The largest difference I have found between Central Massachusetts and Daytona Beach, Florida is the DMV. I remember standing in line for hours on end at the Worcester office, trying to get my license renewed, get my license plate renewed and then there were the excise taxes. None of that describes how Florida operates.
In Florida it is culture shock the first time you get your license. You may make an appointment for a certain time and, even if you’re early for the appointment, you will either be served at your appointment time or before. I don’t remember ever waiting for more than 45 minutes, even without an appointment. There are also license offices in nearly every city so you can go to one of the smaller cities if you wish for an earlier appointment if the local license offices does not have an appointment date when you need one.
Once your license has been converted from a Massachusetts license to a Florida license the next step is getting a tag (license plate). You have to go to the county Finance Department for that. For many years the county Finance offices have had web cams so you can go online to see how many people are waiting. Once you arrive you take a number, just like a deli, and when your number is called you go to the desk and your paperwork is processed. Once you pay for your license plate you are handed your tag and the sticker which must be affixed. When renewal time comes for your license plate you can even mail in the payment and they will mail your new sticker. You can also go to the office and get a renewal done. Choosing your time determines how long you’ll wait.
Excise tax is something Florida does not have. We also don’t have car inspections. We do have sales tax and you must pay that tax on every vehicle when you register it for the first time. Volusia County currently has a tax of 6 ½ percent. Other counties have different sales tax amounts. You will only pay this tax once, not every year.
One of the best parts of the Florida system is that any problem which might arise and cannot be handled by the clerk at the desk will be handled by a supervisor. The supervisors on staff are ready to assist and help straighten out any problem although the vast majority of the clerks at either the license office or the tag office seem able to sort out nearly any issue. The County Finance Office is especially amazing as they handle all the county financial transactions such as property taxes as well as licensing fees.
Okay, now that you’ve read all the differences and have still decided to move to the Daytona Beach, Florida area, welcome neighbor!
