§ 97.057, Fla. Stat. — Voter registration by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. · BenchPath
§ 97.057, Fla. Stat. · Part II. FLORIDA VOTER REGISTRATION ACT
Voter registration by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Verbatim from the official edition
Not yet in force
The 2026 edition prints this section as amended by section 5 of chapter 2026-26, Laws of Florida, which takes effect January 1, 2027. Until then, the text in force does not include that amendment.
Text in force until December 31, 2026 — 2025 Florida Statutes
This is the text of section 97.057 as printed in the 2025 Florida Statutes. Section 5 of chapter 2026-26, Laws of Florida changes it effective January 1, 2027; the 2026 edition prints the changed text. No 2026 act changes this section with an earlier effective date (the section's own history line names no other 2026 act). BenchPath derived this from the acts' effective-date clauses; confirm with the official publisher before relying on it.
(1) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall provide the opportunity to register to vote or to update a voter registration record to each individual who comes to an office of that department to:
(a) Apply for or renew a driver license;
(b) Apply for or renew an identification card pursuant to chapter 322; or
(c) Change an address on an existing driver license or identification card.
(2) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall:
(a) Notify each individual, orally or in writing, that:
1. Information gathered for the completion of a driver license or identification card application, renewal, or change of address can be automatically transferred to a voter registration application;
2. If additional information and a signature are provided, the voter registration application will be completed and sent to the proper election authority;
3. Information provided can also be used to update a voter registration record, except that party affiliation will not be changed unless the individual designates a change in party affiliation and separately consents to such change in writing;
4. All declinations will remain confidential and may be used only for voter registration purposes; and
5. The particular driver license office in which the person applies to register to vote or updates a voter registration record will remain confidential and may be used only for voter registration purposes.
(b) Require a driver license examiner to inquire orally or, if the applicant is hearing impaired, inquire in writing whether the applicant wishes to register to vote or update a voter registration record during the completion of a driver license or identification card application, renewal, or change of address.
1. If the applicant chooses to register to vote or to update a voter registration record:
a. All applicable information received by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in the course of filling out the forms necessary under subsection (1) must be transferred to a voter registration application.
b. The additional necessary information must be obtained by the driver license examiner and must not duplicate any information already obtained while completing the forms required under subsection (1).
Text — 2026 Florida Statutes (as printed, with the change not yet in force)
(1) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall provide the opportunity to register to vote or to update a voter registration record to each individual who comes to an office of that department to:
(a) Apply for or renew a driver license;
(b) Apply for or renew an identification card pursuant to chapter 322; or
(c) Change an address on an existing driver license or identification card.
(2) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall:
(a) Notify each individual, orally or in writing, that:
1. Information gathered for the completion of a driver license or identification card application, renewal, or change of address can be automatically transferred to a voter registration application;
2. If additional information and a signature are provided, the voter registration application will be completed and sent to the proper election authority;
3. Information provided can also be used to update a voter registration record, except that party affiliation will not be changed unless the individual designates a change in party affiliation and separately consents to such change in writing;
4. All declinations will remain confidential and may be used only for voter registration purposes; and
5. The particular driver license office in which the person applies to register to vote or updates a voter registration record will remain confidential and may be used only for voter registration purposes.
(b) Require a driver license examiner to inquire orally or, if the applicant is hearing impaired, inquire in writing whether the applicant wishes to register to vote or update a voter registration record during the completion of a driver license or identification card application, renewal, or change of address.
1. If the applicant chooses to register to vote or to update a voter registration record:
a. All applicable information received by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in the course of filling out the forms necessary under subsection (1) must be transferred to a voter registration application.
b. The additional necessary information must be obtained by the driver license examiner and must not duplicate any information already obtained while completing the forms required under subsection (1).
c. A voter registration application with all of the applicant’s voter registration information required to establish the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041 must be presented to the applicant to review and verify the voter registration information received and provide an electronic signature affirming the accuracy of the information provided.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
s. 13, ch. 94-224; s. 2, ch. 2002-189; s. 9, ch. 2005-278; s. 3, ch. 2016-23; s. 6, ch. 2021-11; s. 6, ch. 2022-73; s. 3, ch. 2023-120; s. 2, ch. 2024-78; s. 5, ch. 2026-26.
compose_v2.py 2026-10-04: the Legislature's structured HTML read in document order; verify_v2.py's independent reading agrees character for character
composed from the Legislature's structured HTML (one source of text; no PDF extraction); a second, independent reading of the same bytes agrees character for character
L6-03: 1 change(s) from the 2026 Laws of Florida take effect after 2026-10-04
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.
c. A voter registration application with all of the applicant’s voter registration information required to establish the applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041 must be presented to the applicant to review and verify the voter registration information received and provide an electronic signature affirming the accuracy of the information provided.
d. The voter registration application may not be used to change the party affiliation of the applicant unless the applicant designates a change in party affiliation and provides a separate signature consenting to the party affiliation change.
e. After verifying the voter registration information and providing his or her electronic signature, the applicant must be provided with a printed receipt that includes such information and documents any change in party affiliation.
2. If the applicant declines to register to vote, update the applicant’s voter registration record, or change the applicant’s address by either orally declining or by failing to sign the voter registration application, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must note such declination on its records and shall forward the declination to the statewide voter registration system.
(3) For the purpose of this section, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, with the approval of the Department of State, shall prescribe:
(a) A voter registration application that is the same in content, format, and size as the uniform statewide voter registration application prescribed under s. 97.052; and
(b) A form that will inform applicants under subsection (1) of the information contained in paragraph (2)(a).
(4) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must electronically transmit completed voter registration applications within 24 hours after receipt to the statewide voter registration system. Completed paper voter registration applications received by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall be forwarded within 5 days after receipt to the supervisor of the county where the office that processed or received that application is located.
(5) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must send, with each driver license renewal extension application authorized pursuant to s. 322.18(8), a uniform statewide voter registration application, the voter registration application prescribed under paragraph (3)(a), or a voter registration application developed especially for the purposes of this subsection by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, with the approval of the Department of State, which must meet the requirements of s. 97.052.
(6) A person providing voter registration services for a driver license office may not:
(a) Make any change to an applicant’s party affiliation unless the applicant provides a separate signature consenting to the party affiliation change or discuss or seek to influence an applicant’s political preference or party registration;
(b) Display any political preference or party allegiance;
(c) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or
(d) Disclose any applicant’s voter registration information except as needed for the administration of voter registration.
(7) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall collect data determined necessary by the Department of State for program evaluation and reporting to the Election Assistance Commission pursuant to federal law.
(8) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must ensure that all voter registration services provided by driver license offices are in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
(9) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall retain complete records of voter registration information received, processed, and submitted to the statewide voter registration system by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. These records shall be for the explicit purpose of supporting audit and accounting controls established to ensure accurate and complete electronic transmission of records between the statewide voter registration system and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
(10) The department shall provide the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles with an electronic database of street addresses valid for use as the address of legal residence as required in s. 97.053(5). The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall compare the address provided by the applicant against the database of valid street addresses. If the address provided by the applicant does not match a valid street address in the database, the applicant will be asked to verify the address provided. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall not reject any application for voter registration for which a valid match cannot be made.
(11) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the department to match information in the statewide voter registration system with information in the database of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the extent required to verify the accuracy of the driver license number, Florida identification number, or last four digits of the social security number provided on applications for voter registration as required in s. 97.053.
(12) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to verify the last four digits of the social security number provided in applications for voter registration as required in s. 97.053.
(13) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must assist the Department of State in regularly identifying changes in residence address on the driver license or identification card of a voter. The Department of State must report each such change to the appropriate supervisor of elections who must change the voter’s registration records in accordance with s. 98.065(4).
(14) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall ensure that information technology processes and updates do not alter an applicant’s party affiliation without the written consent of the applicant.
d. The voter registration application may not be used to change the party affiliation of the applicant unless the applicant designates a change in party affiliation and provides a separate signature consenting to the party affiliation change.
e. After verifying the voter registration information and providing his or her electronic signature, the applicant must be provided with a printed receipt that includes such information and documents any change in party affiliation.
2. If the applicant declines to register to vote, update the applicant’s voter registration record, or change the applicant’s address by either orally declining or by failing to sign the voter registration application, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must note such declination on its records and shall forward the declination to the statewide voter registration system.
(3) For the purpose of this section, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, with the approval of the Department of State, shall prescribe:
(a) A voter registration application that is the same in content, format, and size as the uniform statewide voter registration application prescribed under s. 97.052; and
(b) A form that will inform applicants under subsection (1) of the information contained in paragraph (2)(a).
(4) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must electronically transmit completed voter registration applications within 24 hours after receipt to the statewide voter registration system. Completed paper voter registration applications received by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall be forwarded within 5 days after receipt to the supervisor of the county where the office that processed or received that application is located.
(5) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must send, with each driver license renewal extension application authorized pursuant to s. 322.18(8), a uniform statewide voter registration application, the voter registration application prescribed under paragraph (3)(a), or a voter registration application developed especially for the purposes of this subsection by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, with the approval of the Department of State, which must meet the requirements of s. 97.052.
(6) A person providing voter registration services for a driver license office may not:
(a) Make any change to an applicant’s party affiliation unless the applicant provides a separate signature consenting to the party affiliation change or discuss or seek to influence an applicant’s political preference or party registration;
(b) Display any political preference or party allegiance;
(c) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or
(d) Disclose any applicant’s voter registration information except as needed for the administration of voter registration.
(7) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall collect data determined necessary by the Department of State for program evaluation and reporting to the Election Assistance Commission pursuant to federal law.
(8) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must ensure that all voter registration services provided by driver license offices are in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
(9) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall retain complete records of voter registration information received, processed, and submitted to the statewide voter registration system by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. These records shall be for the explicit purpose of supporting audit and accounting controls established to ensure accurate and complete electronic transmission of records between the statewide voter registration system and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
(10) The department shall provide the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles with an electronic database of street addresses valid for use as the address of legal residence as required in s. 97.053(5). The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall compare the address provided by the applicant against the database of valid street addresses. If the address provided by the applicant does not match a valid street address in the database, the applicant will be asked to verify the address provided. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall not reject any application for voter registration for which a valid match cannot be made.
(11) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the department to match information in the statewide voter registration system with information in the database of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the extent required to verify the accuracy of the Florida driver license number, Florida identification number, or last four digits of the social security number and the legal status as a United States citizen, provided on applications for voter registration as required in s. 97.053. The department shall also include in the statewide voter registration system the type of documentary proof that the licensee or cardholder provided as evidence of United States citizenship.
(12) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to verify the last four digits of the social security number provided in applications for voter registration as required in s. 97.053.
(13) Notwithstanding declinations to register or to update a voter registration pursuant to paragraph (2)(b), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in accordance with s. 98.093(8), shall assist the Department of State in identifying changes in residence address on the Florida driver license or Florida identification card or changes in the Florida driver license or Florida identification card number of such persons who may be voters.
(14) The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall ensure that information technology processes and updates do not alter an applicant’s party affiliation without the written consent of the applicant.