The Short Version
Here are the deadlines and dates that matter most. Each one is explained below.
- Within 10 days of residency: get Florida auto insurance from a Florida licensed agent, then title and register your vehicles (FLHSMV).
- Within 30 days of residency: get a Florida driver license (FLHSMV).
- January 1: you must own and occupy the home as your permanent residence to qualify for that year's homestead exemption.
- March 1: deadline to apply for homestead exemption with the county property appraiser.
- 29 days before an election: voter registration closes (F.S. 97.055).
- June 1 to November 30: Atlantic hurricane season (National Hurricane Center).
- When you move: a Special Enrollment Period lets you change Medicare Advantage or drug plans if your new address is outside your plan's service area (Medicare.gov).
Before You Move: Research the Address
A few checks are easier to do before you sign anything. They can change what a home costs to own and insure.
- Flood zone. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, the official public source for flood hazard information used by the National Flood Insurance Program.
- Evacuation zone. Check the address on the state's Know Your Zone map. The Florida Division of Emergency Management notes that evacuation zones and mobile homes are the areas most likely to be evacuated in a storm.
- Insurance quotes. Ask for homeowners and flood quotes early. Roof age, construction, and location all affect price.
- Property taxes. Look up the parcel's most recent tax bill with the county tax collector, and its record with the property appraiser. Some communities, including The Villages, add special district assessments to the tax bill, so confirm the amounts for a specific home with the community or district directly. See Lake vs Sumter vs Marion County for links.
- Medicare plan area. If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, check whether it serves your new county.
- Golf cart rules. If you plan to drive a cart, check the local rules first. Golf Cart Homes explains Florida golf cart rules and stricter local ordinances.
Within 10 Days: Insurance, Title, and Registration
Florida requires new residents to title and register their vehicles within 10 days of establishing residency, and you need Florida insurance first. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) says you must get insurance from an agent licensed to sell insurance in Florida before you can title and register (FLHSMV New Resident). Out of state registrations must be moved to Florida within 10 days of the owner becoming employed, placing children in public school, or establishing residency (FLHSMV Motor Vehicle Registrations).
Minimum auto insurance. Any vehicle with a current Florida registration must carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) (FLHSMV Insurance Requirements). These are minimums. Ask your agent what coverage makes sense for you.
What to bring to title and register (per FLHSMV):
- Proof of identity for all owners
- Proof of Florida insurance
- The original out of state title. If a lender holds the title, contact the lender. FLHSMV explains what to do if the lender will or won't transfer it.
- A completed Application for Certificate of Title (HSMV form 82040), signed by all owners
- A VIN verification. The vehicle identification number must be physically inspected by a law enforcement officer, a county tax collector employee, a Division of Motorist Services compliance examiner, or another person FLHSMV lists.
Fees. FLHSMV charges a $225 initial registration fee when you don't already have a Florida license plate registered in your name to transfer to the vehicle. Other title and registration fees apply.
Where to go. In Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties, the county tax collector's offices handle motor vehicle services and driver licenses. Check your county's site for locations and appointments: Lake County Tax Collector, Sumter County Tax Collector, Marion County Tax Collector.
Golf carts are different. Golf carts can't be titled or registered in Florida. Low-speed vehicles must be titled, registered, and insured. See Florida Golf Cart Rules Explained.
Within 30 Days: Your Florida Driver License
New residents must get a valid Florida driver license within 30 days of establishing residency to keep driving on Florida roads (FLHSMV New Resident).
- Tests. FLHSMV says you will take a vision test, and you may be able to get a license without a written or road test.
- Documents. For a first Florida license, bring original documents that prove your identity, your Social Security number, and your residential address. FLHSMV's What to Bring page lists the documents it accepts.
- Spouses. Each driver in the household needs their own Florida license.
- Where. Use the same county tax collector offices listed above.
Homestead Exemption: January 1 and March 1
If the Florida home is your permanent residence, the homestead exemption can lower its taxable value, but the dates are strict. You must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, and file with your county property appraiser by March 1 of the year you want the exemption to begin (Lake County Property Appraiser; Sumter County Property Appraiser).
- How much. Florida's homestead exemption is up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes. The second $25,000 applies to assessed value over $50,000 and only to non-school taxes (Sumter County Property Appraiser). The Lake County Property Appraiser describes the current total as up to $51,411, because the second portion is now adjusted for inflation.
- Timing example. If you close on a home in June and move in right away, you were not living there on January 1 of that year, so your first exemption year is the following year. The Lake County Property Appraiser encourages people who moved in after January 1 to pre-file for the next tax year.
- Moving from another Florida home? Portability can transfer up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes benefit to a new Florida homestead using Form DR-501T. This doesn't apply to an out of state home.
- 65 and older. Some cities and counties offer an added exemption for low-income seniors. Ask your property appraiser.
- On the ballot. Florida voters will decide Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026. It is a proposal that would change homestead amounts starting in 2027, not current law. Golf Cart Homes explains what Amendment 3 would mean for newcomers.
Apply online or find forms here: Lake, Sumter, Marion.
Home and Flood Insurance
Get insurance quotes before you commit to a home, and remember that flood is a separate policy. The Florida Department of Financial Services publishes a free, step by step guide to Shopping for Homeowners Insurance, covering dwelling, personal property, liability, and hurricane or windstorm coverage.
- Wind coverage. The Department of Financial Services notes that some homeowners policies do not cover windstorm damage, such as from hurricanes. Ask whether wind is included and how the hurricane deductible works (DFS Hurricane Ready).
- Flood coverage. Most homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage. A National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase (FloodSmart). Don't wait until a storm is in the forecast.
- Golf carts and other vehicles. Ask your agent how a golf cart is covered. The NFIP's coverage summary lists most self-propelled vehicles, such as cars, among items flood insurance doesn't cover.
- Seller disclosure. Florida sellers of residential property must give buyers a flood disclosure at or before signing the contract (F.S. 689.302).
Hurricanes: What Newcomers Should Know
Central Florida is inland, but hurricanes and tropical storms can still bring damaging wind, flooding rain, and long power outages. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, though storms sometimes form outside those dates (National Hurricane Center). The National Weather Service says the best time to prepare is before the season begins (weather.gov).
- Sign up for county alerts. AlertLake (Lake County), Alert Sumter (Sumter County), and Alert Marion send emergency messages by text, phone, or email.
- Know your zone and your home. Use Know Your Zone. The state says that if no evacuation order is issued for your area and your home is not in an evacuation zone, you may consider sheltering in place, as long as you know your home can stand up to strong wind and heavy rain.
- Make a plan. The Florida Division of Emergency Management's Plan and Prepare pages and Ready.gov explain kits and plans.
- Medical needs. If you rely on power for medical equipment or need help evacuating, ask your county emergency management office about its special needs program. Lake County and Marion County both list one on their emergency management pages.
- Generators. Use a generator only outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning (Ready.gov Power Outages).
- Golf carts. Golf Cart Homes has a full guide to Hurricane Prep for Golf Cart Owners.
Healthcare and Medicare
Original Medicare works anywhere in the U.S., but Medicare Advantage and drug plans are tied to a service area, so a move can mean choosing a new plan.
- Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage. With Original Medicare, you can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. With a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may need to use providers in the plan's network and service area for non-emergency care (Medicare.gov).
- Special Enrollment Period for a move. If you move to an address outside your plan's service area, you can switch plans. Your window starts when you move and continues for 2 full months after. If you tell your plan before you move, it starts the month before you move. If you don't join a new Medicare Advantage Plan, you'll be enrolled in Original Medicare when your old plan drops you (Medicare.gov).
- Free counseling. SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a free, unbiased program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and local Area Agencies on Aging. Trained volunteers help with Medicare questions.
- Find doctors and hospitals. Use Medicare's Care Compare and the state's FloridaHealthFinder to look up providers and licensed facilities near an address. Confirm network status with your plan.
- Nearby hospitals. See the hospital list in Lake vs Sumter vs Marion County.
Registering to Vote in Florida
You can register online, at a tax collector office that issues driver licenses, or when you update your license, and registration closes 29 days before each election.
- How. The Florida Division of Elections lists the options: online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, at any tax collector's office that issues Florida driver licenses or ID cards, or through FLHSMV's online renewal system (Division of Elections).
- Deadline. Registration books close on the 29th day before each election (F.S. 97.055). For the November 3, 2026 general election, that is October 5, 2026.
- Your county Supervisor of Elections: Lake County, Sumter County, Marion County.
- Update your old state. Ask your previous state's election office how to cancel your old registration.
A Printable Checklist
Use this list to track your move.
- Look up the flood zone and evacuation zone for each address you consider.
- Get homeowners and flood insurance quotes before you commit.
- Check whether your Medicare Advantage or drug plan serves your new county.
- Get Florida auto insurance, then title and register vehicles within 10 days of residency.
- Get a Florida driver license within 30 days of residency.
- Register to vote at least 29 days before the next election.
- Make sure you own and live in the home on January 1, then apply for homestead exemption by March 1.
- Sign up for your county's emergency alerts and make a hurricane plan before June 1.
- If you'll drive a golf cart, learn the state and local golf cart rules.