ORLANDO, Fla. — Census data shows that a lot more people are moving here than leaving.
- Most Central Florida counties don't have a so-called "DMV"
- Residents must go to tax collector's office for licenses, registrations
- Make an appointment and you likely won't have to wait
One of the first things you should consider doing after you arrive is get your Florida driver’s license, which you're required to do within the first 30 days.
Something else you should know: Most Central Florida counties don't have a "DMV," per se. You must get your driver’s license and auto registration at your county tax collector's office.
Chances are you've dealt with long lines there in the past. But in Orange County, you won't have to — if you make an appointment.
"I'm here to get my driver's license, (and) according to the message I received on text on my phone, it's supposed to be another 20 minutes," said Mike Schultz, a new resident of Central Florida.
He recently moved to Orange County from Las Vegas and did not make an appointment at the Orange County Tax Collector's Office.
Making appointments are easy. You just go to the Orange County Tax Collector's website, pick the service you need, and follow the links to make the appointment.
"Ninety-five percent of our appointments are seen within 5 minutes of their appointment time," Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph says.
You can get into a virtual line at each of the county's tax collector locations by entering your phone number on a touch-screen kiosk. The wait will be longer, but not as bad as if you just walked in.
Osceola, Brevard, Seminole tax collectors offices allow appointments. Volusia allows you to make appointments for driver's licenses at their Orange City and South Daytona offices, but appointments are not available for the tag and title offices. Flagler, Lake and Sumter tax collector offices are walk-ins only.
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