New In Town? Here's What You Need to Know!

 
Driver’s License
Vehicle Registration
Residency
Voter Registration
Homestead Exemption
Important Phone Numbers
Utilities


Driver’s License:(Back to Top)
Florida law requires that new state residents apply for a Florida driver’s license within 30 days. Register your car first (see Vehicle Registration-below). The Department of Motor Vehicles will need to see proof of your Florida vehicle registration, your out-of-state driver’s license, and your Social Security card. If you own a Florida-registered vehicle, bring that registration as well. If your out-of-state license is valid, you will only be required to take the vision test.
A written exam and driver’s test are required if your license is invalid, or if you are applying for your first license. The written exam is based on the Florida Driver’s Handbook. The driver must supply the vehicle for the test. A license is valid for six years and costs $20 for safe drivers. You may also register to vote at the same time as you apply for a driver’s license or state identification card. 
Contact the driver’s license office in Sarasota County at 601 S. Pompano Avenue, (941) 361-6217, or call (941) 361-6222 for an appointment. In Manatee County, the office is located at 1600 1st St. West, (941) 741-3010.
Vehicle Registration:(Back to Top)
 
New residents must register their vehicles in Florida within 10 days of gaining employment or enrolling children in school. To register a vehicle, be prepared to provide the Sarasota County Tax Collector’s office with your current driver’s license, proof of auto insurance, prior registration certificate and ownership title.
The vehicle identification number will also be required, and you will need to apply for a Florida license plate. The fee depends on the vehicle’s weight. Newcomers also must apply for a Florida Title Certificate. If there is a lien or chattel mortgage on the vehicle, you must apply for a title transfer.
Contact the Sarasota County Tax Collector on the first floor of the Terrace Building (formerly the Sarasota County Administration 
Center), 101 S. Washington Boulevard, Sarasota, (941) 362-9898, or the Manatee County Tax Collector, (941) 741-4811.

Residency:(Back to Top)
 
You are officially considered a Florida resident if you:
* Have lived continuously in Florida for six months.
* Have established legal residency in Florida.
The easiest way to become an official Floridian is to file a declaration of domicile. The document, which states that you reside at a given address, is notarized by the county clerk of the court’s office. There is no time requirement before you can legally be declared a resident, although some institutions, including some colleges, set their own time limits before affording you residents’ benefits.
Contact the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court at 2000 Main Street, Sarasota, (941) 362-4066.

Voter Registration:(Back to Top)
 
To vote, you must register in your county of residence. You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, Florida resident, and at least 18 years old by the next election, not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or any other state, not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored pursuant to law, and not claim the right to vote in another county or state.
To register, fill out a form which you can pick up at any local bank, library or post office and swear an oath that you live in the county. You may also register to vote at your local driver’s license office.
For information on registration locations near you in Sarasota County, call:
Sarasota County Elections Office, (941) 951-5307, 101 S. Washington Boulevard, 8th Floor, Sarasota, FL 34230
For information on registration locations in Manatee County, call:
Manatee County Elections Office, (941) 741-3823, 305 15th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34206.

Homestead Exemption:(Back to Top)
 
Homestead Exemption is a constitutional guarantee that reduces the assessed value of residential property in Florida up to $25,000 for qualified permanent residents. You can reduce your ad valorem tax bill by seeking a Homestead Exemption on the first $25,000 of your home’s value. 
To file for exemption, establish residency by Dec. 31 prior to the year you wll claim exemption, then file for exemption in January or February.
Information  needed to file for Homestead Exemption:
Proof to establish residency prior to Jan. 1 for all owners who occupy the property.
- 1) Florida Voter Registration Card or Declaration of Domicile.
- 2) A valid Florida Driver’s License or Identification Card.
- 3) Florida Auto Tag Registration on all vehicles privately owned.
- 4) Social Security numbers.
- To prove that your residency was established in the required time frame, provide a recorded deed or tax bill in your name for the home or a vehicle registration/title for a mobile home.
- Eligibility for Homestead Exemption:
- 1) Homeowners who rent their home are unable to qualify for Homestead Exemption. Rental of one’s primary residence constitutes abandonment of Homestead Exemption.
- 2) Mobile Home Owners can get Homestead Exemption if they own the land tp which the mobile home is permanently affixed. The Title or Registration to the mobile home and residency documentation are needed.
- 3) Citizenship is not required to file for Homestead Exemption. An applicant who is not a U.S. citizen must present a Declaration of Domicile and a permanent resident alien card (green card) when they apply.
- 4) If you are a qualified Florida resident who has a spouse that has deceased, you are eligible for a widows or widowers exemption.
- 5) Exemptions are not automatically transferred from one residence to a new home. To receive an exemption on a new home, one must reapply before March 1.
- 6) One will receive the benefit of a previous owner’s exemption for the remainder of that year when purchasing a new home. To continue the exemption, one must reapply before March 1 of the next year to qualify.
- 7) If the property is in a trust, a copy of the trust agreement is necessary to determine those situations under which the resident may obtain Homestead Exemption. The Florida Constitution requires that the homestead claimant have beneficial title or legal title in equity to the property.
- 8) Other tax exemptions include medical and disabled veterans, total and permanent disability, quadriplegic, blind, wheelchair confined and service-connected disability exemptions.
For more information regarding Homestead Exemptions, contact the Sarasota County Property Appraiser at 2001 Adams Lane, (941) 951-5650.
For Manatee County, contact the Manatee County Property Appraiser at 415 10th Street W., (941) 748-8208.

Important Phone Numbers:(Back to Top)
 
Police, Fire, Ambulance, Poison: 911
Hearing Impaired (TDD):
Emergency:
Sarasota: 911
Bradenton: 749-7180
Non-Emergency:
Sarasota: 366-0727
Bradenton: 742-5802
Non-Emergency
Police
Sarasota: 316-1199
Bradenton: 746-4111
Venice: 488-6711
Anna Maria: 778-4711
Bradenton Beach: 778-6311
Holmes Beach: 778-7875
Longboat Key: 383-3738
Sheriff
Sarasota County: 951-5800
Manatee County: 747-3011
Florida Highway Patrol: 751-7647
Ambulance (Venice): 485-8111
Poison Info Center: 748-2121; 1-800-282-3171
24-Hour Crisis Line:
Sarasota: 917-6900
Bradenton: 741-3117
Hurricane Emergency Evacuation Info:
Sarasota County: 361-6844
Manatee County: 748-4501
TDD Only: 366-0727
American Red Cross:
Sarasota: 379-9300
Bradenton: 792-8686
Venice: 486-8402
First Call for Help:
Sarasota: 366-5025
Venice: 485-1880

Utility Information:(Back to Top)
 
Town of Longboat Key (383-3721):
Water and Sewer: Deposit of $20 or $50 per meter, varies by size. 72-hour notice to connect. Go to Town Hall on Bay Isles Road to connect and pay deposit. Hours: M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Electric Service: Florida Power & Light (917-0708, 800-226-6543)
Deposits, $25 to $240, billed 10 days after start of new service. $16 service fee with first bill. 24-hour notice to connect. Service ordered Fridays will connect the following Monday.
City of Sarasota (955-2325):
Water and Sewer
Deposit, $191.03. Photo ID and Social Security number required. Same day hookup, except weekends. Must go to City Hall, corner of Orange and 1st Street, to connect.
Telephone Service: GTE of Florida (800-483-4200)
Hours: M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. No deposit required. 48-hour notice to connect.
Cable Television: Comcast Cable (371-6700)
5205 Fruitville Road, Sarasota.
Deposits vary, basic cable hookup $45. 72-hour notice to connect.
Gas: Peoples Gas Company (366-4277)
1565 State Street, Sarasota.
Deposits, $25 to $300. Connect fee, $25. Read-only fee, $10. 24-hour turnaround time, no weekends.
Jim and Matt Hanrahan
Realtors
Michael Saunders & Company
Licensed Real Estate Broker
(800) 231-1280 • (941) 383-5753 • Fax (941) 383-8571
e-mail: SARASOTAFL@comcast.net

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