Florida Residency 2022: How To Become A Florida Resident

If you’re currently staying in Florida, and you’d want to get all the benefits of residing there, then you must apply officially for Florida Residency.

This usually doesn’t take time, however, a lot of people don’t how to achieve this.

Therefore, this article is on how to become a Florida resident. We will take you through all the necessary steps you must take to achieve this.

We will also look at the benefits of becoming an official resident of the great State of Florida.

About Florida

With a population of over 21 million, Florida is the third most populous and the 22nd most extensive of the 50 United States.

Perhaps the biggest state in the Southeastern regions of the United States and bordered to the West by the Gulf Of Mexico, to the Northeast by Alabama – Florida is home to the seventh most populous urban area Miami – which has become a destination for a lot of people during the winter period.

The state has one of the largest economy in the US and it’s not difficult to see how as it has some of the best beaches in the state.

This said below is how one can get Florida residency.

Initiate Residency Requirements

This is basically all the things you must kick-start in your short trip towards becoming a resident of Florida. You must first

#1. Get A Florida Driver’s License

The first and biggest step is to get a Florida drivers’s license. I’m allowed to assume that you already stay in Florida, or you’re planning on moving here permanently, so you might as well get the license.

You don’t have to worry about taking another test, not unless you never had a driver’s license in another state.

Getting this license show you’re really serious about changing your state residency and will make officials look favorably about your resident application.

You can get yours on or before filing the declaration of domicile. However, note that if you file first, you only have 30 days to get the drivers’s license.

Below are some of the documents you will need to get a driver’s license.

Take your out-of-state license to your local Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Take a means of identification with you.
Proof of your social security number. This could be your Social Security card, a W-2, or pay stub.
Provide proof of your Florida address. A car registration, house deed, or recent utility bills will do.
Get a non-driver license if you don’t intend to drive.

#2. Register Your Car

If you’ve successfully established your residency, then next step you must take is to registar you car.

Transfer your car title and get registration for your car ‘’in Florida’’.

You only have 10 days after establishing Florida residency status to complete this task.

To complete this task you need

Get car insurance in Florida. Submit proof of your policy to the county tax collector.
Show the original title to the county tax collector.
Bring the car you want to register to your county tax collector’s office, so they can check out the VIN.
Pay the fees. It costs around $400 to title and registers your car for the first time in Florida. You will also have to pay the typical registration fees, which vary depending on the age, type, and weight of your vehicle.

#3. Become A Registered Voter

You could girl two birds with a stone here. While getting your driver’s license they’d give you a voter’s form along with your new address forms.

If you to busy to do the same activity at the same time, then you can do it with the Supervisor of Election.

However, you must wait until the registration books for voters open. This is because it closes 30 days prior to an election and reopens afterward.

The voter registration form barely takes five minutes to fill out. Do that and hand it in and you’re good to go.

If you’ve successfully taken these preliminary steps. then you now have to;

Establish Yourself As A Floridian…

…and you can do this by

#1. Filing For A Declaration Of Domicile

You need to show that your primary place of resident is in Florida, and it’s not enough to have a home there. To be able to do this, you need to show you’re not just another “snowbird” who only remembers Florida in the winter period.

Therefore, file for Declaration of Domicile. This will confirm you’re truly a resident of Florida and have chosen to permanently reside here. You can get the Declaration of Domicile through the clerk of the circuit court.

For this to get done with little or no hassles, you just need to be physically present in Florida and all to show intent. To show intent is to prove that you now have sentimental attachments in Florida – attachments you will love to maintain; like getting your voters card, registering your out-of-state car, or having a doctor. Furthermore, get actively involved in the community you find yourself in. It’s also another way to show intent.
If you have a Declaration of Domicile, it means that your taxes now go to the great state of Texas. And this is even beneficial because Florida has no income, death, or estate tax, this may be a wise move.
If you only have one residence, a declaration of domicile isn’t necessary, though it is wise (for tax benefits).

#2. File For A Homestead Exemption

The Homestead law in Florida protects you from losing your home to a creditor or any lienholder in case of any default from your side. However, this does not include mortgages.

What this means is that if you should ever have to declare bankruptcy, you won’t have to worry too much if you have filed for homestead exemption. You can file for homestead once you have a Declaration of Domicile in your name.

This improves your tax situation for the better because according to the “Save Our Home” act , once you are qualified for the homestead exemption, the assessed value of your property for tax purposes carries an exemption for the first $50,000 of taxable value for all taxing entities except the school district (which allows a $25,000 exemption).

In addition, once qualified, the assessed value for tax purposes cannot rise more than 3% in any given year. That means equity you won’t have to pay on.

#3 Get Employed In Florida

Getting a job defeats any argument that suggests that you are not established in the state of Florida. Now you have your wages coming from Florida, and you have a resident there, I’d like to see anyone question your residency!!

If your Declaration of Domicile is in question, getting a job in Florida would clear all the questions. This proves that you are indeed a resident and you can now get all the benefits therein.

#4. Another Way To Establish Your Residency Is To Enroll Your Child In A Florida school.

Getting your ward enrolled in a public or private school in Florida is yet another way to establish your residency. Child, however, means we are talking about someone below 18 years of age.

If you do this, you will be adding weight to your declaration of domicile case.

#5. File Federal Taxes After Becoming A Florida resident.

From now going forward you send your tax returns to the Atlanta, Georgia location of the Internal Revenue Service Center when you move to Florida. Be sure to file your final tax return for your previous state, and write “final return” on it, and use your current address so it is clear that you have moved.

If you live in two states in the same year, look into filing part-year returns. States combine differently (each state has different regulations), so look into your specific situation before assuming anything

To Improve your case further it’s recommended you these things below

#1. Transfer All Accounts To Florida institutions:

You obviously had a bank account in your former state, transfer the account to a Floridian Bank. Also, you must do this for all your account or membership in other states.

Showing that you are actively moving all that concerns you to your new state will show committed you in making the state your resident state permanently.

So, if you are religious join another church here. Become a part a part of the community you live in, get down to the community center and volunteer or something.

#2. Let Those Who Should Know About Your Address Change

This can range from your magazine subscriptions, distant relatives, or any club you might be a member of. Notify them that your new address is now in Florida. You can kick-start this process by filing an address change with the Postal Service.

This can show intent in your Declaration of Domicile, too. Should any tax issues arise, this will certainly help your case.

#3. Renew Your Licenses For The State Of Florida

There are licenses that are generally accepted no matter the state you are in. A driver’s license is one of such licenses, make sure you get reassessed in Florida so your licensure is valid. Do the same for any certificate you have so you can still practice.

Whatever profession it might be, doing this isn’t just about your workflow it actually helps show your intent to stay permanently in the state of Florida.

Be sure to check out your situation if you have any doubts. You might found new rules and regulations while yo are at it.

#4. Get Involved In Your community.

It’s really important that you get involved in the community you are living in. Go down to the community center and find out how you can help. This will further prove that you are a Florida resident.

Vote, join a gym, be a part of your neighborhood association, find a doctor and a dentist, and establish your roots. The more ingrained you are, the more you’ll truly be a resident of Florida.

Conclusion

I hope you make the best out of this article. Good luck!!!