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Every vehicle that operates on Florida’s roads and highways must be registered with the state. In other words, driving without a valid registration (or an expired one) can land you a traffic ticket in the Sunshine State, alongside other potential penalties.
Given the importance of Florida’s vehicle registration laws, we curated this article to walk you through all the relevant traffic rules that you should know about before you hit the road with your new car.
If you already have a ticket for driving with no valid registration, we certainly got you covered, too.
What does no valid registration mean?
Florida’s laws require you to register a new car (or one that you purchased in another state) with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This allows you to legally operate the vehicle in the state.
If you don’t do so, you commit a violation of driving of no valid registration. Keep in mind that you also need to renew the registration when it expires.
How often do I need to renew the registration?
Registrations are renewed once per year. However, you have the option to renew your registration for two years. In both cases, registrations expire on the birthday of the person whose name is on the car. Typically, they are supposed to be renewed on the first day of that month.
For example, let’s assume that a household of four (two parents and two children) has a vehicle that is registered under one of the parents’ names. Their birthday is on October 15, and the household renewed their tabs for two years in December of 2021.
In this instance, the registration expires on October 15, 2023, but the family should renew it on October 1st of that year.
The expiration date is also listed on the yellow sticker on your car’s tabs. You want to check it to make sure that you don’t forget to renew your registration.
Penalties for No Valid Registration
Driving without a valid registration in Florida can be expensive. In fact, the Sunshine State’s laws might even punish violators with a jail sentence.
Generally speaking, the penalties may get up to $500 in fines, 60 days in jail, and six months of probation.
Firstly, according to Florida’s legal statutes, here are the penalties for driving with a registration that expired less than 6 months ago:
- A violation ticket (without any criminal charges)
- $30 in fines, in addition to the late registration renewal fees
Secondly, the following penalties apply when the vehicle’s registration expired more than 6 months ago or the driver has been previously cited for not having a valid registration:
- A criminal misdemeanor charge
- A maximum penalty of $500
To put it another way, even if the fine for a first offense is only $30, driving with no valid registration is risky because of the hefty penalties that are associated with a second violation.
In light of this, you want to try to renew your car’s registration as soon as you can.
How long can I drive without registration?
You typically have up to 30 days to register the car after you buy it. Nonetheless, Florida’s law enforcement officers are required to give you until the last day of your birthday month before they issue a ticket, even if the registration expired earlier in the year.
Defenses for No Valid Registration
If you forgot to renew your registration on time or didn’t know that you were supposed to do so, you may use that as a defense in court.
After all, many judges will drop a defendant’s charges or reduce their penalties when they weren’t aware that they broke the law. This is the case when it comes to traffic and non-traffic related offenses.
A reliable and experienced attorney will be able to successfully fight a no valid registration charge in court on your behalf.
In the meantime, you want to renew your registration right after you receive a ticket or become aware of the law. This can only help your case and increase the likelihood that the judge will rule in your favor.
How to Register a Car
Once you get your new car, you need to head to the nearest DMV and register the vehicle. Alternatively, you could register a vehicle or renew your registration online through the state’s GoRenew.com services. Another option is to use the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) smartphone app.
Things to Know Before You Register
Here are a few things that you should be aware of before you register a vehicle or renew an existing registration:
- The state requires you to provide proof of insurance. Therefore, you want to obtain a Florida auto insurance policy prior to registering the car.
- Vehicle titles are needed. Without a valid car title (or a copy that you can provide to the DMV/online), you cannot obtain a registration.
- Make an appointment with your local DMV if you choose to renew through their office. This is important because, ahead of your appointment, a DMV staff member will call you and let you know what documents you have to bring to your appointment.
- Check the registration and renewal fees ahead of time so that you have the money ready before the DMV appointment or online checkout.
Hire an Attorney Through WinIt to Fight Your Case
WinIt’s network of highly-experienced and low-cost attorneys can help you fight your no valid registration ticket in court.
Not only will this prevent you from getting a violation on your record, but a successful challenge could free you of any monetary and non-monetary penalties. You also save a lot on insurance!
Already, our users in Florida saved about $120 million on insurance premiums. We processed over 800K tickets in the Sunshine State.
The process is very simple, too. First, take a picture of your ticket and the related documents. If you don’t have them, enter your license plate number and the WinIt app will locate your information for you.
Next, experienced lawyers review your case. Once you choose an attorney that suits your budget and needs, they will dispute the ticket in court.
Above all, you only have to pay them if they successfully win in court. Even then, the fee is typically 50% the ticket amount.
Having a no valid registration ticket, in of itself, is very stressful. With WinIt, you can sit back, focus on what matters in your life, and allow one of our lawyers to handle everything for you.
