Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1352
By Senator Trumbull
2-01120A-26 20261352__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to motor vehicles; amending s. 320.06,
3 F.S.; requiring the Department of Highway Safety and
4 Motor Vehicles to establish and maintain a secure
5 online license and registration portal for verifying,
6 recording, and processing the seizure or confiscation
7 of license plates; providing requirements for the
8 portal; authorizing the department to adopt rules;
9 amending s. 320.084, F.S.; providing that a disabled
10 veteran may retain a certain license plate designation
11 upon reissuance, renewal, or transfer of the plate;
12 amending s. 320.0843, F.S.; authorizing applications
13 for disabled parking permits to be made to the tax
14 collector; providing that certain license plates may
15 be stamped with specified letters at the option of the
16 applicant; authorizing the tax collector to issue the
17 plates immediately on demand under certain conditions;
18 amending s. 320.26, F.S.; prohibiting a person from
19 manufacturing, selling, offering for sale, or affixing
20 to any registration license plate certain covers,
21 films, or overlays that obscure or alter the
22 registration license plate in a specified manner;
23 amending s. 322.21, F.S.; requiring a tax collector to
24 fulfill certain renewal and replacement driver
25 licenses and identification cards; providing methods
26 for receipt of the driver license or identification
27 card; requiring the department to remit a specified
28 service fee to the appropriate tax collector under
29 certain conditions; amending s. 320.0848, F.S.;
30 conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
31 providing an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Subsection (7) is added to section 320.06,
36 Florida Statutes, to read:
37 320.06 Registration certificates, license plates, and
38 validation stickers generally.—
39 (7) The department shall establish and maintain a secure
40 online license and registration portal accessible to the
41 department, tax collectors, and authorized law enforcement
42 agencies for the purpose of verifying, recording, and processing
43 the seizure or confiscation of license plates under this
44 chapter. The portal must provide immediate status updates when a
45 plate has been seized, destroyed, or returned and must be
46 checked before reissuance of a registration or plate. The
47 department may adopt rules to implement this subsection.
48 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 320.084, Florida
49 Statutes, is amended to read:
50 320.084 Free motor vehicle license plate to certain
51 disabled veterans.—
52 (3) The department shall, as it deems necessary, require
53 each person to whom a motor vehicle license plate has been
54 issued pursuant to subsection (1) to apply to the department for
55 reissuance of his or her registration license plate. Upon
56 receipt of the application and proof of the applicant’s
57 continued eligibility, the department shall issue a new
58 permanent disabled veteran motor vehicle license plate which
59 shall be of the colors red, white, and blue similar to the
60 colors of the United States flag. A disabled veteran who has
61 been issued a permanent disabled veteran motor vehicle license
62 plate may retain the unique alphanumeric designation assigned to
63 the plate upon reissuance, renewal, or transfer of the plate to
64 another vehicle owned by the veteran. The operation of a motor
65 vehicle displaying a disabled veteran license plate from a
66 previous issue period or a noncurrent validation sticker after
67 the date specified by the department shall subject the owner if
68 he or she is present, otherwise the operator, to the penalty
69 provided in s. 318.18(2). Such permanent license plate shall be
70 removed upon sale of the vehicle, but may be transferred to
71 another vehicle owned by such veteran in the manner prescribed
72 by law. Upon request of any such veteran, the department is
73 authorized to issue a designation plate containing only the
74 letters “DV,” to be displayed on the front of the vehicle.
75 Section 3. Section 320.0843, Florida Statutes, is amended
76 to read:
77 320.0843 License plates for persons with disabilities
78 eligible for permanent disabled parking permits.—
79 (1) Any owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who resides in
80 this state and qualifies for a disabled parking permit under s.
81 320.0848(2), upon application to the department, or the tax
82 collector as an authorized agent of the department, and payment
83 of the license tax for a motor vehicle registered under s.
84 320.08(2), (3)(a), (b), (c), or (e), (4)(a) or (b), (6)(a), or
85 (9)(c) or (d), shall be issued a license plate as provided by s.
86 320.06 which, in lieu of or in addition to the serial number
87 prescribed by s. 320.06, shall, at the option of the applicant,
88 be stamped with the international wheelchair user symbol or the
89 letters “DV” indicating a disabled veteran after the serial
90 number of the license plate. The license plate entitles the
91 person to all privileges afforded by a parking permit issued
92 under s. 320.0848. When more than one registrant is listed on
93 the registration issued under this section, the eligible
94 applicant shall be noted on the registration certificate.
95 (2) All applications for such license plates may must be
96 made to the department or the tax collector, and such license
97 plates may be issued immediately on demand by the tax collector,
98 subject to rules of the department.
99 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
100 320.26, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
101 320.26 Counterfeiting license plates, validation stickers,
102 mobile home stickers, cab cards, trip permits, or special
103 temporary operational permits prohibited; obscuring or altering
104 license plates prohibited; penalty.—
105 (1)(a) A no person may not:
106 1. shall Counterfeit registration license plates,
107 validation stickers, or mobile home stickers, or have in his or
108 her possession any such plates or stickers.
109 2. ; nor shall any person Manufacture, sell, or dispose of
110 registration license plates, validation stickers, or mobile home
111 stickers in this the state without first having obtained the
112 permission and authority of the department in writing.
113 3. Manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or affix to any
114 registration license plate any cover, film, or overlay, whether
115 transparent, translucent, tinted, or opaque, which obscures or
116 alters the legibility, color, or design of the registration
117 license plate.
118 Section 5. Subsection (10) is added to section 322.21,
119 Florida Statutes, to read:
120 322.21 License fees; procedure for handling and collecting
121 fees.—
122 (10)(a) Any renewal or replacement driver license or
123 identification card ordered through the department’s online
124 license and registration portal shall be fulfilled by the tax
125 collector of the county in which the applicant resides. The
126 department shall ensure that all online orders are transmitted
127 to the appropriate tax collector for fulfillment. The tax
128 collector may mail the driver license or identification card to
129 the applicant or, at the option of the applicant, may allow the
130 applicant to pick up the driver license or identification card
131 at the tax collector’s office.
132 (b) For purposes of s. 322.135(1)(c), fulfillment under
133 paragraph (a) constitutes services provided by the tax
134 collector. The department shall remit the service fee authorized
135 by s. 322.135(1)(c) to the appropriate tax collector for each
136 transaction fulfilled under paragraph (a).
137 Section 6. Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section
138 320.0848, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
139 320.0848 Persons who have disabilities; issuance of
140 disabled parking permits; temporary permits; permits for certain
141 providers of transportation services to persons who have
142 disabilities.—
143 (2) DISABLED PARKING PERMIT; PERSONS WITH LONG-TERM
144 MOBILITY PROBLEMS.—
145 (e) A person who qualifies for a disabled parking permit
146 under this section may be issued an international wheelchair
147 user symbol or “DV” license plate under s. 320.0843 in lieu of
148 the disabled parking permit; or, if the person qualifies for a
149 disabled veteran license plate under s. 320.084, such a license
150 plate may be issued to him or her in lieu of a disabled parking
151 permit.
152 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.