Transfer and exchange of registration license plates; transfer fee.

(1)(a) The registration license plate and certificate of registration shall be issued to, and remain in the name of, the owner of the vehicle registered and may be transferred by the owner from the vehicle for which the registration license plate was issued to any vehicle which the owner may acquire within the same classification; or, subject to the procedures set forth in subsection (2), such plate may be surrendered to the department in exchange for a license plate of the appropriate classification, if the replacement vehicle is of a different classification.

(b) The transfer of a license plate from a vehicle disposed of to a newly acquired vehicle does not constitute a new registration. The application for transfer shall be accepted without requiring proof of personal injury protection or liability insurance.

(2)(a) Upon a sale, trade, transfer, or other disposition of a motor vehicle, the owner shall remove the registration license plate therefrom and either return it or transfer it to a replacement motor vehicle. No registration license plate shall be temporarily or permanently attached to any new or used replacement or substitute vehicle without filing an application for transfer of such registration license plate and paying the transfer fee of $4.50 to the department.

(b) The requirement to pay a transfer fee does not apply when the replacement vehicle is classified under s. 320.08(2)(b), (c), or (d) or (3)(a), (b), or (c) and the original vehicle to be replaced is also classified under s. 320.08(2)(b), (c), or (d) or (3)(a), (b), or (c).

(3) A registration license plate assigned to a vehicle is transferable to any other vehicle within the same classification. If the license plate is not transferable, the owner may surrender such license plate to the department in exchange for a license plate of the appropriate classification for use on the newly acquired vehicle.

(4) If the replacement vehicle and the original vehicle to be replaced meet the criteria in paragraph (2)(b), there shall be no additional tax required in order to transfer the registration license plate to the replacement vehicle for the duration of a current registration period and to issue a new registration certificate.

(5) For a transfer or exchange other than one specified in paragraph (2)(b), the following provisions apply:

(a) If the replacement motor vehicle requires the same amount of license tax under s. 320.08 as the original vehicle to be replaced, no additional tax other than the transfer fee of $4.50, accompanied by an application for transfer on a form supplied by the department, is required to transfer or exchange a registration license plate for use on a replacement vehicle for the duration of a current registration period and to issue a new certificate of registration.

(b) If the replacement motor vehicle is within a classification requiring a higher license tax than that of the original vehicle to be replaced, the original license plate shall be surrendered in exchange for a plate within the appropriate classification, and an amount representing the pro rata difference in the tax required shall be paid for the remaining months of the registration period. Such payment is in addition to the transfer fee authorized in this section. The minimum charge for issuance of a license plate provided in s. 320.14 does not apply to an exchange of license plates under this section.

(6) Upon a sale, trade, transfer, or other disposition of a mobile home, the owner shall remove the sticker therefrom and may exchange it for another sticker to be applied to a replacement mobile home. Such exchange shall be without cost to the owner. No credit will be given toward the purchase of a license plate for any other type of vehicle. The department shall ensure that there is adequate internal control of mobile home stickers that have been removed for exchange or refund.

(7) A surviving spouse of a registered owner of any motor vehicle may, upon presenting the death certificate, request a registration certificate and transfer of the registration license plate. If the surviving spouse does not present the death certificate, the department or its agent may verify the necessary information through the electronic file of death records maintained by the Department of Health.

(8)(a) When the owner of a vehicle transfers a registration license plate to a replacement or substitute vehicle acquired from a motor vehicle dealer licensed under this chapter, the dealer shall timely provide to the department, via an electronic system administered by the department for this purpose, information regarding the transfer which is required by the department. The dealer shall also give the owner written notice documenting the transfer if the dealer cannot timely provide the required transfer information to the department due to system or connectivity problems. The dealer shall maintain all records required by the department which must be open to inspection by the department or its agents during reasonable business hours. The dealer may charge the vehicle owner a fee to comply with this subsection. The department may charge a fee of $2 to be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund for each transfer in addition to any other fee imposed by law.

(b) A dealer is not required to comply with paragraph (a) if the department’s records are otherwise modified on the date of transfer to reflect that the transfer has occurred.

(c) The department has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this subsection.