(1) The registration of a motor vehicle or mobile home expires at midnight on the last day of the registration or extended registration period, or for a motor vehicle or mobile home owner who is a natural person, at midnight on the owner’s birthday. A vehicle may not be operated on the roads of this state after expiration of the renewal period, or, for a natural person, at midnight on the owner’s birthday, unless the registration has been renewed according to law.

(2) Registration shall be renewed semiannually, annually, or biennially, as provided in this subsection, during the applicable renewal period, upon payment of the applicable license tax amounts required by s. 320.08, service charges required by s. 320.04, and any additional fees required by law.

1(a) Any person who owns a motor vehicle registered under s. 320.08(4), (6)(b), or (13) may register semiannually as provided in s. 320.0705.

(b) Any person who owns a motor vehicle or mobile home registered under s. 320.08(1), (2), (3), (4)(a) or (b), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), or (11) may renew the vehicle registration biennially during the applicable renewal period upon payment of the 2-year cumulative total of all applicable license tax amounts required by s. 320.08 and service charges or surcharges required by ss. 320.03, 320.04, 320.0801, 320.08015, 320.0802, 320.0804, 320.0805, 320.08046, and 320.08056 and payment of the 2-year cumulative total of any additional fees required by law for an annual registration.

(3) The operation of any motor vehicle without having attached thereto a registration license plate and validation stickers, or the use of any mobile home without having attached thereto a mobile home sticker, for the current registration period shall subject the owner thereof, if he or she is present, or, if the owner is not present, the operator thereof to the following penalty provisions:

(a) Any person whose motor vehicle or mobile home registration has been expired for a period of 6 months or less commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318. However, a law enforcement officer may not issue a citation for a violation under this paragraph until midnight on the last day of the owner’s birth month of the year the registration expires.

(b) Any person whose motor vehicle or mobile home registration has been expired for more than 6 months, upon a first offense, is subject to the penalty provided in s. 318.14.

(c) Any person whose motor vehicle or mobile home registration has been expired for more than 6 months, upon a second or subsequent offense, commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(d) However, an operator shall not be charged with a violation of this subsection if the operator can show, pursuant to a valid lease agreement, that the vehicle had been leased for a period of 30 days or less at the time of the offense.

(e) Any servicemember, as defined in s. 250.01, whose mobile home registration expired while he or she was serving on active duty or state active duty shall not be charged with a violation of this subsection if, at the time of the offense, the servicemember was serving on active duty or state active duty 35 miles or more from the mobile home. The servicemember must present to the department either a copy of the official military orders or a written verification signed by the servicemember’s commanding officer to receive a waiver of charges.

(f) The owner of a leased motor vehicle is not responsible for any penalty specified in this subsection if the motor vehicle is registered in the name of the lessee of the motor vehicle.

(4)(a) In addition to a penalty provided in subsection (3), a delinquent fee based on the following schedule of license taxes shall be imposed on any applicant who fails to renew a registration prior to the end of the month in which renewal registration is due. The delinquent fee shall be applied beginning on the 11th calendar day of the month succeeding the renewal period. The delinquent fee does not apply to those vehicles that have not been required to be registered during the preceding registration period or as provided in s. 320.18(2). The delinquent fee shall be imposed as follows:

1. License tax of $5 but not more than $25: $5 flat.

2. License tax over $25 but not more than $50: $10 flat.

3. License tax over $50 but not more than $100: $15 flat.

4. License tax over $100 but not more than $400: $50 flat.

5. License tax over $400 but not more than $600: $100 flat.

6. License tax over $600 and up: $250 flat.

(b) A person who has been assessed a penalty pursuant to s. 316.545(2)(b) for failure to have a valid vehicle registration certificate is not subject to the delinquent fee authorized by this subsection if such person obtains a valid registration certificate within 10 working days after such penalty was assessed. The official receipt authorized by 2s. 316.545(6) constitutes proof of payment of the penalty authorized in s. 316.545(2)(b).

(c) The owner of a leased motor vehicle is not responsible for any delinquent fee specified in this subsection if the motor vehicle is registered in the name of the lessee of the motor vehicle.

(5) Any servicemember, as defined in s. 250.01, whose motor vehicle or mobile home registration has expired while he or she was serving on active duty or state active duty may renew his or her registration upon return from active duty or state active duty without penalty, if the servicemember served on active duty or state active duty 35 miles or more from the servicemember’s home of record prior to entering active duty or state active duty. The servicemember must provide to the department either a copy of the official military orders or a written verification signed by the servicemember’s commanding officer to receive a waiver of delinquent fees.

(6) Delinquent fees imposed under this section are not apportionable under the International Registration Plan.

History.—s. 5, ch. 7275, 1917; RGS 1010; CGL 1284; s. 2, ch. 15625, 1931; s. 1, ch. 16084, 1933; ss. 2, 5, ch. 16085, 1933; s. 1, ch. 26544, 1951; s. 2, ch. 28186, 1953; s. 1, ch. 61-12; s. 4, ch. 63-528; s. 2, ch. 63-496; s. 6, ch. 65-190; ss. 24, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 5, ch. 69-178; s. 3, ch. 73-284; s. 8, ch. 75-66; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 9, ch. 77-357; s. 2, ch. 77-454; s. 4, ch. 79-27; s. 1, ch. 79-79; s. 1, ch. 82-97; s. 1, ch. 82-128; s. 18, ch. 83-318; s. 60, ch. 85-180; s. 5, ch. 85-250; s. 6, ch. 86-185; s. 16, ch. 86-243; ss. 25, 48, ch. 87-198; s. 2, ch. 88-246; s. 37, ch. 91-224; s. 350, ch. 95-148; s. 51, ch. 96-350; s. 7, ch. 97-300; s. 7, ch. 98-223; s. 266, ch. 99-248; s. 15, ch. 2003-72; s. 30, ch. 2006-290; s. 4, ch. 2007-242; s. 1, ch. 2012-110; s. 33, ch. 2012-181; s. 58, ch. 2016-239; s. 4, ch. 2019-66.

1Note.—Section 4, ch. 2019-66, amended paragraph (2)(a), effective September 1, 2020, to read:

(a) Any person who owns a motor vehicle registered under s. 320.08(4)(c)-(n), (6)(b), or (13) may register semiannually as provided in s. 320.0705.

2Note.—Reference to an official receipt was deleted from s. 316.545(6) by s. 16, ch. 2003-286.