Moving to Florida? Guide for New Residents 🌴 DMV, Car Registration, Retiring, Pets, SunPass

Lots of you out there are planning to move to Florida or purchase a second home here. If you’re looking to establish residency in the Sunshine State, here are some practical tips. (Yes, you do have to go to the DMV)

*Disclosure: I am a Realtor, so I help people buy and sell houses. I am not an attorney or accountant. These matters can be complicated, so if you have any questions please consult a licensed professional.*

ESTABLISHING FLORIDA RESIDENCY

You are considered a Floridian when your true, fixed, and permanent home is in Florida.

DRIVER’S LICENSE & VEHICLE REGISTRATION

If you are a new resident you must get your Florida Driver’s License and register your vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency in the state of Florida.

DMV: What to Bring to Get Your License
https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/what-to-bring/
Vehicle Registration General Information:
https://www.flhsmv.gov/html/titlinf.html

PET REGISTRATION

A Florida pet license is required for all pets. Florida pet registration forms are available at any local veterinarian. Both dogs & cats over 4 months old must have a pet license, and all are required to have rabies inoculations or booster shots. All Florida pet registration fees will vary from county to county, so check your county’s website.

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Florida residents can apply for a Homestead Exemption. You get a discount on the assessed value of your home. It also caps the amount that your assessed value can go up each year to only 3%. This is a great tax benefit that Florida homeowners enjoy. Your deadline each year for registering is March 1st, so don’t forget! You will do this through your County Property Appraiser office or website.

E-PASS / SUNPASS

Florida has a lot of toll roads and a lot of them don’t have pay booths. If you live in an area with toll roads or plan on doing a lot of exploring in Florida, you will want to get a SunPass or an E-Pass.

https://epass.cfxway.com/epassweb
https://www.sunpass.com/en/home/index.shtml

FINDING EMPLOYMENT

Start online by putting your resume up on websites like Indeed, CareerBuilder, Monster, and LinkedIn. Recruiters are always looking for perfect people to fill jobs for their clients. Service industry jobs are listed on these websites too, so do a job search and see what comes up. If you interested in a government job with the State of Florida there is a website in the description that will allow you to search for those jobs. Please remember that if you are in the medical field or an educator, we always need you own here in Florida!

State of Florida Job Openings:
https://jobs.myflorida.com/

RETIRING TO FLORIDA

If you are planning on retiring to the Sunshine State there is a website for the Department of Elder Affairs that actually provides a lot of useful knowledge. On that website there are a ton of links, including a link to 55+ communities by county, info on assisted living facilities, veteran affairs, and a link to the Older Floridians Handbook. This handbook provides a whole bunch of important information, I highly recommend you download it. I put the link in the description. Check it out if you are coming to our beautiful state to retire.

Department of Elder Affairs:
http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/resources.php

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Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate.

Email: [email protected]
Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084

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