Florida Veteran Employment Benefits
Like many other states, Florida offers hiring preference to veterans, with special emphasis on those who served during wartime, those who have VA-rated service connected disabilities, and qualifying surviving spouses of deceased veterans.
Florida Occupational License Fee Waivers For Veterans
Disabled veterans with wartime service, and who are permanent Florida residents who cannot perform manual labor will be exempt from Occupational license fees up to a specified amount. Surviving spouses of deceased disabled veterans may also qualify for this exemption under certain circumstances.
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Florida County and Municipal Fee Exemptions For Disabled Veterans
Veterans who are VA-rated with a 100% disability are exempt from building license and permit fees designed to make a residence habitable and safe. Certain restrictions may apply.
Florida Business Fee Waivers For Veterans
Florida waives the initial business licensing fee, application fee, and initial unlicensed business activity fee for qualifying veterans and spouses who submit applications within the first 60 months after an honorable discharge. There is also a fee waiver program for veterans and spouses who seek qualifying health care licensing, agriculture, and consumer service licensure.
Certification For Florida Veteran-Owned Businesses
Florida Residents Deployed Out
Early Renewals: If your license is scheduled to expire when you are deployed or stationed outside Florida, the department encourages you to renew before you deploy or move. Florida drivers may renew a license up to 18 months prior to the expiration date printed on the license.
Online Renewals: You may renew your license online at MyDMV Portal. In addition, you may order a replacement license at any time if you lose your license or if your address changes.
Once you have completed an online renewal, you can find out when your license is printed and mailed by viewing our DL/ID Card Tracking System. Enter your driver license number to track the issuance. Please allow 7 to 10 days to receive the license in the mail.
Extensions: If you are not eligible to renew your Class E driver license online, the department can issue a military extension card that extends your driving privilege continuously each year until: 90 days after you are discharged from military service, you return to Florida to reside, or you obtain a new driver license or ID card from Florida or another state.
To receive the military extension, you must complete the Military Personnel and Dependents Affidavit certifying active duty status in the U.S. Armed Forces while stationed outside of Florida and provide a copy of the members current military orders.
Please note: Military extension cards may not be accepted in some countries when serving overseas.
Disabled Veterans Traveling Outside Their Home State
Disabled Veterans plates from any U.S. state are recognized in all other U.S. states. However, because rules and regulations can vary slightly state by state, it is always a good idea to check with the state you are intending to travel to and find out the exact details of their specific disabled parking program.
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Florida Veteran Housing Benefits
Salute Our Soldiers Military Loan Program/Mortgage Credit Certificate Program
Veterans and active duty military personnel throughout the state can receive a below market rate 30-year fixed rate first mortgage loan and up to $10,000 in down payment assistance and closing cost assistance.
Veterans Assisted Care Homes And Nursing Homes
Veterans who have lived in Florida for at least one year are eligible to apply for space in the Robert Jenkins, Jr. Veterans Domiciliary Home. This is a 150-bed assisted living home located in Lake City, Florida intended for honorably discharged veterans who are physically capable of feeding and dressing themselves, but who need assisted care.
The state of Florida also has six nursing homes for honorably discharged veterans who have been certified by a doctor as requiring nursing home care:
- Emory L. Bennett State Veterans Nursing Home in Daytona Beach.
- Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home in Land O Lakes.
- Alexander Sandy Nininger Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines.
- Clifford C. Sims State Veterans Nursing Home in Panama City.
- Douglas T. Jacobson State Veterans Nursing Home in Port Charlotte.
- Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home in St. Augustine.
- Ardie R. Copas State Veterans Nursing Home in Port St. Lucie.
Care offered will vary depending on the facility, but all facilities have fixed number of beds available for Alzheimers and Dementia patients.
Additional Florida Veteran Benefits
Florida Driver License, ID Cards, and License Plates For Veterans
The State of Florida allows special veteran designation on driver licenses and state ID cards. Discharge paperwork such as the DD Form 214 or its Guard/Reserve equivalent is required at application time.
100% Disabled veterans are eligible for no-fee licenses/ID cards. No-fee Florida driver licenses are available to 100% disabled veterans who are qualified to obtain a driver license according to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs.
Florida Military License Plates
The State of Florida offers military members and veterans military designated license plates for a nominal fee. These plates may reflect the drivers Purple Heart status or other honors. Proof of military service/honorable discharge is required at application time.
Veteran License Plates and Parking Benefits
Qualifying disabled veterans are eligible for one free DV designated license plates for disabled veterans. The applicant must furnish proof of a service-connected 100-percent disability rating or that the vehicle was acquired through VA financial assistance according to the Florida VA. Additionally, the State of Florida also provides a free license plates with a wheelchair emblem are for those veterans permanently confined to a wheelchair and who otherwise qualify for a DV plate.
Florida Toll Road Fee Waivers For Disabled Veteran Drivers In Specially Equipped Vehicles
Florida Recreational Benefits For Veterans
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How Do I Get A Handicap License Plate In Florida
To get a handicap license plate in Florida, you must be permanently disabled and/or a Disabled Veteran. You can apply for a handicap license plate by submitting a wheelchair license plate application form, along with a copy of the vehicle registration certificate, proof of identification with a Florida driver license or ID card, and proof of Florida insurance for the vehicle, to a motor vehicle service center. Wheelchair license plates must be renewed annually on the holders birthday.
Image by Matt Alanizon Unsplash: How do I get a handicap license plate in Florida?Were here to tell you!
Temporary Disabled Person Parking Placards
Temporary disabled person parking placards are available to any individual with a temporary disability. This has to be certified by a Florida or out-of-state physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractor, optometrist, the Florida Division of Blind Services, or the Adjudication Office of the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Individuals seeking the temporary parking placard must submit a completed application, along with a $15 fee. The permit may be valid as determined by your physician not to exceed six months.
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Fees For Military Plates
Most military license plates cost only the standard vehicle registration fee.
However, some plates have different fees, for example:
- The Ex-POW plate: Free to eligible military members.
- The U.S. Paratrooper license plate: $20 PLUS registration fees.
The FL Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website has a complete list of plates and fees.
License Plates With Wheelchair Symbol
The Sunshine State plate may be issued to a disabled person who owns a vehicleand qualifies for a disabled parking permit. The Disabled Veteran wheelchair plateis issued to a disabled veteran who has a Disabled Veteran license plate and qualifiesfor a parking permit. Both plates entitle the vehicle to park in any designateddisabled parking space.
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Disabled Veteran Wheelchair License Plate
A disabled veteran may receive a wheelchair license plate for one vehicle registered in his/her name. The veteran must be honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces with a 100% service connected disability. This license plate cannot be issued for a manufactured home, a commercial vehicle or a truck with a gross vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds.
Do Veterans Get A Property Tax Break In Florida
Eligible resident veterans with a VA certified service-connected disability of 10 percent or greater shall be entitled to a $5,000 property tax exemption. The veteran must establish this exemption with the county tax official in the county in which he or she resides by providing documentation of this disability.
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How To Get A Florida Disabled Placard
You must apply for a disabled parking placard in person at a local county tax collector’s office in Florida.
You can apply if you have submitted application materials within the past 12 months and are re-applying.
To apply for a handicap parking permit, you will need:
- Optometrist .
- Nurse practitioner.
- Physician’s assistant.
Take or send your application materials to your local local county tax collector’s office.
Do Veterans Get Free Car Registration In Florida
Military residents and non-residents, whether stationed inside Florida or in another state, are exempted from paying the initial, one-time $225 vehicle registration fee. You must provide form 82002 along with all other documents required for standard vehicle registration in order to claim this exemption.
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Disabled Parking Permits For Veterans
Section 320.0848, Florida Statutes, provides the authorization for the issuance of disabled person parking permits for both long-term and short-term mobility impairments and those certified as legally blind by an optometrist. Permits may be issued to driver license and ID card holders.
There is no fee for a permanently disabled parking permit. To make application for a disabled parking permit, please complete an Application by Disabled Person Parking Permit and bring it in to a local motor vehicle service center.
Applying For A Disabled Veterans Plate
The exact procedure for applying for a Disabled Veterans plate tends to vary slightly state by state. Each state has their own version of an application form, which can be downloaded from the website of either the local Department of Motor Vehicles or the state tax collectors office. The application form will need to be completed by the applicant and a representative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs local regional office. Then the form will need to be submitted, either in-person or by mail, to the local DMV office or tax collectors office, usually along with a copy of the applicants drivers license or ID, and any appropriate fee.
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The Following Must Be Submitted For Processing:
- Proof of Florida Residency :
- A Florida driver license
- A copy of the veterans Declaration of Domicile, which has been properly filed with the Clerk of Circuit Court
- A copy of the veterans Florida Voter Information Card
- An affidavit stating the veteran has been a resident of Florida continuously for the preceding five years
Handicap Parking Rules & Restrictions
To use your Florida disability parking placard correctly, you must:
- Use ONLY the placard issued to you.
- Hang the placard from your rearview mirror with the from the front of the car.
- Have your placard registration document with you.
- Park legally in marked spaces. You CANNOT park in:
- Zones for buses or emergency vehicles.
- Striped areas next to disabled spaces.
- Any area labeled with no parking.”
- Limited time spaces for longer than the designated time.
NOTE: You CAN park in metered spaces for up to 4 hours for free. Some towns and cities in Florida may allow more time.
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Do Disabled Veterans Pay Sales Tax On Vehicles
Sales tax. Chapter 64H, Section 6, disabled veterans do not need to pay sales tax for one passenger vehicle or pick-up truck. It must be owned by the veteran and used for non-commercial purposes. To be eligible, the veteran MUST obtain DV plates for the vehicle.
Disabled American Veteran Plates
COVID-19 closures are affecting the production of our license plates, tabs, and decals. This is causing significant delays in our ability to issue them to you.
You may want to consider waiting to apply for a personalized or specialty plate.
If you have a temporary permit expiring soon, you can visit a vehicle licensing office to get a new one.
We don’t have a timeline for when production delays will return to normal. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes.
Note: This plate doesn’t give you disabled parking privileges, see Disabled parking.
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What Are Florida Handicap Parking Laws
So, what are the rules for handicap parking in Florida?
- Florida disabled permit holders can park in any designated disabled parking space marked by the universal access symbol
- Permit-holders can park in metered, on-street spaces for free for up to four hours
- Placards must be hung from rearview mirror while the vehicle is parked and safely stowed when it is in motion
- Out-of-state disabled permits are recognized in Florida
Vehicle Registration And Fee Waivers
Veterans who are verified 100% disabled as a result of their military service are exempted from driver license fees as well as veteran designation fees. They may also receive a disabled veteran license plate at no charge. Documentation from the Department of Veterans Affairs verifying the 100% service-connected disability is required. The DV license plate also entitles veterans to free parking throughout the state.
Military residents and non-residents, whether stationed inside Florida or in another state, are exempted from paying the initial, one-time $225 vehicle registration fee. You must provide form 82002 along with all other documents required for standard vehicle registration in order to claim this exemption.
In addition, active members of the Florida National Guard are eligible for a free license plate, by submitting form 83030.
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Licenses Permits And Fees
Disabled veterans who have been residents of Florida for five consecutive years are eligible for free license plates designating an individual as a disabled veteran. Disabled veterans in Florida are exempt from licensing or permit fees related to mobile home modification projects such as the building of ramps or widening of doors. Veterans whose disability makes it difficult or impossible to deposit coins or hand over cash at a tollbooth will receive a sticker exempting them from paying tolls.
Drivers License Veteran Designation
Florida veterans are eligible for a military designation on their driver license, in the form of a simple blue V at the bottom right of the license or state ID. In order to obtain this designation you must provide a DD 214 and pay a one-time one dollar fee, in addition to regular renewal fees. The Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recommends visiting this website to determine what else youll need at the time of your visit.
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How Do I Apply For A Permit
Completeapplication form HSMV 83039,and have it certified by a licensed physician, osteopath, podiatrist, chiropractor,optometrist, a physician who practices medicine in a military medical facility,state hospital or federal prison, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physicianassistant.
Mail the application and fee to our main office :
Hernando County Tax Collector20 North Main Street, Room 112Brooksville, FL 34601
Or visit ourMain Office orSpring Hill Branch locations.
Apply For Specialty Plates In Florida
You can apply for a specialty plate in Florida when you visit your local tax collector’s office to register your vehicle or renew your registration. Below you will find the process for the different kinds of special and custom plates available.
In Florida, you must replace your license plates every 10 years. If you apply for a specialty plate before you are due for your plate replacement, you will have to pay extra fees.
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Types Of Disabled Parking Permit In Florida
Like most other states, Florida has several types of disabled parking permit. Permanent handicap placards and plates can be acquired for people who are permanently disabled. These need to be renewed every four years. If the permanent placard or plate is owned by an individual, it expires on the owners birthday. If it is owned by an organization, it needs to be renewed by June 30th of the fourth year.
Temporary placards are available in Florida, and these are valid for six months.
Disabled Veterans plates are also available to any military veteran whose disability is at least 50% related to their military service. This needs to be verified by the Veterans Administration.
Driver License And Registration Renewal While Deployed
If you are going to be deployed overseas or stationed outside of Florida at the time youre driver license expires, you can either renew up to 18 months ahead of time, renew by mail, or request an extension. This extension is available to military members as well as their spouse and children, and is valid for 90 days after you return to Florida or are discharged. You can find the extension application here.
Florida residents who are in the military must renew their vehicle registration like any other resident. This can be done online at GoRenew.com.
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