THE BILL ITSELF
CS/HB 841
Motor Vehicle Registration Renewal
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to motor vehicle registration renewal;
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amending s. 320.06, F.S.; requiring a renewal to be
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recorded electronically; removing provisions relating
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to validation stickers; amending ss. 320.04,
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320.08035, 320.0807, 320.084, and 320.102, F.S.;
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conforming cross-references and provisions to changes
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made by the act; providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 320.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
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read:
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320.06 Registration certificates and, license plates;, and
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validation stickers generally.—
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(1)(a) Upon the receipt of an initial application for
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registration and payment of the appropriate license tax and
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other fees required by law, the department shall assign to the
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motor vehicle a registration license number consisting of
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letters and numerals or numerals and issue to the owner or
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lessee a certificate of registration and one registration
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license plate, unless two plates are required for display by s.
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320.0706, for each vehicle so registered.
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(b)1. Registration license plates bearing a graphic symbol
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and the alphanumeric system of identification shall be issued
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for a 10-year period. At the end of the 10-year period, upon
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renewal, the plate shall be replaced. The department shall
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extend the scheduled license plate replacement date from a 6-
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year period to a 10-year period. The fee for such replacement is
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$28, $2.80 of which shall be paid each year before the plate is
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replaced, to be credited toward the next $28 replacement fee.
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The fees shall be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating
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Trust Fund. A credit or refund may not be given for any prior
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years' payments of the prorated replacement fee if the plate is
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replaced or surrendered before the end of the 10-year period,
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except that a credit may be given if a registrant is required by
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the department to replace a license plate under s.
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320.08056(8)(a). With each license plate, a validation sticker
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shall be issued showing the owner's birth month, license plate
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number, and the year of expiration or the appropriate renewal
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period if the owner is not a natural person. The validation
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sticker shall be placed on the upper right corner of the license
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plate. The license plate and validation sticker shall be issued
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based on the applicant's appropriate renewal period. The
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registration period is 12 months, the extended registration
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period is 24 months, and all expirations occur based on the
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applicant's appropriate registration period. Rental vehicles
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taxed pursuant to s. 320.08(6)(a) and rental trucks taxed
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pursuant to s. 320.08(3)(a)-(c) and (4)(a)-(d) may elect a
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permanent registration period, provided payment of the
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appropriate license taxes and fees occurs annually.
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2. Beginning July 1, 2024, A vehicle registered in
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accordance with the International Registration Plan must be
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issued a license plate for a 3-year period. At the end of the 3-
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year period, upon renewal, the license plate must be replaced.
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Each license plate must include a validation sticker showing the
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month of expiration. A cab card denoting the declared gross
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vehicle weight for each apportioned jurisdiction must be issued
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annually. The fee for an original or a renewal cab card is $28,
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which must be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust
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Fund. If the license plate is damaged or worn, it may be
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replaced at no charge by applying to the department and
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surrendering the current license plate.
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3. In order to retain the efficient administration of the
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taxes and fees imposed by this chapter, the 80-cent fee increase
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in the replacement fee imposed by chapter 2009-71, Laws of
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Florida, is negated as provided in s. 320.0804.
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(c) Registration license plates equipped with validation
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stickers subject to the registration period are valid for not
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more than 12 months and expire at midnight on the last day of
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the registration period. A registration license plate equipped
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with a validation sticker subject to the extended registration
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period is valid for not more than 24 months and expires at
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midnight on the last day of the extended registration period. A
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registration license plate equipped with a validation sticker
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subject to a permanent registration period is permanently valid
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but shall become void if appropriate license taxes and fees are
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not paid annually. For each registration period after the one in
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which the metal registration license plate is issued, and until
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the license plate is required to be replaced, the renewal shall
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be recorded electronically a validation sticker showing the
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month and year of expiration shall be issued upon payment of the
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proper license tax amount and fees and is valid for not more
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than 12 months. For each extended registration period occurring
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after the one in which the metal registration license plate is
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issued and until the license plate is required to be replaced,
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the renewal shall be recorded electronically a validation
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sticker showing the year of expiration shall be issued upon
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payment of the proper license tax amount and fees and is valid
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for not more than 24 months. For each permanent registration
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period occurring after the one in which the metal registration
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license plate is issued and until the license plate is required
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to be replaced, the renewal shall be recorded electronically a
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validation sticker showing a permanent registration period shall
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be issued upon payment of the proper license tax amount and fees
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and is permanently valid but shall become void if the proper
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license taxes and fees are not paid annually. When license
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plates equipped with validation stickers are issued in any month
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other than the owner's birth month or the designated
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registration period for any other motor vehicle, the effective
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date shall reflect the birth month or month and the year of
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renewal. However, when a license plate or validation sticker is
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issued for a period of less than 12 months, the applicant shall
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pay the appropriate amount of license tax and the applicable fee
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under s. 320.14 in addition to all other fees. Validation
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stickers issued for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(6)(a), for
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any company that owns 250 vehicles or more, or for semitrailers
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taxed under the provisions of s. 320.08(5)(a), for any company
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that owns 50 vehicles or more, may be placed on any vehicle in
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the fleet so long as the vehicle receiving the validation
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sticker has the same owner's name and address as the vehicle to
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which the validation sticker was originally assigned.
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(2) The department shall provide the several tax
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collectors and license plate agents with the necessary number of
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validation stickers.
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(2)(3)(a) Registration license plates must be made of
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metal specially treated with a retroreflection material, as
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specified by the department. The registration license plate is
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designed to increase nighttime visibility and legibility and
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must be at least 6 inches wide and not less than 12 inches in
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length, unless a plate with reduced dimensions is deemed
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necessary by the department to accommodate motorcycles, mopeds,
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similar smaller vehicles, or trailers. Validation stickers must
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also be treated with a retroreflection material, must be of such
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size as specified by the department, and must adhere to the
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license plate. The registration license plate must be imprinted
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with a combination of bold letters and numerals or numerals, not
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to exceed seven digits, to identify the registration license
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plate number. The license plate must be imprinted with the word
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"Florida" at the top and the name of the county in which it is
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sold, the state motto, or the words "Sunshine State" at the
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bottom. Apportioned license plates must have the word
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"Apportioned" at the bottom, and license plates issued for
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vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(3)(d), (4)(m) or (n), (5)(b) or
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(c), or (14) must have the word "Restricted" at the bottom.
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License plates issued for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(12)
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must be imprinted with the word "Florida" at the top and the
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word "Dealer" at the bottom unless the license plate is a
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specialty license plate as authorized in s. 320.08056.
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Manufacturer license plates issued for vehicles taxed under s.
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320.08(12) must be imprinted with the word "Florida" at the top
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and the word "Manufacturer" at the bottom. License plates issued
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for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(5)(d) or (e) must be
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imprinted with the word "Wrecker" at the bottom. Any county may,
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upon majority vote of the county commission, elect to have the
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county name removed from the license plates sold in that county.
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The state motto or the words "Sunshine State" shall be printed
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in lieu thereof. A license plate issued for a vehicle taxed
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under s. 320.08(6) may not be assigned a registration license
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number, or be issued with any other distinctive character or
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designation, that distinguishes the motor vehicle as a for-hire
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motor vehicle.
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(b) An additional fee of 50 cents shall be collected on
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each motor vehicle registration or motor vehicle renewal
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registration issued in this state in order for all license
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plates and validation stickers to be fully treated with
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retroreflection material. The fee shall be deposited into the
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Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund.
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(3)(4) The corporation organized under chapter 946 may
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manufacture license plates, validation stickers, and decals, as
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well as temporary tags, disabled hang tags, vessel decals, and
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fuel use decals, for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
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Vehicles as provided in this chapter and chapter 327. The
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Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is not required
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to obtain competitive bids in order to contract with the
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corporation.
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(4)(5) The department may conduct a pilot program to
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evaluate the designs, concepts, and technologies for alternative
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license plates. For purposes of the pilot program, the
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department shall investigate the feasibility and use of
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alternative license plate technologies and the long-term cost
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impact to the consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to
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license plates that are used on government-owned motor vehicles
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as described in s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from
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the requirements in paragraph (2)(a) (3)(a).
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(5)(6) All license plates issued pursuant to this chapter
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are the property of this the state.
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Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
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section 320.04, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
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320.04 Registration service charge.—
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(1)(a) A service charge of $2.50 shall be imposed on each
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application that is handled in connection with original
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issuance, duplicate issuance, or transfer of a license plate or,
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mobile home sticker, or validation sticker or with transfer or
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duplicate issuance of a registration certificate. This service
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charge shall be retained by the department or by the tax
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collector, as the case may be, as other fees accruing to those
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offices.
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(b) A service charge of $1 shall also be imposed for the
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issuance of each license plate validation sticker, vessel decal,
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and mobile home sticker issued from an automated vending
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facility or printer dispenser machine. This service charge is
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payable to the department and shall be used to provide for
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automated vending facilities or printer dispenser machines that
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are used to dispense such stickers and decals by each tax
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collector's or license tag agent's employee.
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Section 3. Section 320.08035, Florida Statutes, is amended
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to read:
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320.08035 Persons who have disabilities; reduced dimension
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license plate.—The owner or lessee of a motorcycle, moped, or
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motorized disability access vehicle who resides in this state
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and qualifies for a parking permit for a person who has a
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disability under s. 320.0848, upon application and payment of
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the appropriate license tax and fees under s. 320.08(1), must be
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issued a license plate that has reduced dimensions as provided
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under s. 320.06(2)(a) s. 320.06(3)(a). The plate must be stamped
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with the international symbol of accessibility after the numeric
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and alpha serial number of the license plate. The plate entitles
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the person to all privileges afforded by a disabled parking
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permit issued under s. 320.0848.
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Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 320.0807, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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320.0807 Special license plates for Governor and federal
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and state legislators.—
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(4) License plates purchased under subsection (1),
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subsection (2), or subsection (3) shall be replaced by the
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department at no cost, other than the fees required under ss.
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320.04 and 320.06(2)(b) 320.06(3)(b), when the person to whom
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the plates have been issued leaves the elective office with
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respect to which the license plates were issued. Within 30 days
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after leaving office, the person to whom the license plates have
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been issued must apply to the department for a replacement
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license plate. The person may return the prestige license plates
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to the department or retain the plates as souvenirs. Upon
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receipt of the replacement license plate, the person may not
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display on any vehicle the prestige license plate or plates
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issued with respect to his or her former office.
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Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
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320.084, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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320.084 Free motor vehicle license plate to certain
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disabled veterans.—
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(4)
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(b) There shall be a service charge in accordance with the
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provisions of s. 320.04 for each initial application or renewal
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of registration and an additional sum of 50 cents on each
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license plate and validation sticker as provided in s.
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320.06(2)(b) s. 320.06(3)(b).
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Section 6. Section 320.102, Florida Statutes, is amended
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to read:
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320.102 Marine boat trailers owned by nonprofit
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organizations; exemptions.—The registration or renewal of a
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registration of any marine boat trailer owned and operated by a
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nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax
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under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and which is
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used exclusively in carrying out its customary nonprofit
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activities is exempt from paying the fees, taxes, surcharges,
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and charges in ss. 320.03(5), (6), and (9), 320.031(2),
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320.04(1), 320.06(1)(b) and (2)(b) (3)(b), 320.0801, 320.0802,
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320.0804, and 320.08046.
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Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.