The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has completed the rule-writing process regarding temporary metal plate transfers and in doing so, has made significant changes to the requirements regarding the Electronic Temporary Registration (ETR) System as a whole.

A new law offers Florida buy-here pay-here dealers another recovery option when a standard repossession attempt fails. Often, dealers are unable to retrieve vehicles because they cannot locate a delinquent customer or the customer conceals a vehicle in an effort to avoid its repossession.

As of February 12, 2010, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is sending dealer license renewal notices to auto independent, wholesale, auction and salvage dealers via email, rather than through the US Postal Service. By communicating with license holders by email, the DHSMV will save approximately $5,000 in taxpayer money over the renewal period.

Effective July 1, 2010, all Florida auto dealers will be required* by law to electronically report a Temporary Transfer of a Metal License Plate on a metal plate that is being moved from one vehicle to another prior to a customer driving off the lot. Dealers who have been issuing a temporary tag rather than transferring the metal plate will now be able to electronically report the Temporary Transfer of a Metal Plate directly to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and move the metal plate to the purchased vehicle.

Issues include a new law that affects fees charged by the DHSMV for motor vehicle inquiries, a new regulation for salvage pools and insurance companies and important information for tow companies and auto dealers regarding "curbstoning" ordinances. Also during this legislative session, clarifications were issued regarding the Electronic Filing System and derelict vehicles. Click through to stay up-to-date on legal issues that affect your industry.

Florida’s new temporary metal plate transfer system adds some new features that will benefit dealers, including the ability to void a transfer and restore a previous registration under certain circumstances.

In mid-July 2010, all Florida auto dealers will be required by law to electronically report the transfer of a metal license plate as it is being moved from one vehicle to another. The electronic report will create a temporary registration in the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) database, and should be completed prior to a customer driving off the lot.