Title Requirements for Recreational Vehicles, Mobile Homes, and Office Trailers
Section 320.01, Florida Statutes, define recreational vehicles as units primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping or travel use having either contained motive power or mounted on or drawn by another vehicles. The basic entities are:
Travel Trailer – A vehicular portable unit including fifth wheel travel trailers mounted
on wheels of such size or weight as not to require special highway movement permits
when drawn by a motorized vehicle; primarily designed and constructed to provide
temporary living quarters for recreational camping or travel use; and of a body length of no more than 40 feet and a body width of no more than 8 ½ feet when factory equipped for the road.
Camping Trailer – A vehicular portable unit mounted on wheels and constructed with a
collapsible partial side wall which fold for towing by another vehicle and unfold at the
camp site to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping or travel use.
Truck Camper – A portable unit designed to be affixed to a truck chassis and constructed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, travel or camping use.
Motor Home – A vehicular unit built on a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis, primarily designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping or travel use.
Van Conversion – A vehicular unit built on a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis which has been converted from a commercial vehicle to a recreational vehicle by installing certain utilities.
Park Trailer – A transportable unit which has a body width which does not exceed 12 feet and which is built on a single chassis and is designed to provide seasonal or temporary living quarters.
Definition of Mobile Home – Section 320.01(2) Florida Statutes
A mobile home is defined as any type of trailer or vehicle body, regardless of any appurtenances additions or other modifications thereto, without independent motive power, manufactured upon an integral chassis or undercarriage and designed either for travel over the highways or for housing accommodations, or both.
Purchase of a Vehicle by an Out-of-State Resident
- When a resident of another state purchases a vehicle in Florida for use in applicant’s home state, it is not subject to Florida title or registration.
- If a vehicle is financed by a Florida lending institution, the lien should be filed in the applicant’s state of legal residence.
- A Florida title will not be issued for the purpose of recording a lien.
Documentation Required to Obtain Title to a Vehicle previously Registered Out-of-State
- Out-of-State title or registration when title is not required in that state.
- Out-of-Country documentation, when previously registered out of the country.
- Proof of payment of sales tax or proof of purchase price, when vehicle is owned 6 months or less. A state sales tax of 6% of the fair market value of the vehicle is due on vehicles coming from our-of-country. A county discretionary sales tax may applied on the value of the vehicle up to $5,000 of the value depending on county residence.
- Proof of Florida Insurance Coverage.
Ownership of a Vehicle by a Minor
There is not a statutory age limit on any persons for ownership of a motor vehicle. However, you may want to check with the insurance company before tagging a vehicle in the name of a minor.
Vehicle Registration
Section 320.02(1), Florida Statutes provides “Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, every owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle which is operated or driven on the roads of this state shall register the vehicle in this state. No registration is required for any motor vehicle which is not operated on the roads of this state during the registration period. The only exception to this is a mobile home, which must be registered regardless of whether it is being used, per section 320.18, Florida Statutes. For price on registrations etc., Click Here…….
Insurance Verification (Must be Florida Insurance unless Military)
Section 320.02(5)(a) Florida Statutes, requires a motor vehicle owner to provide proof of that personal injury protection benefits have been purchased when required under S.627.733, that property damage liability coverage has been purchased as required under S.324.022 and that combined bodily liability insurance and property damage liability insurance have been purchased when required under S627.7415. Proof of insurance coverage shall be provided by the applicant a the time of application for the registration of any motor vehicle owned as defined in S627.732 in the manner prescribed by law.
The issuing license plate agent shall refuse to issue registration if such proof of insurance is not provided. Chapters 316, 320, 324, 626, and 627, related to motor vehicle registration and insurance requirements established by the “Motor Vehicle Insurance Reform Act of 1988,” Chapter 88-730, provide for stricter verification of motor vehicle insurance, prior to registration. As a result of the act, insurance companies selling motor vehicle insurance in Florida must report the insurance and discontinuance of vehicle policies in Florida.
Policy information as reported to the Florida Department of Insurance by insurance companies is placed on an insurance data file which is matched against both the vehicle data file and the driver license data file maintained by the Department. Information provided by insurers will be used to indicate insurance status on the vehicle file.
Non-Resident Military
Section 320.10, Florida Statutes, provides an exemption from the registration tax imposed by Section 320.08, Florida Statutes, for any motor vehicle or mobile home owned by, and operated exclusively for the personal use of, any member of the United States Armed Forces who is not a resident of this state while in compliance with military or naval orders.
- The fact that a non-resident service member may place children in the public schools of this state or the spouse or any member of immediate family of a non- resident service member may become employed would not make their motor vehicles subject to Florida Registration. Under the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Relief Act of 1940, the service member may display current license plates from the home state or from the state he or she is stationed in.
Exception Eligibility
To establish the eligibility for the exemption, the non-resident military member must submit the following to the county license plate agency:
- A copy of the military orders assigning the applicant to Florida military duty station
or a copy of the leave and earning statement. This evidence should be returned to the
service person.
Additional Information
Due to a constant change in Laws regarding Vehicles, information not covered in this brief outline may be obtained along with selected forms by Clicking Here……
