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Failure to Pay Child Support

THIS TRANSACTION MUST BE PROCESSED BY APPOINTMENT AT THE
DRIVER LICENSE BRANCH – 904 301 BLVD W, BRADENTON
Customers will be charged a $6.25 Tax Collector service fee for information and processing, and additional transaction fees may apply. Visit taxcollector.com to schedule your appointment. Services are for Manatee County residents and businesses only.


The Department of Revenue (DOR) and/or the County Court has reported you to the Division of Driver Licenses because you failed to pay your child support obligation.  Consequently, your driving privilege has been suspended indefinitely.   

Please Note: Florida law does not allow for early reinstatement or a hardship license for this type of suspension. 

1. Satisfy Requirements 

In order to be eligible to reinstate your license, the following must be completed:
 

The DOR and the County Court electronically submits clearance information to the Division of Driver Licenses daily.  When satisfying your child support obligation with the DOR and/or County Court, allow a minimum of 24 hours for it to be reflected on your driver license record.  Verify that your suspension(s) are marked as "Req. Met" online at   mydmvportal.flhsmv.gov/home/en/publicweb/dlcheck.

Exception – In the rare case that a child support suspension case is ordered by a County Court (not DOR), it can be cleared with an affidavit of satisfaction.  The affidavit cannot be over 30 days old and you must reinstate using Option 2 below. We will retain the form. DOR child support cases must cleared electronically.  

2. Reinstate Your License

You have the following two options for reinstating your license:
 
Option 1: Many suspensions can be reinstated online – or scan the QR code to access the site.  (In order to clear online, your suspension(s) must have marked as "Req. Met" as detailed in Step 1.) Remitting payment and reinstating online will save you a trip to our office.
Option 2: Visit our Driver License Branch at 904 301 Blvd W, Bradenton – Appointments are required. You must present the paper clearance form(s), if you were required to obtain them in Step 2.
 
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. 

3. 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 your reinstatement:
 
Service Fee - $6.25             
Reinstatement Fee (DOR) - $45.00 (each)
Reinstatement Fee (County Court) - $60.00 (each)
Driver License (replacement) - $25.00
Driver License (renewal) - $48.00
Commercial Driver License (renewal) - $75.00
Late Fee - $15.00
Endorsement Fee - $7.00 (each)
 
*Fees listed above only apply to reinstatements processed at the Driver License Branch; they do not apply to any fees owed to the Clerk of Courts/DOR. Online fees may differ slightly.
**Other related reinstatement or issuance fees may apply. 

4. Suspension Ordered In Error

If the DOR submits a suspension in error, they will electronically notify the Division of Driver Licenses. The suspension will be automatically removed from your record.  If a court ordered your suspension in error, you would need to contact the court for assistance.

5. Invalid License Information

Is your license currently suspended, revoked and/or cancelled? If your driver license is suspended, revoked and/or cancelled, driving any type of vehicle may result in:

  • ARREST by law enforcement
  • TOWING of your vehicle

We urge you to respect the law and make arrangements other than driving a vehicle to avoid the unfortunate events above. A free public phone and computer are provided in the lobby to call for a ride from our office or to access the Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) website.

Note: A minor child operating a motor vehicle with a learner license must be accompanied by another adult with a valid license (non-suspended).

 

How can you get your license back once it's reinstated? If your license was retained by one of our branches due to a suspension, revocation and/or cancellation, you may be able to have it returned for no additional fee once it has been reinstated. Licenses retained by our office are only kept for a short period of time before they are destroyed.

If you are interested in getting your license back, you must do the following within 1-2 days after your license was retained.

  1. Return to the branch that retained your license.
  2. Print the screen from https://mydmvportal.flhsmv.gov/home/en/publicweb/dlcheck that shows your license is “VALID” that day.
  3. Provide the screen print to the receptionist.

If your license has been destroyed or you opt to purchase a replacement license at the time you reinstate your driving privilege, you would be subject to the $31.25 replacement fee. 

6. Additional Information

Need to contact the DOR or the county court?  Visit dor.myflorida.com/childsupport or call one of the following:
 
Manatee County Child Support Office
1115 Manatee Ave. W. (2nd Floor), Bradenton FL 34205
Phone: (850) 488-5437*
 
If outside of Manatee County, call (850) 488-5437* for other county information or (305) 530-2600 for Miami-Dade. TTY: (800) 955-8771
 
*Call center hours are Monday - Friday, 7AM-7PM.
 
You can sign up for electronic notifications when citations and/or sanctions are added to your record online - or scan the QR code to access the site. 

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.