September 2009
Information of interest about driver licenses and
identification cards
NEW FEES NOW IN EFFECT: On September 1, 2009, certain fees for driver license and motor vehicle services changed. These new base fees were established by the Florida Legislature as part of the state’s budget development process. A complete list of the new fees for the most frequently used motorist services is provided below. Driver licenses and identification card fees are now as follow:
Class E (original and renewal) $48.00 CDL (original and renewal) $75.00
ID Card (original and renewal) $25.00 Endorsements $ 7.00
Driver License Services at Tax Collector office Service Fee $ 6.25
For a complete listing of all new motorist services fees, including the amount of the previous fee and the date of the most recent fee change, please click here.
A combination of vehicle information is used to determine registration fees. They are the registration use, license plate type and class code. The class code is determined by the vehicle weight, body type, vehicle type and registration use. To see a sample, click here.
For a list of frequently asked questions and answers regarding Florida’s new fees, click here.
Gather, Go, Get. LAUNCHED STATEWIDE: The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles launched Gather. Go. Get. – an educational campaign designed to assist Floridians with new driver license and identification card requirements. Beginning January 1, 2010, Floridians renewing or obtaining a new license or ID will be required to show proof of: 1) identification, 2) Social Security number and 3) residential address (two items).
The campaign is anchored by a new website designed to help residents understand the new requirements. DHSMV is encouraging Floridians to visit www.GatherGoGet.com to find out how and when to gather your documents, go to a driver license office and get your new card. The www.GatherGoGet.com campaign website will enable residents to:
• Determine when they will need to visit a driver license or tax collector office.
• Create a personalized checklist detailing documents they will need.
• Obtain contact information showing where to get required documents.
• Browse a list of driver license offices in their local area.
The campaign is also available in Spanish by visiting www.ReunaVengaObtenga.com and in Creole at www.RasanbleAlePran.com.
In January 2010, the Department will begin issuing driver licenses and identification cards that meet new federal standards. Although Florida already has one of the most secure issuance processes and credentials, these changes will enhance our efforts to minimize fraud and identity theft.
REAL ID – TIMELINE: Florida will begin issuing Real ID driver licenses and ID cards no later than January 1, 2010. This means that:
• Your current, unexpired, Florida driver license or ID card will continue to be valid as identification for federal purposes until December 1, 2014 for individuals born after December 1, 1964, and December 1, 2017 for everyone else.
• After the 2014 and 2017 dates, Federal agencies will no longer accept a driver license or ID card unless it is Real ID compliant. This means you will not be allowed to board commercial flights or enter federal facilities unless you have a Real ID compliant document.
For more complete information about Real ID, please visit http://www.flhsmv.gov/realid/.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS: Florida requires additional documents for people renewing or obtaining their Florida driver license or identification card. Everyone must provide one proof of residential address, and one form of proof of social security number, if issued. The changes are required to bring Florida into compliance with the Real ID Act of 2005.
To renew or obtain a license or identification card, residents must now have one form of proof of residential address such as:
• Deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, mortgage payment booklet or residential rental/lease agreement
• Florida Voter Registration Card
• Florida Vehicle Registration or Title
• A utility hook up or work order dated within 60 days of the application
• W-2 form or 1099 form
• A letter from a homeless shelter, transitional service provider, or a half-way house verifying that the customer resides at the shelter address
For a list of Proof of Residential Address documents, please visit http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/address.html.
Proof of social security number, if issued, includes one of the following:
• Social Security card
• Tax return
• W-2 form
• Pay check stub
• DD-214 (military discharge document)
• School record
• Documentation from the IRS containing your social security number
First time residents applying for a driver license or identification card must also provide proof of identity such as:
• Original or certified birth certificate (name on each document must match exactly or be accompanied by an official marriage certificate or court order)
• Valid passport
Non-US Citizens must provide additional documents such as:
• Valid permanent resident card
• Employment authorization card
The Department provides a list of acceptable documents online at http://www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/faqkeys.html.
KEY INFORMATION FOR PARENTS ON TEEN DRIVING: The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles launched a parents section on its teen driving website www.flhsmv.gov/teens. The new and improved website now provides parents with useful information to help them teach their teens to become safe drivers. Florida’s graduated driver licensing program allows teens to obtain a learner’s permit at age 15, which restricts them to driving only under certain conditions with a licensed adult. Other restrictions apply to teens with an operator’s license until their 18th birthday.
To ensure that both parents and teens have a complete understanding of the law, an explanation of each phase of the graduated licensing program and the related restrictions can be found on the website. Certain behaviors are associated with the cause of the high fatality rate of teen drivers including: inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, alcohol consumption, not wearing seatbelts, distractions, drowsiness, and driving when visibility is limited. The website includes a driving guide and a driving log to track the 50 hours of practice that teens must record to obtain their intermediate operator’s license. To visit the website, please go to: www.flhsmv.gov/teens
FLORIDA ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR REGISTRY: DHSMV, along with partners from Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration and Donate Life Florida, announced the launch of the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. The new online registry at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org, allows residents (and even those who live outside Florida) to designate themselves as organ, tissue and eye donors.
The Department encourages you to check out the web site and if you are already a registered donor, you should ensure your information is in the registry and up-to-date. The web site not only allows you to register as a donor and update your information, but also it gives you the option to specify your wishes regarding your donation.
DHSMV has played a large role in developing the web site. Florida’s current donors are already uploaded into the new, online registry thanks to members from the Division of Driver Licenses and Information Systems Administration. The new registration also should streamline the registration process for those who register in driver license offices.
Donate Life Florida is dedicated to empowering the public to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation as well as make other lifesaving donations, such as blood and marrow. Funding for the registry comes solely from voluntary contributions to the Health Care Trust Fund through the $1 donation Floridians make when obtaining motorist services.
BUCKLE UP, EVERYONE!: The mandatory use of seatbelts in motor vehicles is a reality in Florida. The new law allows for the primary enforcement of Florida’s safety belt requirements, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates will save 124 lives, prevent 1,733 serious injuries, and save $408 million in associated costs each year. Buckle up, everyone!
AN APPOINTMENT WILL SAVE YOU TIME! All customers who must visit one of our offices to renew, replace, or file a change of address to their driver license or identification card, are urged to secure an appointment prior to their visit. Connect via Internet at http://www.flhsmv.gov/oasis for an appointment to greatly reduce the length of the visit. Then link to the on-line pre-application and complete it before coming to one of our offices.
OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE: Driver license offices in Florida are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Testing guidelines, that continue to provide excellent customer service, call for the start of the last oral examination and CDL test to begin each day at 3:30 p.m. The last written examinations and driving tests begin each day at 4:30 p.m. Please check our website at www.flhsmv.gov/offices/ for the most up-to-date information on office locations and schedules.
DRIVER LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION CARD FEES (Beginning September 1, 2009)
Class E (original and renewal) $48.00 CDL (original and renewal) $75.00
ID Card (original and renewal) $25.00 Endorsements $ 7.00 Driver License Services at Tax Collector office Service Fee $ 6.25
For more information on the new fees, please here.
No trip is too short to NOT TO Buckle Up!
Buckle Up, Everyone, Every Time!
