Hurricane Irma Aftermath: Florida Suspends Some Fees For Drivers

TALLAHASSEE, FL — As residents in all 67 Florida counties struggle to recover from Hurricane Irma’s devastating visit earlier this week, the state has announced waivers on some driver license and motor vehicle fees. The waiver will remain in place for several weeks.

The decision to waive fees was announced by Terry L. Rhodes, director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, on Friday. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Sarasota Patch. Click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

“Many Floridians have felt the effects of Hurricane Irma and DHSMV understands the impacts to our customers,” Rhodes said. “To aid in the recovery effort, DHSMV is committed to providing all possible assistance.”

Watch: Hurricane Irma's Destructive Journey By The Numbers

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Rhodes said the following fees will be waived through Oct. 9:

• Delinquent fees for late renewals of a driver license or vehicle registration if the delinquency is related to the severe weather or office closings prompted by Hurricane Irma
• The fee charged for replacing a driver license or ID card if the loss occurred during the severe weather event
• The fee charged to obtain a duplicate title or vehicle registration if Irma caused the loss of the original document

In addition, the $10 “expedited title print-on-demand fee for total loss vehicle title” will be waived until further notice. The total loss of the vehicle must be Irma-related and liens will need to have been satisfied for the waiver to apply.

To obtain waivers, motorists must visit one of the department’s service centers. A full list of locations across the state is available on the department’s website.

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