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Motor Vehicles / Mobile Homes
Registrations and Renewals

The Lake County Tax Collector, as an agent for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), provides the service of titling and registering your motor vehicles and mobile homes. All motor vehicles and mobile homes must be registered and/or titled. The Tax Collector works closely with DHSMV to ensure all transactions are conducted according to state statutes.

License plates, registrations, and renewals may be processed at any of our branch locations.

Motor vehicles are registered according to the owner’s birth month. The registration is valid until midnight on the owner’s birthday. The registration cost is determined by the vehicle’s weight. A delinquent fee is charged if the registration is not renewed by the 10th of the month following the expiration month.

There are some additional expiration dates for vehicles in business names, as well as certain types of vehicles. The following is a list of some of the exceptions to birthday expirations:

  • Vehicles registered in the lease company name expire according to a staggered system based on the lease company name
  • Company owned vehicles expire on June 30
  • All mobile homes (not declared as real property) expire on
    December 31
  • Heavy trucks over 5000 pounds, tractors, semi trailers, and 9+ passenger vehicles for hire expire December 31

Florida issues a metal license plate with a series of alpha numeric numbering, depending on the type of vehicle. A validation decal displaying the registration expiration, decal number, and license plate number is affixed to the upper right corner of the plate. Plates are used for a five-year period and then replaced with a new plate. Registration certificates are issued with each transaction involving a license plate or renewal.

The first time an owner of private automobiles, pickups and trucks weighing 5,000 pounds or less, and motor homes purchase license plates for these vehicles, there may be a $100 Initial Registration Fee imposed unless the owner is otherwise exempt.

Renewals:

All motor vehicles and mobile homes may be renewed in person at any of our branch locations. These renewals may be processed up to three months prior to the expiration month. For an additional fee, the renewals may be processed by mail, over the Internet, or by telephone. For Internet or telephone renewals, you must have the appropriate PIN number, located on your renewal coupon. Internet and telephone renewal transactions require a credit card for these services.

The acceptable forms of payment in our offices are cash, checks, or money orders. Checks and money orders should be made payable to Bob McKee, Lake County Tax Collector.

To process by mail, please send the renewals to Bob McKee, Lake County Tax Collector, PO Box 268, Tavares, FL 32778.

To renew online, click here.

For telephone renewals, call 1-866-467-3639.

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions about registration information,
click here.