Moving to Florida

Florida does not impose a personal income tax, an inheritance tax, a gift tax, or a tax on intangible personal property.

• State sales tax is 6 percent, plus whatever discretionary sales surtax your county levies on top.
• The effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing is 0.78 percent, and the homestead exemption takes up to $50,000 off the assessed value of a permanent residence while capping how fast the assessment can climb.

The costs that do not show up in a cost-of-living index are insurance and heat.

• Florida law requires insurers to offer hurricane deductibles as a percentage of your dwelling limits, commonly 2, 5, or 10 percent, which is a different animal from a flat dollar deductible: on a $400,000 policy, a 5 percent hurricane deductible is $20,000 out of pocket before coverage starts.
• Homeowners who cannot get a policy in the private market end up at Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-created insurer of last resort.
• Get a quote before you commit to a house.

Get a Florida driver license within 30 days

Florida treats you as a resident once you start a job here, enroll your children in public school, register to vote, or file for homestead exemption. Living here for more than six consecutive months also counts. From then, you have 30 days to get a Florida driver license. Apply in person at a local office that offers driver license service, and take a vision test. The initial Class E license fee is $48.00. Most Tax Collector offices add a $6.25 service fee.

Title and register your vehicle within 10 days

You have 10 days from establishing residency to title and register a vehicle. That is shorter than the license deadline. A vehicle not already titled in Florida also needs its VIN verified on form HSMV 82042. A Florida notary, a licensed Florida dealer, a law enforcement officer, or a tax collector compliance examiner can sign it. They must first inspect the number under the windshield and in the door jamb.

Buy Florida insurance before you try to register

You cannot register until you show Florida coverage from a carrier licensed in Florida. The minimums are $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 of Property Damage Liability. Coverage must stay in force for the whole registration period, even if the car sits unused. If you keep your current insurer, ask the agent to convert the policy to a Florida one.

Check whether you owe use tax on the car

Florida charges its 6 percent use tax, plus any county discretionary sales surtax, on a vehicle brought in within six months of purchase. If you already paid 6 percent or more elsewhere in the US, nothing more is due. If you paid less, you owe the difference. A vehicle used in another US state or territory for six months or longer before it arrives is presumed not bought for use in Florida. You need documents showing that six-month period to claim this.

File for homestead exemption by March 1

If you buy a home and make it your permanent residence, the homestead exemption takes up to $50,000 off the assessed value. It also caps how fast the assessment can rise. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1. File form DR-501 with your county property appraiser by March 1 of that tax year. Many county appraisers accept the application online. Have these ready: your Florida license number, Florida plate number, Florida voter registration number, a declaration of domicile, and proof that you gave up your previous license.

Register to vote at least 29 days before an election

Florida closes voter registration 29 days before an election. The same 29-day cutoff applies to changing party affiliation before a primary. Florida runs closed primaries, so a party change filed after the deadline does not count for that primary.