Moving Information
Autos, Boats & Motorcycles
The Tax Collector is the agent of the Department of Highway Safety
and Motor Vehicles for titling and registering all water vessels and vehicles,
including motorcycles and mopeds, as well as disabled parking placards.
Autos Licenses
New residents must register their vehicles and obtain Florida license
plates within 10 days of establishing legal residency, accepting employment
or enrolling children in public school. Florida statutes provide for an
additional registration fee of $100 for the first time certain vehicles are
registered. To register your vehicle, you will need your title, car registration,
proof of Florida insurance and passed auto emissions test. Call the Tax
Collector’s Office at 355-2622 for information and the locations of
offices.
Registrations for short-term leased vehicles expire in six months.
Registration expiration for long-term leased vehicles are assigned an expiration
month based on the first letter of the leasing company or the registrant’s
date of birth. All Florida drivers must have at least $10,000 in personal
injury protection (PIP) auto insurance and at least $10,000 property damage
liability (PDL) insurance. For more information, contact the Department of
Insurance Consumer Hotline at 1-800-342-2762 or a local insurance
agent.
Driver’s License
New state residents who wish to drive in Florida are required to obtain
a Florida driver’s license within 30 days of moving here. You will be
required to pass a visual test, written test, driving test and a 4-hour drug
and alcohol course in order to get your license, if you do not have a valid
license from another state. With a valid out-of-state license, only a vision
test and social security card are required. Contact the Department of Highway
Safety and Motor Vehicles at 571 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach or
call 681-6333 to find the location of the branch office nearest to your new
home.
Establishing Residency
To establish residency, you may register to vote or you may file a
Declaration of Domicile, which is an affidavit available at the County
Administration Building. Filing one copy with the Circuit Court provides
a record of your intention to make Florida your new home. Simply moving to
the state does not guarantee legal residency. For more information, call
any of the county courthouses. Numbers can be found in the upcoming pages
of this section.
Fishing License
In Florida, both a fresh and salt water fishing license is mandatory.
To protect our natural resources, there are some legal minimum lengths and
limits on the number of fish you may catch. There is also closed season on
some shellfish and snook. To obtain a resident license for fishing and hunting,
you must be a resident of Florida for six months. A license is not required
for a child under 16 years of age. Residents 65 years of age or older may
receive an optional complimentary hunting & fishing license, or they
may choose to carry a driver’s license showing proof of age. Visitors
can obtain three day, seven day or annual licenses. Licenses and the latest
edition of freshwater sports fishing regulations may be obtained at the Tax
Collector’s Office or at most local bait and tackle shops and sporting
goods stores. Call (561) 355-2622 for the location of the Tax Collector’s
branch office nearest you. Lifetime and five year fishing licenses are available
from the Tax Collector’s Office for residents only.
Hunting License
A valid license is required for anyone taking or attempting to take
game or furbearing animals. Hunters must also pay a fee to the owner of
commercial shooting preserves for the privilege of hunting game. There are
many special seasons, legal methods, bag limits, requirements and regulations
that affect hunters in Florida. Consult the latest edition of the Hunting
Handbook Regulations Summary available from Tax Collector offices, 355-2622,
and subagents. Or call the local Office at (561)625-5122. All annual privileges
expire 12 months from the date issued.
Occupational Licenses
The Tax Collector has a contract with the Board of County Commissioners
to issue occupational licenses for the privilege of operating a business
anywhere in the county, including municipalities. Anyone providing merchandise
or services to the public, even through a one-person company or home-based
occupation, must obtain a license. Some businesses also are subject to county
zoning codes and state regulations.
Occupational licenses expire September 30 and can be renewed on or
after August 1. On October 1, they are delinquent and subject to penalties
each month thereafter. New licenses are issued at any time during the year
and are prorated April 1, at which time half-year fees apply.
Any change made in a license status, such as an address, ownership,
or name change, must be reported to the Tax Collector’s Office. Public
access to information about new businesses is required by law. Daily listings
may be obtained in hard copy, on diskettes or by modem for Palm Beach County.
Information on fees for those services are available by calling 355-2272
and pressing 4. A license must be obtained from West Palm Beach first if
a business is located in that city. Call 659-8096 and press 3 for
information.
Pet Regulations
Dogs and cats must be licensed and vaccinated against rabies within
30 days of moving to Palm Beach County. Licenses are available from most
veterinarians and the Animal Care & Control Division, 7100 Belvedere
Road, in West Palm Beach. The fees for license tags are $33 for sterilized
pets and $12 for a spayed/neutered pet. Senior citizens receive a 25 percent
discount. All dogs and non-sterilized cats must be confined to the owners
property or leashed. For more information call 233-1200. Boca/Delray residents
call 276-1344 and Glades residents may call 924-5656. Or visit us on our
website at
http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us
or e-mail at
pbcacc@co.palm-beach.fl.us.
Seat Belts
Florida law requires that all passengers in the front seat of a vehicle
wear seat belts. Children ages 6-15 must be belted when in either the front
or rear seat of a vehicle. This law applies to all cars, pickup trucks and
vans operated on Florida’s roads. Children age five and younger must
be secured in federally approved child restraint seats. Children through
age 3 must be secured in separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s
integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate
carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a seat belt may be used. For
more information, please call the Bureau of Public Safety Management (850)
488-5455.
Vehicle Registration/Titles
All motorized vessels used in fresh or salt water, commercial and
private, must be titled and registered with the Tax Collector before they
can be used in Florida waters. Vessel trailers used on Florida roads also
must be registered. Title and registration fees are separate charges.
As of 1999, registrants of vessels will become like vehicle registrations,
with expiration and renewal connected to the owner’s birth month. During
the transition to the new registration calendar, those vessels whose
owner’s birth months are between October and May will be registered
for periods of four to eleven months. Registration fees will be prorated
on a monthly basis when the registration period is other than 12 months.
The registration is valid until midnight on the owner’s birthday. The
registration fees are determined by the length of the vessel. A non-resident
boater with a valid registration certificate from another state may use his/her
vessel for 90 days (pleasure boats only) without registering in Florida.
For more information, call the Tax Collector’s office at 355-2622. |
