an issue. My husband and I were coming down in April to do all of that and didn't leave much time to do it. We'd better think twice.
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Old 11-18-2011, 08:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by graciegirl View Post
For those who have gone before that told me that this was quite a procedure, I am sorry that I didn't listen.

You go to the new Sumter County service center on 466A where the new library is.

The three of us went yesterday to get new plates for our one car and to get new drivers licenses for both of us and a Florida I.D for Helene.

We left about 12:30 and got home about four.

You will need proof of car insurance from Florida company, copy of ORIGINAL birth certificate from governmental agency, not hospital, two documents to prove your residency, marriage license, from ALL Marriages, not from church, from governmental agency,(We were fortunate to have to show proof for just one marriage, the guy said the most he'd seen was 13) car title, Social Security card, they will NOT accept Medicare card. (We had to leave and go to Social Security Office in Leesburg), No Zerox or faxed copies will be accepted.

The car you are driving must be present for inspection to insure correct serial number. At the same time you can register to vote.

You have to pass a vision test only for the new drivers license and the cost for all of this with buying two year license plate was $623. Your drivers license is good for eight years, the plates for two if you pay next years now.

They were very patient and so were we. My oldest friend told me she cried at one point.

Just be prepared.

I think we are now frogs. TIRED Frogs..........
ha ha..... Welcome to FROGdom! Seems they asked you for more documents than we were required to provide. We didn't provide any birth certificates or marriage certificates. We did use our passports though. There's a listing of the required documents on the Sumter Co. website...

No doubt about it; it's expensive the first time!
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Old 11-18-2011, 08:55 AM
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ha ha..... Welcome to FROGdom! Seems they asked you for more documents than we were required to provide. We didn't provide any birth certificates or marriage certificates. We did use our passports though. There's a listing of the required documents on the Sumter Co. website...

No doubt about it; it's expensive the first time!
Please go to that listing of requirements on Sumter county site and don't take my word for it. I could have been wrong about the ALL marriages thingy. I would hate to cause anyone additional stress. It was more documents than we have had to present for a long time and our passports had expired...
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:00 AM
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For women you must confirm your current last name if there were prior marriages you need marriage licenses. Easiest way is your current social secuirty card and a passport.
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:11 AM
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Sorry....it isn't Sumter County.

Here's the link for everything concerning drivers licenses and tags...

http://www.dmvflorida.org/
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:14 AM
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These are all new requirements from the Real ID act ... to prove you are who you say you are and not an illegal alien or potential terrorist.

I got my license in 2006 and didn't have to do this, but, when I have to go renew in a few years I will have to bring these various proofs of residency/citizenship. Also, if you have to replace or make a change to your license you will have to present proof, even if your prior license hasn't expired. I believe you only have to go through this level of proof one time.

Best bet is to review the requirements on the Sumter county website before you go.
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:19 AM
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One other bit of information that may be helpful: if it's raining your car can't be inspected for the VIN and you'll have to return later.
But we found the people there very nice.
And bringing a passport seems helpful.
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:28 AM
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I went to renew my FL driver’s license 2 weeks ago. I provided a birth certificate an original that I have guarded and preserved over the years, it is old and in very good condition. It is an original with my foot print on it, my mothers finger print, doctors name, fathers name and a bunch of other stuff all written with a fountain pen and was created in the hospital where I was born.

I handed my documents of proof to the proof checker lady with my well preserved birth certificate on the top of the pile and she said, “I need the original of your birth certificate do you have it.”

The colorful part of the conversation I will skip.

I was told I had to go on the computer an order a government birth certificate from my birth state. So I did. Part of the government process is I scan my FL driver’s license and include the scan with my application to prove who I am so I can get a government birth certificate so I can prove to FL who I am.

So after using my FL driver’s license to get real government birth certificate it becomes clear the hospital released the information on my birth certificate to the government.

Another words FL driver’s license was good enough to get a government birth certificate but not good enough FL driver’s license.

The good news, no one at the FL driver’s license comedy castle was harmed and the swat team was not deployed.
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Old 11-18-2011, 09:31 AM
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Default Gracie, you are right about the "marriage thingy"

It is a nightmare if you have been divorced or widowed...especially if either of those were some time ago. My friend asked me to go with her and we would have lunch afterward...lunch turned into dinner and she had a long,
long list of original paperwork and documentation she needed from 40 years ago, it ultimately took her three months (this was in South Florida) to obtain all of the documentation necessary to obtain her license. And, she already had a Massachusetts license with several remaining years!

Whether it is South Florida being such a drawing card for illegal aliens, criminals, identity theft, or whatever the reason, she had to find the original divorce records from a Mexican divorce in 1966 (her hubs had the originals for he had sought the divorce and recieved the paperwork and she had copies! and he had passed away). And the marriage and death certificates of her first and second husbands...those marriages and deaths some 2,000 miles from South Florida! Oh, and she had been born in Norway coming to the US as a child with copies of her birth certificate. You can imagine the mess. Record keeping 40 years ago wasnt' what it is today! And the hours of time spent, sheeks!

The Motor Vehicle Department in Florida gives rise to the old saying, "When
God tipped the earth, all the nuts rolled into Florida". Oh, and she had to register her then new car in Palm Beach County and having just paid MA taxes when she bought it, had to pay Palm Beach County Taxes to the tune
of some $600. (double taxation I'd say). Poor gurl, she said her license is worth thousands. I think so.
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Old 11-18-2011, 10:29 AM
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I made a post about this a year ago, when my husband and I needed to change the address on our licenses. We had valid FL licenses, but had moved. Once you get all the necessary papers and they are accepted, you will have a gold star (really!) next to your name on your driver's license. This is proof that you have been cleared and do not have to be again.

The agent said that if I had had a valid passport, it would have been easier.

Also, if you are over 80 or some certain age, you may not need all that info., such as an original government birth certificate. My husband did not.

It took me two months to get the information I needed.
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Old 11-18-2011, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by starflyte1 View Post
I made a post about this a year ago. Once you get all the necessary papers and they are accepted, you will have a gold star (really!) next to your name on your driver's license. This is proof that you have been cleared and do not have to be again.

The agent said that if I had had a valid passport, it would have been easier.

Also, if you are over 80 or some certain age, you may not need all that info., such as an original government birth certificate. My husband did not.

It took me two months to get the information I needed.
Let me guess, you use your FL driver’s license to prove your over 80.
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Old 11-18-2011, 10:51 AM
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Getting my license here in TV was difficult, but not as frustrating as what others have gone through.

I have had a Florida driver's license since 1978. When my wife and I were living overseas, my license expired. Not a big deal, as we didn't need a car on the small, tropical island we lived on.

When we decided to sell our business and move to TV I thought it important to renew my license. In the past, it was possible to renew online, so I went online but found that since it had been expired for more than one year I had to renew in person.

Since we would be visiting TV prior to our finally moving there, I decided this would be a good time to renew. Having heard about all the required paperwork, I thought I would come prepared and avoid too much running around during my short visit. I brought my expired Florida license, my passport, two pieces of mail with my TV address, a merchant mariner's document ID (a federal ID accepted around the world for identification purposes) and a copy of my birth certificate. I was prepared!

When I arrived at the office (the one where the library is, off 466a), I couldn't even get in the door to renenw (they have a very efficient "gatekeeper."). It seems that I didn't have my social security card, which was a required document. Even though I had a federal ID card that had my social security number on it, it was not sufficient. Nope, had to be my social security card.

They sent me to Leesburg to the social security office. The clerk there was very friendly. I showed her my federal ID with my social security number on it, she printed out a form that listed my social security number (something that I could have produced on my own computer--very unofficial looking), and I returned to the drivers license bureau. Thirty minutes later, I had my renewed Florida license.

Frustrating, but not too bad.
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