How to renew your Florida vehicle registration

Who can renew online

You can usually renew online when all of these are true. If one of them fails, the online systems stop the renewal and you are sent to an office or asked to fix the problem first.

• Florida insurance is on file and current. The state must be able to match a Florida policy with at least $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) to your vehicle.
• There is no stop or hold on the registration or on the owner's driver license (for example unpaid tolls or an insurance suspension).
• The registration has not been expired too long. Palm Beach County, for example, requires an in-person visit when the registration is more than eight months past expiration.
• The vehicle is a regular passenger vehicle. Heavy commercial trucks (26,001 lbs. and up) are handled differently.

Among the plates checked through Tagcenter.net in the last year, the most common reasons a renewal could not go through were trying to renew too early, insurance not found on file, a registration expired for too long and unpaid tolls. About three in ten checks found no record at all, usually because of a typo in the plate or the date of birth, or because the vehicle is registered to a business.

What you need

• Your license plate number (or the renewal notice, if you got one).
• The date of birth of the first owner listed on the registration. Individual registrations expire at midnight on that owner's birthday.
• Florida insurance already reported to the state. If it is not on file, bring your insurance card, binder or policy (showing the VIN) to a tax collector office.
• A payment method. Online, most options take credit or debit cards and some counties also accept e-checks.

You don't need the renewal notice to renew. Counties mail courtesy notices before the birth month, but Florida does not require them, and not receiving one does not excuse a late renewal.

When you can renew

Most county tax collectors accept renewals up to about three months (90 days) before the expiration date. A delinquent fee applies if you renew after the 10th day of the month following your renewal month. See when you can renew and why your registration expires on your birthday for the details, and what to do if it already expired.

Your options to renew

1. FLHSMV MyDMV Portal. The state's online portal renews your registration and lets you update your address. It takes credit cards only and adds a processing fee. You can email yourself a confirmation receipt to carry until the registration arrives.

2. Your county tax collector. Most counties offer online renewal (many through a county portal), and most also have self-service kiosks that print the decal on the spot, a mail-in option using the renewal notice, drop boxes and in-person service, often by appointment. Some offer same-day pickup when you renew online early in the day.

3. A private renewal service. Private companies like Tagcenter.net handle the renewal for you for a service fee. Tagcenter.net is not affiliated with FLHSMV or any tax collector. You check your plate with the plate number and date of birth, see the state's amount and our service fee before paying (details on our fees page), and our staff complete the renewal. The decal is mailed to you, and you can follow the status online.

Not sure which to pick? Compare them in renewing online vs. at the tax collector, and see how much renewal costs. If you are outside Florida right now, read renewing from out of state.

How to renew online, step by step

1. Check your expiration date on your current registration or decal and make sure you are inside the renewal window.
2. Confirm your insurance is active. If you changed insurers recently, ask the new company to confirm it reported the policy to the state.
3. Enter your plate number and the first owner's date of birth on the site you chose.
4. Review the vehicle, the mailing address and the total before paying.
5. Pay and keep the receipt or confirmation email until the new registration arrives.
6. Put the new decal in the upper right corner of the plate and keep the registration in the vehicle.

What happens after you renew

With online renewals, the registration and decal are mailed to the address on file. County and state sites estimate 7 to 10 business days for delivery. Mail-in renewals take longer because the office has to receive and process your payment first. A kiosk prints them right away.

If the decal never arrives or gets lost, see how to replace a lost registration decal.

Common blockers and how to fix them

• Insurance not found or suspended. The state could not verify your PIP and PDL coverage, or your registration was suspended after a lapse. See renewal blocked because of insurance.
• Unpaid tolls. A toll agency asked the state to put a stop on the registration. See unpaid tolls blocking your renewal.
• Too early. You are outside the renewal window. See when you can renew.
• Expired too long. Past a certain point you may need to go in person. See expired registration in Florida.
• Renewing for a relative or a company vehicle. See renewing for someone else and business and fleet renewals.

No service, including Tagcenter.net, can remove an insurance or toll hold for you. Once you have cleared it with the insurer or the toll agency, check your plate again and renew.

Frequent questions

Official sources

• Florida Statutes s. 320.07: Expiration of registration; renewal; penalties
• Florida Statutes s. 320.055: Registration periods; renewal periods
• Hillsborough County Tax Collector: Registration Renewal
• Palm Beach County Tax Collector: Motor Vehicle Registration
• Palm Beach County Tax Collector: Self-Service Kiosks
• Flagler County Tax Collector: Online Registration Renewal
• Manatee County Tax Collector: Registration Renewal
• Polk County Tax Collector: Registration Renewals
• Orange County Tax Collector: Registration & Tag Renewals

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