Downloads
CS/SB 156 — Motor Vehicle License Taxes, Fees and Surcharges
by Appropriations Committee; and Senators Negron, Benacquisto, Clemens, Evers, Brandes, Hukill, Abruzzo, Bradley, Bean, Sobel, and Soto
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Transportation Committee (TR)
The bill reduces most annual motor vehicle, mobile homes and vessel registration fees, and taxes to the level that existed in 2009.
The bill reduces recurring revenues to the General Revenue Fund by $309 million in Fiscal Year 2014-2015. The annual recurring negative impact to the General Revenue Fund is $395 million. This includes a transfer of $31 million to the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund to replace the reduction in revenues to the trust fund resulting from the fee reductions.
The annual savings to motor vehicle owners ranges from $13.55 for an antique motorcycle to $25.05 for automobiles and trucks in the higher weight categories. This last group contains the highest number of registered vehicles. The fee reductions associated with the annual vehicle registration are listed below:
- The Florida Real Time Vehicle Information System service fee is reduced by 75 cents;
- The general revenue registration service fee is reduced by $2.50;
- The registration receipt/decal fee is reduced by $2.00.
- The materials processing/retroflective fee is reduced by $1.00;
- Two license tax surcharges are reduced by $2.80 and $4.50; and
- The annual license tax, or “base tax” on motorcycles, mopeds, automobiles, tri-vehicles, and light trucks is decreased by various amounts depending on the type of vehicle and the net weight of the vehicle.
The bill requires revenues collected from biennial registrations be distributed in accordance with the provisions of law in effect at the time they were collected, and specifies the changes made by this act do not create a right to a refund for a biennial registration collected prior to September 1, 2014.
These provisions were approved by the Governor and take effect September 1, 2014.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 116-0