The internet has given us many things, including the infamous “Florida Man” trope. That last one isn’t the nickname of an unknown cryptid stalking the swamps of the Sunshine State; instead, it refers to a seemingly never-ending series of headlines featuring random Floridians doing wild and crazy things, usually involving one of the state’s many creatures (think possums, alligators, snakes, and iguanas). Oh, and they’re all true.
Florida is also home to some truly weird traffic laws, but “Florida Man Drives With Expired Registration” doesn’t have quite the same ring as “Florida Man Ties Elephant to Parking Meter Without Paying Fee.” Still, the rule around expired tags in the state is a bit odd. Fundamentally, though, it’s not too dissimilar to other states: vehicles in Florida must have a valid registration, and letting it lapse can lead to a range of unpleasant consequences.
However, section 320.07 (subsection 3A) of the state statutes lays out that anyone with an expired registration of less than six months is only committing “a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation.” There’s also a caveat to this otherwise very straightforward law: Police can’t write up a citation for it “until midnight on the last day of the owner’s birth month of the year the registration expires.” If it’s been expired for more than six months, though, the proverbial can of worms gets opened. First-time offenders may be subjected to a monetary penalty, while second-time offenders could face a second-degree misdemeanor with a $500 fine plus up to 60 days in prison.
Vehicle registrations in Florida
Florida wouldn’t make it difficult for itself, would it? Barring some truly obscure traffic laws that most drivers don’t know about, no, because most registrations expire at midnight on the owner’s birthday. They can be renewed for one or two years, beginning three months before expiration, at least for individual car owners. However, while registration technically expires on the owner’s birthday, penalties can’t be assessed — and the vehicle can still be driven — until the last day of the owner’s birthday month. If and when you do get a ticket, you can either pay the fee (which varies by county, not to exceed $500) or show up for your day in court.
Initially, registering a vehicle in Florida will set you back $225 plus proof of insurance with minimum coverage levels ($10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability). Annual license taxes on privately owned vehicles are based on weight. One weighing less than 2,500 pounds costs a mere $14.50, while one weighing between 2,500 and 3,499 pounds incurs a fee of $22.50, and those over 3,500 pounds cost $32.50.
Furthermore, anyone cited for expired tags has 10 working days to obtain a valid certificate of registration. But there’s yet another caveat to this law, and it pertains to active service members. If their vehicle registration expires while they’re deployed, they will not be dinged — as long as the soldier can provide official military orders or a written statement from their commanding officer attesting to their deployment.
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