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On Your Side: Moving from Florida? Don't forget to leave the tag

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When moving out of state, most know they must turn off the utilities, have their mail forwarded and return any rental property. But do you have to surrender your Florida license plate? Turns out, it varies state-to-state on whether the license actually belongs to you.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When moving out of state, most know they must turn off the utilities, have their mail forwarded and return any rental property. But do you have to surrender your Florida license plate? Turns out, it varies state-to-state on whether the license actually belongs to you.

In Florida, tags must be surrendered to a Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or a tax collectors office location before you can get an insurance policy in another state. Failure to do so could result in a suspension of your Florida driver's license and a fine up to $150 plus tax.

Once the Florida DMV learns of the insurance cancelation and the license plate is not in state possession, the department will send a notice.

Most out-of-state drivers may not notice the suspension because they have a valid license in another state. If a driver tries to move back to Florida, however, the driver could be faced with a suspension and a fine.

A surrendered tag can be mailed to Division of Motorist Services, 2900 Apalachee Parkway, Mail Stop 98, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0500.

To check on whether a driver's license is suspended, go to the DMV's website.

If you don't have your driver's license, you can request a Motor Vehicle Report using a SSN an date of birth here. A fee is required.

While other states have similar laws, Georgia does not require license plates be surrendered.

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