Florida Senate - 2026 SB 982
By Senator Rodriguez
40-00581A-26 2026982__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to motor vehicle registration renewal;
3 amending s. 320.06, F.S.; deleting provisions
4 requiring a validation sticker to be issued with each
5 license plate and requiring certain license plates to
6 include validation stickers; requiring that
7 registration renewals be recorded electronically;
8 deleting a provision requiring the Department of
9 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to provide certain
10 entities with validation stickers; deleting provisions
11 requiring that validation stickers meet certain
12 specifications; deleting a provision authorizing a
13 certain corporation to manufacture validation
14 stickers; conforming provisions to changes made by the
15 act; amending ss. 320.08035, 320.0807, 320.084, and
16 320.102, F.S.; conforming cross-references and
17 provisions to changes made by the act; providing an
18 effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 320.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to
23 read:
24 320.06 Registration certificates and, license plates;, and
25 validation stickers generally.—
26 (1)(a) Upon the receipt of an initial application for
27 registration and payment of the appropriate license tax and
28 other fees required by law, the department shall assign to the
29 motor vehicle a registration license number consisting of
30 letters and numerals or numerals and issue to the owner or
31 lessee a certificate of registration and one registration
32 license plate, unless two plates are required for display by s.
33 320.0706, for each vehicle so registered.
34 (b)1. Registration license plates bearing a graphic symbol
35 and the alphanumeric system of identification shall be issued
36 for a 10-year period. At the end of the 10-year period, upon
37 renewal, the plate shall be replaced. The department shall
38 extend the scheduled license plate replacement date from a 6
39 year period to a 10-year period. The fee for such replacement is
40 $28, $2.80 of which shall be paid each year before the plate is
41 replaced, to be credited toward the next $28 replacement fee.
42 The fees shall be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating
43 Trust Fund. A credit or refund may not be given for any prior
44 years’ payments of the prorated replacement fee if the plate is
45 replaced or surrendered before the end of the 10-year period,
46 except that a credit may be given if a registrant is required by
47 the department to replace a license plate under s.
48 320.08056(8)(a). With each license plate, a validation sticker
49 shall be issued showing the owner’s birth month, license plate
50 number, and the year of expiration or the appropriate renewal
51 period if the owner is not a natural person. The validation
52 sticker shall be placed on the upper right corner of the license
53 plate. The license plate and validation sticker shall be issued
54 based on the applicant’s appropriate renewal period. The
55 registration period is 12 months, the extended registration
56 period is 24 months, and all expirations occur based on the
57 applicant’s appropriate registration period. Rental vehicles
58 taxed pursuant to s. 320.08(6)(a) and rental trucks taxed
59 pursuant to s. 320.08(3)(a)-(c) and (4)(a)-(d) may elect a
60 permanent registration period, provided payment of the
61 appropriate license taxes and fees occurs annually.
62 2. Beginning July 1, 2024, A vehicle registered in
63 accordance with the International Registration Plan must be
64 issued a license plate for a 3-year period. At the end of the 3
65 year period, upon renewal, the license plate must be replaced.
66 Each license plate must include a validation sticker showing the
67 month of expiration. A cab card denoting the declared gross
68 vehicle weight for each apportioned jurisdiction must be issued
69 annually. The fee for an original or a renewal cab card is $28,
70 which must be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust
71 Fund. If the license plate is damaged or worn, it may be
72 replaced at no charge by applying to the department and
73 surrendering the current license plate.
74 3. In order to retain the efficient administration of the
75 taxes and fees imposed by this chapter, the 80-cent fee increase
76 in the replacement fee imposed by chapter 2009-71, Laws of
77 Florida, is negated as provided in s. 320.0804.
78 (c) Registration license plates equipped with validation
79 stickers subject to the registration period are valid for not
80 more than 12 months and expire at midnight on the last day of
81 the registration period. A registration license plate equipped
82 with a validation sticker subject to the extended registration
83 period is valid for not more than 24 months and expires at
84 midnight on the last day of the extended registration period. A
85 registration license plate equipped with a validation sticker
86 subject to a permanent registration period is permanently valid
87 but shall become void if appropriate license taxes and fees are
88 not paid annually. For each registration period after the one in
89 which the metal registration license plate is issued, and until
90 the license plate is required to be replaced, the renewal shall
91 be recorded electronically a validation sticker showing the
92 month and year of expiration shall be issued upon payment of the
93 proper license tax amount and fees and is valid for not more
94 than 12 months. For each extended registration period occurring
95 after the one in which the metal registration license plate is
96 issued and until the license plate is required to be replaced,
97 the renewal shall be recorded electronically a validation
98 sticker showing the year of expiration shall be issued upon
99 payment of the proper license tax amount and fees and is valid
100 for not more than 24 months. For each permanent registration
101 period occurring after the one in which the metal registration
102 license plate is issued and until the license plate is required
103 to be replaced, the renewal shall be recorded electronically a
104 validation sticker showing a permanent registration period shall
105 be issued upon payment of the proper license tax amount and fees
106 and is permanently valid but shall become void if the proper
107 license taxes and fees are not paid annually. When license
108 plates equipped with validation stickers are issued in any month
109 other than the owner’s birth month or the designated
110 registration period for any other motor vehicle, the effective
111 date shall reflect the birth month or month and the year of
112 renewal. However, when a license plate or validation sticker is
113 issued for a period of less than 12 months, the applicant shall
114 pay the appropriate amount of license tax and the applicable fee
115 under s. 320.14 in addition to all other fees. Validation
116 stickers issued for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(6)(a), for
117 any company that owns 250 vehicles or more, or for semitrailers
118 taxed under the provisions of s. 320.08(5)(a), for any company
119 that owns 50 vehicles or more, may be placed on any vehicle in
120 the fleet so long as the vehicle receiving the validation
121 sticker has the same owner’s name and address as the vehicle to
122 which the validation sticker was originally assigned.
123 (2) The department shall provide the several tax collectors
124 and license plate agents with the necessary number of validation
125 stickers.
126 (2)(3)(a) Registration license plates must be made of metal
127 specially treated with a retroreflection material, as specified
128 by the department. The registration license plate is designed to
129 increase nighttime visibility and legibility and must be at
130 least 6 inches wide and not less than 12 inches in length,
131 unless a plate with reduced dimensions is deemed necessary by
132 the department to accommodate motorcycles, mopeds, similar
133 smaller vehicles, or trailers. Validation stickers must also be
134 treated with a retroreflection material, must be of such size as
135 specified by the department, and must adhere to the license
136 plate. The registration license plate must be imprinted with a
137 combination of bold letters and numerals or numerals, not to
138 exceed seven digits, to identify the registration license plate
139 number. The license plate must be imprinted with the word
140 “Florida” at the top and the name of the county in which it is
141 sold, the state motto, or the words “Sunshine State” at the
142 bottom. Apportioned license plates must have the word
143 “Apportioned” at the bottom, and license plates issued for
144 vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(3)(d), (4)(m) or (n), (5)(b) or
145 (c), or (14) must have the word “Restricted” at the bottom.
146 License plates issued for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(12)
147 must be imprinted with the word “Florida” at the top and the
148 word “Dealer” at the bottom unless the license plate is a
149 specialty license plate as authorized in s. 320.08056.
150 Manufacturer license plates issued for vehicles taxed under s.
151 320.08(12) must be imprinted with the word “Florida” at the top
152 and the word “Manufacturer” at the bottom. License plates issued
153 for vehicles taxed under s. 320.08(5)(d) or (e) must be
154 imprinted with the word “Wrecker” at the bottom. Any county may,
155 upon majority vote of the county commission, elect to have the
156 county name removed from the license plates sold in that county.
157 The state motto or the words “Sunshine State” shall be printed
158 in lieu thereof. A license plate issued for a vehicle taxed
159 under s. 320.08(6) may not be assigned a registration license
160 number, or be issued with any other distinctive character or
161 designation, that distinguishes the motor vehicle as a for-hire
162 motor vehicle.
163 (b) An additional fee of 50 cents shall be collected on
164 each motor vehicle registration or motor vehicle renewal
165 registration issued in this state in order for all license
166 plates and validation stickers to be fully treated with
167 retroreflection material. The fee shall be deposited into the
168 Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund.
169 (3)(4) The corporation organized under chapter 946 may
170 manufacture license plates, validation stickers, and decals, as
171 well as temporary tags, disabled hang tags, vessel decals, and
172 fuel use decals, for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
173 Vehicles as provided in this chapter and chapter 327. The
174 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is not required
175 to obtain competitive bids in order to contract with the
176 corporation.
177 (4)(5) The department may conduct a pilot program to
178 evaluate the designs, concepts, and technologies for alternative
179 license plates. For purposes of the pilot program, the
180 department shall investigate the feasibility and use of
181 alternative license plate technologies and the long-term cost
182 impact to the consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to
183 license plates that are used on government-owned motor vehicles
184 as described in s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from
185 the requirements in paragraph (2)(a) (3)(a).
186 (5)(6) All license plates issued pursuant to this chapter
187 are the property of the state.
188 Section 2. Section 320.08035, Florida Statutes, is amended
189 to read:
190 320.08035 Persons who have disabilities; reduced dimension
191 license plate.—The owner or lessee of a motorcycle, moped, or
192 motorized disability access vehicle who resides in this state
193 and qualifies for a parking permit for a person who has a
194 disability under s. 320.0848, upon application and payment of
195 the appropriate license tax and fees under s. 320.08(1), must be
196 issued a license plate that has reduced dimensions as provided
197 under s. 320.06(2)(a) s. 320.06(3)(a). The plate must be stamped
198 with the international symbol of accessibility after the numeric
199 and alpha serial number of the license plate. The plate entitles
200 the person to all privileges afforded by a disabled parking
201 permit issued under s. 320.0848.
202 Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 320.0807, Florida
203 Statutes, is amended to read:
204 320.0807 Special license plates for Governor and federal
205 and state legislators.—
206 (4) License plates purchased under subsection (1),
207 subsection (2), or subsection (3) shall be replaced by the
208 department at no cost, other than the fees required under ss.
209 320.04 and 320.06(2)(b) ss. 320.04 and 320.06(3)(b), when the
210 person to whom the plates have been issued leaves the elective
211 office with respect to which the license plates were issued.
212 Within 30 days after leaving office, the person to whom the
213 license plates have been issued must apply to the department for
214 a replacement license plate. The person may return the prestige
215 license plates to the department or retain the plates as
216 souvenirs. Upon receipt of the replacement license plate, the
217 person may not display on any vehicle the prestige license plate
218 or plates issued with respect to his or her former office.
219 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section
220 320.084, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
221 320.084 Free motor vehicle license plate to certain
222 disabled veterans.—
223 (4)
224 (b) There shall be a service charge in accordance with the
225 provisions of s. 320.04 for each initial application or renewal
226 of registration and an additional sum of 50 cents on each
227 license plate and validation sticker as provided in s.
228 320.06(2)(b) s. 320.06(3)(b).
229 Section 5. Section 320.102, Florida Statutes, is amended to
230 read:
231 320.102 Marine boat trailers owned by nonprofit
232 organizations; exemptions.—The registration or renewal of a
233 registration of any marine boat trailer owned and operated by a
234 nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax
235 under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and which is
236 used exclusively in carrying out its customary nonprofit
237 activities is exempt from paying the fees, taxes, surcharges,
238 and charges in ss. 320.03(5), (6), and (9), 320.031(2),
239 320.04(1), 320.06(1)(b) and (2)(b) (3)(b), 320.0801, 320.0802,
240 320.0804, and 320.08046.
241 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.