Got a car registered in Florida? Lucky you! Spending time away from Florida? Why would you ever do that?!
Should you be so unfortunate to be spending time away from Paradise, and your car registration needs renewed, what do you do?
Lucky for you, technology is available! You can renew your Florida tag online, but if you are renewing from another state, you will have to change your registered mailing address. The out-of-state tags will be mailed to you. If your current address is not your permanent address, you can use a renewal service to get the tags mailed to you, without having to change your address.
When do I have to do this?
You can review your tags up to three months before they expire. Don’t let the expiration date pass by, there is no grace period. The tags will expire at midnight on the date listed on your registration card. Tickets for expired tags can be painfully high, especially if they can be avoided.
When does it expire?
The expiration date is based on the date of the listed owner’s birthday. If the car is registered to a business, the tags expired the same month and day the car was registered. Other things that may affect the expiration date, including the weight of the vehicle. For example, a vehicle that weighs over 5000 pounds will expire on December 31st, regardless of how it is registered.
Fines are not fine.
Because there is not grace period to renew after your registration expires, you must renew before midnight on the date listed. If the car is registered to two owners, the first person listed on the registration will be the birth date used. If you renew after the expiration date, you will most likely be charged a late fee, in addition to the usual registration fees. The fee can range from $5 to $250, depending on how long the registration has expired and the weight of the vehicle. You can also choose to register your vehicle for one or two years.
As you suffer through your time away from the sunshine, be sure to not let your registration suffer along with you. Keep aware of the time requirements and make sure your registration doesn’t expire.