320.055 Registration periods; renewal periods.—The following registration periods and renewal periods are established:
(1)1(a) For a motor vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(1), (2), (3), (4)(a) or (b), (5)(b), (c), (d), or (f), (6)(a), (7), (8), (9), or (10) and owned by a natural person, the registration period begins the first day of the birth month of the owner and ends the last day of the month immediately preceding the owner’s birth month in the succeeding year. If such vehicle is registered in the name of more than one person, the birth month of the person whose name first appears on the registration shall be used to determine the registration period. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the 30-day period ending at midnight on the vehicle owner’s date of birth.
(b) A motor vehicle or mobile home that is subject to registration under s. 320.08(1), (2), (3), (4)(a) or (b), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), or (11) is eligible for an extended registration period as defined in s. 320.01(19)(b).
(c) Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (a), the owner of a motor vehicle subject to paragraph (a) who has had his or her driver license suspended pursuant to a violation of s. 316.193 or pursuant to s. 322.26(2) for driving under the influence must obtain a 6-month registration as a condition of reinstating the license, subject to renewal during the 3-year period that financial responsibility requirements apply. The registration period begins the first day of the birth month of the owner and ends the last day of the fifth month immediately following the owner’s birth month. For such vehicles, the department shall issue a vehicle registration certificate that is valid for 6 months and shall issue a validation sticker that displays an expiration date of 6 months after the date of issuance. The license tax required by s. 320.08 and all other applicable license taxes shall be one-half of the amount otherwise required, except the service charge required by s. 320.04 shall be paid in full for each 6-month registration. A vehicle required to be registered under this paragraph is not eligible for the extended registration period under paragraph (b).
1(2) For a vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(11), the registration period begins January 1 and ends December 31. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the 31-day period prior to expiration.
(3) For a vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(12), the registration period runs concurrently with the licensing period. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the first month of the licensing period.
(4) For a vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(13), for vehicles subject to registration under s. 320.08(6)(a) that are short-term rental vehicles, and for any vehicle for which a registration period is not otherwise specified, the registration period begins June 1 and ends May 31. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the 30-day period beginning June 1.
(5) For a vehicle subject to apportioned registration under s. 320.08(4)(c)-(n), (5)(a)1. or (e), (6)(b), or (14), the registration period shall be a period of 12 months beginning in a month designated by the department and ending on the last day of the 12th month. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the last month of the registration period. The registration period may be shortened or extended at the discretion of the department, on receipt of the appropriate prorated fees, in order to evenly distribute such registrations on a monthly basis. For a vehicle subject to nonapportioned registration under s. 320.08(4)(c)-(n), (5)(a)1., (6)(b), or (14), the registration period begins December 1 and ends November 30. The renewal period is the 31-day period beginning December 1.
(6) For those vehicles subject to registration under s. 320.08(6)(a) which are not short-term rental vehicles, the department shall develop and implement a registration renewal system that, where practicable, evenly distributes the registration renewal period throughout the year. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the first month of the assigned registration period.
(7) For those vehicles subject to registration under s. 320.0657, the department shall implement a system that distributes the registration renewal process throughout the year.
History.—s. 10, ch. 83-318; s. 4, ch. 84-155; s. 9, ch. 84-260; s. 13, ch. 86-243; s. 22, ch. 87-198; s. 1, ch. 94-330; s. 31, ch. 96-413; s. 98, ch. 99-13; ss. 20, 262, ch. 99-248; s. 34, ch. 2000-266; s. 117, ch. 2002-20; s. 1, ch. 2005-72; s. 2, ch. 2007-242; s. 1, ch. 2019-66; s. 1, ch. 2022-123.
A. Section 1, ch. 2022-123, amended paragraph (1)(a) and subsection (2), effective September 1, 2023, to read:
(a) For a motor vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(1), (2), (3), (4)(a) or (b), (5)(b), (c), (d), or (f), (6)(a), (7), (8), (9), (10), or (11) and owned by a natural person, the registration period begins the first day of the birth month of the owner and ends the last day of the month immediately preceding the owner’s birth month in the succeeding year. If such vehicle is registered in the name of more than one person, the birth month of the person whose name first appears on the registration shall be used to determine the registration period. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the 30-day period ending at midnight on the vehicle owner’s date of birth.
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(2) For a vehicle subject to registration under s. 320.08(11) and not owned by a natural person, the registration period begins January 1 and ends December 31. For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal period is the 31-day period before expiration.
B. Section 2, ch. 2022-123, provides that “[b]eginning September 1, 2023, in order to implement the amendment made by this act to s. 320.055, Florida Statutes, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall give customers the option to renew their registrations on their dates of birth in 2024 or 2025. Customers whose dates of birth occur in the months of January through June may choose to renew for 1 to 18 months. Customers whose dates of birth occur in the months of July through December may choose to renew for 7 to 24 months.”
