1. Appointments & Application REQUIRED / Office Locations
Appointments are REQUIRED for all transactions! Visit taxcollector.com to schedule an appointment. We only serve Manatee County residents. Individual appointments are required for each person for all transactions. For example, a married couple who have two children – all four are getting driver licenses – four separate appointments would be required (one for each person).An Online Application is REQUIRED for all transactions! To complete your driver license or ID card transaction at one of our branches, you must complete the Online Driver License & ID Card Application (https://taxcollector.jotform.com/210103795736152) – or scan the QR code to access the application – prior to your appointment. Do not print the application; an associate will access your electronic submission during your appointment. Applications are valid for 90 days.
2. Proof of Citizenship or Legal Presence (Identity) – Bring One
- Unexpired US Passport
- Original or Certified US Birth Certificate (must be government issued)
- Original or Certified US Naturalization Certificate
- INS (USCIS) Documentation (if presented, you must visit our Driver License Branch)
- No Proof Available/No Proof of Legal Presence – Florida does not issue driver licenses/ID cards in this case; you must submit a proof of your identity
3. Proof of Name Change (if applicable) – Bring ALL
If your current name is different than your name as listed on your proof of citizenship/legal presence, bring all that apply for proof of your legal name change (if applicable):- Original or Certified Marriage License/Certificate (must be government issued – cannot be issued by a church)
- Divorce Decree
- Court Order
4. Proof of Residential Address – Bring Two
Bring two physical documents for proof of your residential address – it cannot be a PO Box. The documents must show your name and your residential address.
- Current Florida Car, Boat or Mobile Home Registration or Title
- Manatee County Property Tax Bill - obtain here (https://secure.taxcollector.com/ptaxweb)
- Manatee County Voter Registration Information - obtain here (votemanatee.com/Voter-Information/Voter-Status-Information-Check-Your-Registration-Status)
- Deed, Mortgage Statement, or Rental/Lease Agreement
- Selective Service Card
- Current Homeowner's or Automobile insurance policy/bill
- Most recent W-2 or 1099
- Utility bills (such as water, gas, electric, cell phone, cable)*
- Automobile payment booklet*
- Medical/Health card or medical bill*
- Paycheck stub*
- Financial statements (such as bank, credit cards, investment accounts)*
- Documents issued by Federal, State, County or City Government Agencies*
*must be dated within the last 60 days
If you are unable to provide two (2) proofs of residential address in your name as outlined above, you must comply with one of the following options in order to establish proof of residence:
Option 1:
Customers unable to provide proof of residential address in their name (as outlined above) may have the person they reside with complete a Certification of Address form (English - flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/71120.pdf / Spanish - flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/71120sp.pdf) along with providing two proof of address documents as outlined on the form. The person the customer lives with must be present at the appointment OR must sign the Certification of Address form in the presence of a notary.
Option 2:
Customers who are homeless and reside in an agency where housing services are provided (such as a homeless shelter or probation home) may provide the following:
- a letter from an authorized Manatee County homeless shelter, transitional service provider or half-way house verifying the customers resides at the agency's address (must be dated within the last 60 days) AND
- Section A of the Certification of Address form Certification of Address form (English - flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/71120.pdf / Spanish - flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/71120sp.pdf) completed by the customer, self-certifying their residential address.
Option 3:
Customers under the age of 18 may present two proofs of residential address as outlined above in their parent or guardian's name. Proof of relationship (such as birth certificate, military dependent ID card, etc.) is required.
5. Proof of Social Security Number – Bring One
Sections 322.051 and 322.08, Florida Statutes, require customers to present proof of social security number (SSN). Proof must list full name and full SSN. Bring one of the following documents for proof of your SSN:- Social Security Card or Stub
- W-2/1099 Form (pre-printed)
- Pay Stub
- L-676 Form (# never issued)
- Military ID card
- Self-Certify – For those who have had a social security card in their name for a least one year – Note: SSN must match in the State driver license system.
6. Bring Your Out-of-State Driver License or ID Card
You will surrender your out-of-state driver license/ID card to our office when you obtain your Florida driver license or ID card. Because of the US Federal Real ID Act, you may only retain one credential – either a driver license or ID card, not both. You also cannot have driver licenses or ID cards from multiple US States or US Territories.You will be required to take a photo per F.S. 322.142.
If obtaining a driver license, you must take and pass a Vision and Hearing exam - these exams are administered in our office. (Be prepared with your corrective lenses if needed for distance.)
If your out-of-state driver license or ID card is lost/stolen, you must schedule an appointment at our Driver License Branch at 904 301 Blvd. W. in Bradenton – this is the only office that can process these transactions. This office will attempt to verify you have been issued an out-of-state driver license or ID card, but there may be delays in receiving this confirmation from the State that issued your driver license or ID card. Please allow 3-5 days after you visit for the verification and for the issuance of a Florida driver license or ID card. In addition, in cases where you have lost your out of state license or ID card, additional documentation may be required to be obtained by you to be presented to our office, including but not limited to: a driving transcript from your home state; a law enforcement fingerprint scan (RAPID ID); other documents as necessary. For additional information on what is required when your driver license or ID card is lost/stolen, refer to our Original & Lost Out-of-State Driver License publication.
Acceptable Methods of Payment and Estimated Fees
Our office accepts cash, check, debit cards, and credit cards. A $2.50 processing fee for debit cards and a 2.5% processing fee (minimum of $2.50) for credit cards will apply. Our office does not retain any portion of this fee.
Estimate of fees for transferring your out-of-state driver license or ID card to Florida:
Driver License.......................................$54.25 ID Card.............................$31.25
Commercial Driver License*................$81.25 Endorsements..................$7.00 (each)
*All Commercial Driver License (CDL) transactions (including questions) are processed at our Driver License Branch only.
Add US Military Veteran Designation to your Driver License or ID Card
If you are Veteran of the US military, bring proof of your Honorable Discharge (e.g. a copy of your DD-214, Veteran Identification Card issued by US Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.) and we will add this designation to your driver license or ID card. There is no additional cost to add this designation when transferring your driver license or ID card to Florida. Visit our Military Benefits page on taxcollector.com to view additional benefits.
How to Obtain Records – Birth Certificates, Divorce Decrees, Marriage Certificates, etc.
Nationwide records access – VitalChek (https://www.vitalchek.com) a private company, sells the following certificates nationwide:
- Birth certificates (https://www.vitalchek.com/birth-certificates)
- Death certificates (https://www.vitalchek.com/death-certificates)
- Marriage certificates (https://www.vitalchek.com/marriage-records)
- Divorce certificates (https://www.vitalchek.com/divorce-records)
Although we don’t “officially” endorse this company and there are other competitors on the internet, customers have told us that they have obtained their records from this company when they were in a time crunch. (It is also the official 3rd party provider recommended by the Florida Department of Health.)
Florida records access – For anyone born in Florida needing birth certificate records from any of Florida’s 67 counties, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (http://manatee.floridahealth.gov/certificates/birth/index.html) has access to them. Even if you were born in another county, the local office can access and print most birth certificates for persons born anywhere in Florida.
Out-of-State Driver Licenses with Suspensions/Revocations/Unpaid Tickets and Other Issues
Each person attempting to receive a Florida driver license is checked against a national driver registry to determine if the person has a valid out-of-state license and whether or not they have unpaid tickets or unresolved driving issues in any state. Advances in computer systems are increasingly discovering more and more issues, some of which may have occurred years ago. Ensure all of your issues are resolved before visiting our office. Each visit to our office where we check this system costs the customer at least $6.25 and, when issues are found, delays the issuance of your driver license.
Non-Manatee County Residents
Not a Manatee County Resident? Our offices are open by appointment only for Manatee County residents/businesses only. All out-of-county residents must visit their home county for information and processing. To find a location, visit flhsmv.gov/locations.