Before you start

Florida residency and two proofs of a Florida address
Florida insurance from a Florida-licensed agent, in force BEFORE registering
The out-of-state or foreign title, or the lienholder's details
A booked appointment at an Orange County Tax Collector office
Certified English translation of any non-English licence

Step-by-step

1
Buy Florida insurance first
You cannot title or register a vehicle in Florida without a policy from a Florida-licensed agent already in force. Do this before the appointment, not at it. Do not stop at the statutory minimum — see below.
OnlineWho: YouDay 1–5
2
Get the VIN verified and title the vehicle within 10 days
An out-of-state vehicle needs its VIN physically verified, which can be done by a Florida notary, a law enforcement officer or at the tax collector's office. Then title and register. The initial registration fee for a vehicle new to Florida is substantially higher than the annual renewal — budget for it as a one-off.
In personWho: YouWithin 10 days
3
Apply for the Florida licence within 30 days
In person at a tax collector office offering driver licence services, with proof of identity, Social Security number and two proofs of Florida address. A valid licence from another US state usually converts with only a vision test. A foreign licence commonly means the written knowledge test and possibly a road test — confirm your case before booking.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days
4
Buy bodily injury liability and uninsured motorist cover
Florida's minimum is PIP and property damage only. That leaves your personal assets exposed if you injure someone, and it leaves you dependent on your own uninsured-motorist cover if someone injures you. Florida has one of the highest uninsured-driver rates in the country. Treat the statutory minimum as a legal floor, not as a recommendation.
OnlineWho: You
5
Order an E-PASS or SunPass transponder
The 408, 417, 429 and the Turnpike are how you actually move around this metro, and most tolling is now all-electronic. Without a transponder the plate is photographed and the registered owner billed by post at a higher rate plus a fee. E-PASS is the Central Florida Expressway Authority's, SunPass is the state's, and they work on each other's roads.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
6
Work out whether SunRail or Brightline is any use to you
SunRail runs north–south through downtown on the CSX corridor from DeLand to Poinciana, and its schedule is built for commuters — check the current span of service and weekend operation before relying on it. Brightline runs from Orlando International Airport to South Florida in about three and a half hours. LYNX buses cover the city itself. If your commute matches one of these it is genuinely useful; most in this metro do not.
OnlineWho: You
7
Learn the summer afternoon rule
From June to September a thunderstorm forms most afternoons, drops visibility to almost nothing for twenty minutes, and floods the outside lanes. The local behaviour is to slow down and put lights on — hazard lights while moving are actually prohibited in most circumstances. Central Florida also leads the country in lightning, so a roadside stop under a tree in a storm is worse than staying in the car.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign or out-of-state driver licence, with certified English translation if needed
Passport, visa and I-94 for lawful-presence proof
Social Security number
Two proofs of a Florida residential address
Out-of-state title and a completed VIN verification for registration
Florida insurance policy details from a Florida-licensed agent

Things most newcomers don’t know

Florida's minimum insurance leaves out the cover you most need.

The statutory minimum is $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage, with no bodily injury liability requirement for most drivers. Someone driving legally in Florida may have nothing that would pay for injuries they cause you, and Florida has among the highest uninsured-driver rates in the country. Uninsured motorist cover is the single most valuable optional line on a Florida policy, and it is cheap relative to what it does.

Source: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

There is no emissions test and no safety inspection here.

Florida abolished its vehicle emissions testing programme in 2000 and has no periodic safety inspection for private cars. For someone moving from California this removes an entire step and a real cost from the registration process — and it also means a used car bought privately here has never been independently inspected, so a pre-purchase inspection is on you.

Source: FLHSMV

The tolls are not optional and the cameras are not forgiving.

Central Florida's expressway network has almost no cash lanes left. Without a transponder every trip is billed to the registered owner by post at a higher rate plus an administrative fee, and rental companies add a daily service charge on top of the tolls themselves. A transponder pays for itself within a couple of airport runs.

Source: Central Florida Expressway Authority

I-4 is the region's single point of failure.

It is the only continuous east–west interstate across central Florida, it carries commuter, freight and tourist traffic on the same lanes, and it has been under long-term reconstruction. There is no parallel interstate. Any commute that crosses it should be tested at the actual hour before you sign a lease, and the toll expressways are frequently the faster route despite the longer distance.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving at the tax collector without Florida insurance already in force.
Missing the 10-day vehicle window while planning around the 30-day licence one.
Driving on the 408 or 417 for weeks with no transponder and discovering the bills later.
Buying the statutory minimum insurance and thinking you are covered.
Assuming a used car has passed some kind of inspection. Florida has none.
Choosing a neighbourhood without driving the I-4 crossing at the actual commute hour.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.