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Old 05-23-2012, 06:29 PM
 
10 posts, read 18,844 times
Reputation: 11

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I'm in a pickle and no one I've asked seems to know. I moved to Tampa a year ago and still have not obtained my Florida Drivers License, Tag, or Florida Insurance. I've just been putting it off. Now my car is on it's last leg and my AL license expires in mid-June and I need to buy a new car. I don't want to pay registration fees twice. Can I buy a car here...then get it registered with FL insurance and a get a FL license? I've called the DMV and searched their website, but I keep getting different answers as to the order I need to do things. Anybody know how I can go about this??
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Old 05-23-2012, 06:37 PM
 
173 posts, read 449,276 times
Reputation: 186
Buy the new car now and register it and get you license and be done with it.
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Old 05-23-2012, 06:53 PM
 
Location: Florida & Arizona
5,977 posts, read 7,377,898 times
Reputation: 7594
Quote:
Originally Posted by SULAW2015 View Post
Buy the new car now and register it and get you license and be done with it.
What they said. As long as you don't point out the fact that you've been a resident when you apply for your driver's license, it doesn't matter.

As for buying a car, the dealer will process your paperwork with the DMV as a part of the sale, so you better have Florida insurance ready when you go to purchase a car.

That being said, I was able to buy a car with out of state insurance when I returned to Florida in 2010. I got busted when I went to renew my registration, as the DMV would not accept my out of state insurance card. They insisted that my insurance card state on it that it was Florida insurance.

RM
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Old 05-23-2012, 07:01 PM
 
10 posts, read 18,844 times
Reputation: 11
RM - So, your saying I need to get Florida insurance on my current car (which has a AL tag and reg.) before I make the purchase? Didn't think I could get FL insurance without my car being registered in FL. If I buy a car the dealer will register with the DMV as part of the sale...even though I have a AL license...and then I can go get my FL license right after?
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Old 05-23-2012, 07:07 PM
 
2,729 posts, read 5,202,404 times
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As suggested above. Buy the car here and do all the three here. If you buy from a dealer, they will do this for you (watch out what they are charging you though, you can get this from DMV site). If you buy from a private party, you can do it yourself. In any case, you need your insurance to be set up first.

I will add though if you had converted your AL license and all, when it is time to buy a new car you don't have to pay everything all over again. You can transfer the old cars license plate to the new car you buy, of course, for a fee. I just did that. In that case rather than paying few hundred dollars you will only pay a transfer fee of 80 or so bucks for just the registration but every thing will transfer from the old car.
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:34 PM
 
10 posts, read 18,844 times
Reputation: 11
Thanks, guys for the info. This girl hasn't had to deal with buying a car and all that goes with it in since college. I've had this car for 10+ years. Plus, trying to do it under the circumstances. So, I can get insurance at the dealership while registering? Any of you have recommendations for particular dealerships in the area? Looking at toyotas, hondas, kia?
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Old 05-24-2012, 04:35 AM
 
5,453 posts, read 9,301,795 times
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1. Pretend you don't have a car at all right now, and you just moved to FL
2. Get Florida car insurance (or yours switched to FL if they offer it)
3. Get your FL drivers license (have your SS & Birth certificate at DMV with you)
4. Buy a car and register it with your FL License and FL Insurance at the dealer (use your old car as a trade in, even if its for $100 bucks, OR sell it on Autotrader for a few more bucks)


Don't add anything else to the above...just follow the steps and you should be fine shortly, but have patience at DMV as it is usually a circus.
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Old 05-24-2012, 09:37 PM
 
Location: Your Mom's Room, FL
115 posts, read 205,303 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by algia View Post
1. Pretend you don't have a car at all right now, and you just moved to FL
2. Get Florida car insurance (or yours switched to FL if they offer it)
3. Get your FL drivers license (have your SS & Birth certificate at DMV with you)
4. Buy a car and register it with your FL License and FL Insurance at the dealer (use your old car as a trade in, even if its for $100 bucks, OR sell it on Autotrader for a few more bucks)


Don't add anything else to the above...just follow the steps and you should be fine shortly, but have patience at DMV as it is usually a circus.
Yes, exactly!
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