Just Bought in Lake Nona? Your New Florida Resident Checklist

The keys are in your hand. Here is what Florida expects from you in the next 10 days, 30 days and by March 1.

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated October 2026

A buyer who moves to Lake Nona from another state has 10 days to get Florida auto insurance and title and register each vehicle, and 30 days to get a Florida driver license. Most out-of-state vehicles owe Florida's $225 Initial Registration Fee. The closest full-service Orange County Tax Collector office to Lake Nona is Lee Vista & 417 at 6050 Wooden Pine Drive. Voter registration is online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. The homestead exemption, which can cut the tax bill by up to about $750 a year and caps future assessment increases at 3%, must be filed with the Orange County Property Appraiser by March 1, for a home you owned and lived in on January 1.

Closing on a Lake Nona home is the finish line for the purchase. For an out-of-state buyer, it is also the start line for becoming a Florida resident, and Florida runs some of those clocks faster than people expect.

Here is the order we give our relocation buyers, with the official source for each step.

When does Florida consider you a resident?

You are a Florida resident once you start a job here, enroll a child in a Florida public school, register to vote, file for homestead, or live here more than six consecutive months.

That list comes from the Orange County Tax Collector. Any one of those events starts the clocks below. For most buyers, moving into a home they plan to live in full time is the practical trigger, and the first school day or the first day at a new job makes it official.

What do you have to do in the first 10 days?

Within 10 days, buy Florida auto insurance and title and register every vehicle you brought with you.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) requires out-of-state vehicles to be registered within 10 days of the owner becoming employed, placing children in public school or establishing residency. You cannot register without Florida coverage first.

• Insurance: the policy must come from a carrier licensed in Florida and carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability. Coverage has to stay continuous for the whole registration period, even if the car sits.
• VIN verification: the vehicle identification number must be physically inspected by a law enforcement officer, a licensed Florida dealer, or a Tax Collector employee, and recorded on form HSMV 82040 or 82042. Driving the car to the Tax Collector office is the simplest route.
• Title packet: proof of identity, proof of Florida insurance, the out-of-state title and a signed HSMV 82040. If a lender holds the title, the lienholder has to send it to Florida or provide a letter.

What does it cost to bring a car to Florida?

Most new residents pay Florida's $225 Initial Registration Fee per vehicle, plus the title fee and the regular registration fees.

Annual registration and plate fees are on top of these and vary by vehicle. Florida registrations expire at midnight on the first owner's birthday, so after the first year, renewal lines up with your birthday.

How do you get a Florida driver license in Orange County?

Within 30 days of becoming a resident, apply in person at an Orange County Tax Collector office, surrender your old license and pass a vision test.

If you hold a valid license from a state Florida has reciprocity with, the written and road tests are waived. The vision test is required for every new resident. Bring the documents on the FLHSMV "What to Bring" list, which asks a first-time applicant for proof of identity and date of birth, proof of a Social Security number and proof of residential address. Requirements vary by person, so check the list before you go.

Tax Collector offices serve Orange County residents only, and the office books appointments online.

Which Tax Collector office is closest to Lake Nona?

The Lee Vista & 417 office at 6050 Wooden Pine Drive, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32829 is the closest full-service office to Lake Nona.

It handles driver licenses and IDs, tags and titles and written tests, and it is one of five Orange County sites that give road tests. From most of Lake Nona it is a short trip north on SR 417. The Sand Lake office at 730 Sand Lake Road offers the same core services. Hours at both are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., opening at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays. The Tax Collector's help line is 407-434-0312.

How do you register to vote in Orange County?

Register online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, or in person or by mail with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.

Moving from another state means registering as a new Florida voter, not updating an old record. If you do not have a Florida-issued ID yet, you will need to print, sign and return the form; registering after the license visit avoids that step. Registration closes before each election, so check the Supervisor's election calendar or call 407-836-2070 if an election is close.

When do you file for the homestead exemption?

File with the Orange County Property Appraiser by March 1 for a home you owned and lived in as your permanent residence on January 1.

The Property Appraiser says the exemption can save up to $750 a year, and it limits future increases in the home's assessed value to 3% a year. Buyers who had a Florida homestead on a previous home within the last three years can move up to $500,000 of that accumulated savings to the new one with form DR501T, filed with the new application.

The timing matters for buyers who close late in the year. A home bought in November and lived in on January 1 can be filed by the following March 1. A home bought in February cannot be homesteaded until the next year's January 1. Questions go to the Property Appraiser at 407-836-5044.

What else should a new Lake Nona owner set up?

Confirm school zoning with OCPS, set up utilities and internet, and learn whether your community has a CDD on its tax bill.

• Schools: Lake Nona schools are part of Orange County Public Schools, and zoning follows the address. Verify it with the OCPS Find My School tool and check the OCPS required documents list before enrollment. Our Lake Nona schools guide lists the schools in the area.
• Utilities: our Lake Nona utilities and community contacts page lists providers. For internet options, see our Lake Nona internet guide.
• CDD: many Lake Nona neighborhoods pay a Community Development District assessment on the property tax bill. Our CDD fees explainer covers how to read it.

What the Neighbors Know

The step that is easiest to put off in a moving month is the car. The step that costs the most to miss is homestead. Put March 1 on the calendar the day you close, whether your new home is in Laureate Park, Storey Park or any other Lake Nona neighborhood. If you are still deciding on the move, start with our Lake Nona buyer page.

Official Sources

• FLHSMV — New Florida Residents
• FLHSMV — Fees
• FLHSMV — Florida Insurance Requirements
• FLHSMV — Motor Vehicle Registrations
• FLHSMV — What to Bring
• Orange County Tax Collector — New Florida Residents
• Orange County Tax Collector — Locations
• Orange County Supervisor of Elections — Register to Vote
• Orange County Property Appraiser — Homestead Exemption (PDF)
• Orange County Public Schools — Find My School

Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.