Florida
Title Fee
$77.25
Sales Tax Rate
6.0%
Other Tax Rate
Who must title a vehicle in Florida?
All motor vehicles, motorcycles, autocycles, vessels, trailers, and OHVs (purchased after July 1, 2002 or operated on public lands) must be titled.
Exempt: Mopeds, trailers <2,000 lbs. net weight, slide-in campers, government and federally documented vessels, non-motorized vessels <16 ft, and vessels used only on private lakes/ponds.
Mobile/modular homes must be titled unless permanently affixed to real property (one title per unit).
Who issues titles and where are applications submitted?
Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV); applications filed with any County Tax Collector.
Application for Certificate of Title (82040MV for vehicles, 82040MH for mobile homes, 82040VS for vessels).
Titles are held electronically unless a paper title is requested (add $2.50 for paper title).
Fees: $77.25 original, $75.25 transfer, $56.25 mobile home, $78.25 vessel, $37.25 OHV, $5.25 for-hire vehicle. Fast title: +$10.00. Lien recording: +$2.00.
What documents are needed as proof of ownership?
New vehicles: Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO); bill of sale required if no MCO.
Used vehicles: Certificate of Title.
Non-title states: Registration and bill of sale.
Government surplus: SF97-1.
Foreign vehicles: Foreign docs, CBP 7501, NHTSA HS-7, EPA 3520-1, bill of sale, English translation if needed.
How are special titles or brands handled?
Bonded titles available for insufficient ownership documentation (bond = 2x retail value, expires 3 years).
Brands: Assembled from Parts, Autonomous, Bonded Title, Custom, Flood Damaged, Insurance Declared Total Loss, Kit Car, Lemon, Police, Rebuilt, Salvage, Taxi, Total Loss, Unrebuildable, and more.
Out-of-state brands are carried forward.
Salvage: Required when total loss settlement paid or repair cost ≥80% of value; Certificate of Destruction if unrebuildable.
Rebuilt: Inspection and documentation required; “Rebuilt” decal affixed and title branded.
How are duplicate/corrected titles handled?
Application for Duplicate or Lost in Transit Title (82101), $75.25 fee; $23.25 for OHVs, $6.00 for vessels.
Corrections: Affidavit and supporting docs required.
Other notes:
Odometer disclosure required on all transfers (exempt for vehicles 2010 or older, trailers, trucks >16,000 lbs.).
VIN inspection required for used vehicles/trailers ≥2,000 lbs. being titled in Florida for the first time.
Electronic signatures accepted for most forms except odometer disclosures (except dealers/insurers).
What taxes apply to vehicle purchases/registrations?
Sales/Use Tax: 6.0% state rate on sales price (credit for trade-in allowed; credit for like tax paid to another state or U.S. territory; not to foreign countries).
Discretionary Sales Surtax (DSS): County surtax (varies, first $5,000 of price).
Mobile homes: 3.0% on new units (if not real property).
Dealer sales to nonresidents: Taxed at purchaser’s state rate, up to 6%.
Exemptions: Inheritance, gifts, court-awarded vehicles, certain agricultural/farm vehicles, and some nonresident situations.
Other taxes/fees:
Vehicle Document Fee: Not applicable; Florida uses sales tax system.
Property Tax: None for most vehicles; mobile homes on real property are taxed as real estate.
Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax: Required for vehicles ≥55,000 lbs.
How are liens recorded and perfected?
One lien may be entered on title application; subsequent liens require Application for Notice of Lien (82139).
Fee: $74.25 to record lien; $1.00 for each additional lien.
Lien is perfected as of filing date.
Florida is a mandatory Electronic Lien & Title (ELT) state for lenders; titles are held electronically unless paper is requested.
How are liens released or assigned?
Lienholder must release lien and notify FLHSMV within 10 days of satisfaction (30 days for vessels).
Assignment: Submit title (unless ELT), Application for Reassignment of Lien (82139), and fees.
Subsequent liens: First lienholder must submit title to DMV within 10 days of notice.
How does repossession work in Florida?
Lienholder may repossess without judicial process if peaceful.
Lienholder must provide Notice to Surrender Motor Vehicle/Vessel (82192) to owner.
Title transfer after repossession: Lienholder applies for title, checks Repossession Declaration, and notifies any subsequent lienholders.
Sale: Must send notice to subsequent lienholders 5 days prior to sale; if no protest in 15 days, title is issued clear.
Other notes:
Labor/service/storage liens: Special procedures and notices required; sale after 60 days post-repair, with required notifications and public notice.
ELT program is mandatory for most lenders.
Enforcement Agency:
Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399
850.617.2000
FLHSMV Website
Additional Regulatory/Enforcement Contacts:
Florida Highway Patrol2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399
850.617.2300
Key Regulations:
FLHSMV manages titling, registration, tax collection, liens, and repossession.
Florida Highway Patrol enforces vehicle laws and highway safety.
Insurance required: $10,000/$10,000 PIP/PDL minimum; higher for certain vehicles and carriers.
No emissions inspection; commercial vehicles subject to spot safety checks.
Title records kept for 10 years; electronic registration records for 10 years.
One plate issued (two for trucks ≥26,001 lbs.); plates transferable between vehicles of same class/weight.