Bill Text: FL S0234 | 2019 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Registration and Titling of Vehicles and Vessels
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-03 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 87 (Ch. 2019-66) [S0234 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S0234-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2019 CS for CS for SB 234 By the Committees on Judiciary; and Infrastructure and Security; and Senator Baxley 590-02895-19 2019234c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to registration and titling of 3 vehicles and vessels; amending s. 320.055, F.S.; 4 revising registration periods for certain vehicles; 5 requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor 6 Vehicles to prorate registration renewals for 7 customers in order to implement changes made by the 8 act; amending s. 320.0609, F.S.; authorizing the 9 department or its agent to verify necessary 10 information through the electronic file of death 11 records maintained by the Department of Health for a 12 surviving spouse of a motor vehicle owner when 13 requesting a registration certificate and license 14 plate transfer; amending ss. 320.07 and 320.0705, 15 F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the 16 act; amending s. 328.01, F.S.; authorizing the 17 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or its 18 agent to verify necessary information through the 19 electronic file of death records maintained by the 20 Department of Health for a new owner or surviving 21 coowner of a vessel when applying for transfer of 22 title; providing effective dates. 23 24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25 26 Section 1. Effective September 1, 2020, paragraph (a) of 27 subsection (1) and subsection (5) of section 320.055, Florida 28 Statutes, are amended to read: 29 320.055 Registration periods; renewal periods.—The 30 following registration periods and renewal periods are 31 established: 32 (1)(a) For a motor vehicle subject to registration under s. 33 320.08(1), (2), (3), (4)(a) or (b), (5)(b), (c), (d), or (f), 34 (6)(a), (7), (8), (9), or (10) and owned by a natural person, 35 the registration period begins the first day of the birth month 36 of the owner and ends the last day of the month immediately 37 preceding the owner’s birth month in the succeeding year. If 38 such vehicle is registered in the name of more than one person, 39 the birth month of the person whose name first appears on the 40 registration shall be used to determine the registration period. 41 For a vehicle subject to this registration period, the renewal 42 period is the 30-day period ending at midnight on the vehicle 43 owner’s date of birth. 44 (5) For a vehicle subject to apportioned registration under 45 s. 320.08(4)(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), 46 (m), or (n)s. 320.08(4), (5)(a)1. or,(e), (6)(b), or (14), the 47 registration period shall be a period of 12 months beginning in 48 a month designated by the department and ending on the last day 49 of the 12th month. For a vehicle subject to this registration 50 period, the renewal period is the last month of the registration 51 period. The registration period may be shortened or extended at 52 the discretion of the department, on receipt of the appropriate 53 prorated fees, in order to evenly distribute such registrations 54 on a monthly basis. For a vehicle subject to nonapportioned 55 registration under s. 320.08(4)(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), 56 (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), or (n)s. 320.08(4), (5)(a)1., (6)(b), 57 or (14), the registration period begins December 1 and ends 58 November 30. The renewal period is the 31-day period beginning 59 December 1. 60 Section 2. Beginning September 1, 2020, in order to 61 implement the changes made by this act to s. 320.055, Florida 62 Statutes, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 63 shall give customers the option to renew their registrations on 64 their dates of birth in 2021 or 2022. Customers whose dates of 65 birth occur in the months of January through June may choose to 66 renew for 1 to 18 months. Customers whose dates of birth occur 67 in the months of July through December may choose to renew for 7 68 to 24 months. 69 Section 3. Subsection (7) of section 320.0609, Florida 70 Statutes, is amended to read: 71 320.0609 Transfer and exchange of registration license 72 plates; transfer fee.— 73 (7) A surviving spouse of a registered owner of any motor 74 vehicle may, upon presenting the death certificate, request a 75 registration certificate and transfer of the registration 76 license plate. If the surviving spouse does not present the 77 death certificate, the department or its agent may verify the 78 necessary information through the electronic file of death 79 records maintained by the Department of Health. 80 Section 4. Effective September 1, 2020, paragraph (a) of 81 subsection (2) of section 320.07, Florida Statutes, is amended 82 to read: 83 320.07 Expiration of registration; renewal required; 84 penalties.— 85 (2) Registration shall be renewed semiannually, annually, 86 or biennially, as provided in this subsection, during the 87 applicable renewal period, upon payment of the applicable 88 license tax amounts required by s. 320.08, service charges 89 required by s. 320.04, and any additional fees required by law. 90 (a) Any person who owns a motor vehicle registered under s. 91 320.08(4)(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), 92 or (n)s. 320.08(4), (6)(b), or (13) may register semiannually 93 as provided in s. 320.0705. 94 Section 5. Effective September 1, 2020, subsection (1) of 95 section 320.0705, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 96 320.0705 Semiannual registration or renewal for certain 97 vehicles.— 98 (1) The owner of a motor vehicle taxed under s. 99 320.08(4)(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), 100 or (n)s. 320.08(4)or (6)(b) may register his or her vehicle 101 semiannually, if the amount of license tax due annually is more 102 than $100 and the vehicle registration fee is not required to be 103 apportioned, upon payment of a fee of $2.50 for each semiannual 104 registration. 105 Section 6. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section 106 328.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 107 328.01 Application for certificate of title.— 108 (3) 109 (c) In making application for transfer of title from a 110 deceased titled owner, the new owner or surviving coowner shall 111 establish proof of ownership by submitting with the application 112 the original certificate of title and the decedent’s probated 113 last will and testament or letters of administration appointing 114 the personal representative of the decedent. In lieu of a 115 probated last will and testament or letters of administration, a 116 copy of the decedent’s death certificate, a copy of the 117 decedent’s last will and testament, and an affidavit by the 118 decedent’s surviving spouse or heirs affirming rights of 119 ownership may be accepted by the department. If the decedent 120 died intestate, a court order awarding the ownership of the 121 vessel or an affidavit by the decedent’s surviving spouse or 122 heirs establishing or releasing all rights of ownership and a 123 copy of the decedent’s death certificate shall be submitted to 124 the department. If the new owner or surviving coowner does not 125 present a copy of the death certificate, the department or its 126 agent may verify the necessary information through the 127 electronic file of death records maintained by the Department of 128 Health. 129 Section 7. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 130 act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2019.