How to Replace a Lost, Stolen or Damaged Registration or Decal in Florida

Updated October 31, 2026 · Leer en español

If your Florida decal or plate is lost, stolen or damaged, you apply for a replacement at a county tax collector or license plate agency, usually with form HSMV 83146. The state replacement fee is $28 plus service charges, and it is free when you bring a police report for a stolen item. If your renewal is only weeks away, renewing is often the better move, because every renewal comes with a new decal and a new registration certificate.

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Decal, plate or paper registration: what are you replacing?

Three different items get lost or damaged, and each one is handled a little differently:

Validation decal: the sticker on your plate that shows the expiration month and year. It is replaced with form HSMV 83146 and the replacement fee.
License plate: same form and fee as the decal. If it was stolen, report it to the police too.
Registration certificate: the paper you keep in the vehicle. A duplicate is a separate, inexpensive transaction.

Florida law requires the driver to carry the registration certificate (or an official copy, or the temporary receipt printed after an online renewal) and show it to law enforcement on request. Driving without it is a noncriminal, nonmoving traffic infraction, so it is worth replacing quickly. Officers can also inspect your plate and decal, and a damaged or defaced one may have to be replaced.

How to replace a lost, stolen or damaged decal or plate

If the decal or plate was stolen, report it to your local police first and keep the report or the card with the case number.
Fill out form HSMV 83146 (Application for Replacement License Plate, Validation Decal or Parking Permit). FLHSMV says the form is optional when you request the replacement yourself at a tax collector office, and it is the form to send if your county accepts requests by mail.
Have your plate number, decal number or VIN ready, plus a valid ID: a driver license or ID card from any state or Canada, a passport or a passport card.
Submit the request at a county tax collector or license plate agency. Some counties also take replacement requests online; check your county's website.
Pay the replacement fee (unless one of the free cases below applies) and put the new decal on your plate.

Only the registered owner can apply. If someone else applies for the owner, FLHSMV asks for a power of attorney; for a company vehicle, proof that the person signing is authorized by the business. See renewing for someone else.

What a replacement costs

Section 320.0607 of the Florida Statutes sets the fee for a replacement plate, sticker or decal at $28 plus applicable service charges. With those charges included, county fee schedules land a little higher: Pinellas County, for example, lists a replacement decal at $34.10, a replacement plate at $36.90 and a replacement registration certificate at $3.00.

Some replacements are free:

A plate or decal reported stolen, when you include the police report (or the law enforcement card with the case number).
A plate or decal lost in the mail, if the tax collector mailed it 180 days ago or less.
A defective decal that fails within 27 months of being issued, when you return it.

A decal that is faded, peeling or illegible is treated as damaged or defaced, and the regular fee applies.

Replacing a lost registration certificate

If only the paper registration is missing, you do not need a new decal. You can get a duplicate:

Online through the FLHSMV MyDMV Portal, which county tax collectors point to for a duplicate paper registration.
In person at a county tax collector office. Hillsborough County, for example, charges $3.00 and needs your plate number, decal number, driver license number or VIN. The owner must be there, or send a power of attorney or a signed letter of request.
By mail in some counties, with a signed request, a copy of the owner's ID and a check.

When renewing makes more sense than replacing

A replacement only covers the registration period you already paid for. If your registration expires soon, a replacement decal will be out of date in a few weeks and you will pay again to renew. The Manatee County Tax Collector, for example, tells customers whose registration is expired or expires within three months to renew instead, and to request a new plate at the same time if they need one.

Every renewal comes with a new decal and a new registration certificate, so it solves a lost or damaged decal without a separate replacement fee. Before you decide:

Check your expiration date. Most personal registrations expire at midnight on the first owner's birthday (how that works).
See whether you are inside the renewal window (when can I renew?). Among the plates checked through Tagcenter.net in the last year, about 830 were still too early to renew, so a replacement is the right call when your renewal is months away.
If the registration has already expired, renew right away: see expired registration in Florida.

When it is time to renew, you can check your plate and renew online with Tagcenter.net. The new decal is mailed to you, and our service fee is shown before you pay (fees). For every way to renew, see the complete Florida renewal guide.

Tagcenter.net handles renewals, not mid-term replacements. If your registration still has months left, the replacement goes through your county tax collector.

Get a free reminder before it expires

Florida registrations usually expire on the owner’s birthday. Leave your email and birthday and we’ll write before your renewal opens. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Frequent questions

Do I need a police report to replace a stolen decal?

Not to get the replacement, but with a police report (or the law enforcement card with the case number) a stolen plate or decal is replaced for free. Without it, you pay the regular replacement fee.

My new decal never arrived in the mail. Do I pay again?

No, if it was mailed 180 days ago or less. Ask your tax collector for a "lost in transit" replacement with form HSMV 83146; there is no replacement fee and no service charge.

Can I renew early just to get a new decal?

Only if your registration is close enough to expiration to be renewed. Check when you can renew; if you are too early, request a replacement instead.

Can someone else replace my decal for me?

Yes, with a power of attorney from the owner. For a company vehicle, the person signing needs proof they are authorized by the business.

How much is a duplicate registration certificate?

Usually a few dollars: Pinellas and Hillsborough counties list $3.00. Check your county tax collector's fee page for the current amount.

Official sources

Tagcenter.net is a private service, not affiliated with FLHSMV or any government agency. You can also renew directly with the state or your county tax collector.