When does your car tag expire? Is it OK to drive with an old one? What Florida law says

Florida drivers have to register their vehicles with the state. But when does your registration expire? And are you allowed to drive with an expired tag?

Here’s what to know:

When does your registration expire?

A vehicle’s registration expires during the year listed on the registration paperwork and on the sticker at the top right-hand corner of your license plate. But when exactly during that year? On your birthday? At the end of the month?

That depends on who owns the vehicle.

If a motor vehicle (or mobile home) is owned by a person, then the registration period officially expires at “midnight on the owner’s birthday,” according to Florida state law. However, a police officer cannot issue a citation for expired registration until midnight on “the last day of the owner’s birth month.”

So, even though the registration technically expires on the car owner’s birthday, there’s no penalty for driving until the end of the birthday month.

If a vehicle is owned by a business, not a person, then the registration expires on the last day of the month listed on the registration paperwork.

Florida drivers can renew their car registration for one or two years starting three months before the registration period expires. More information about registration renewal can be found on the FLHSMV website.

Is it legal for you to drive with an expired registration?

It’s illegal to drive a vehicle in Florida with a lapsed registration. But there are exceptions, and how long the registration has been lapsed can affect the severity of the punishment.

Driving a car whose registration has expired for less than six months constitutes “a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation,” according to Florida state law. Essentially, you get a ticket, and you can choose to pay up or appear in court. The severity of the fine varies by county, but it can’t exceed $500, according to state law.

Driving a car with an expired registration for over six months can also result in a “noncriminal traffic infraction” and a ticket. However, if you are pulled over for a second time and your vehicle still isn’t registered, you can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. This can carry a weightier punishment than the noncriminal infraction, including a $500 fine and up to 60 days in prison.

Are there exceptions to the Florida registration law?

The only exceptions are for active service members.

If you are a service member and your vehicle’s registration expired while you were on active duty or state active duty, you won’t be cited. But you’ll need to show a police officer either your official military orders or a written statement from your commanding officer to avoid being charged.