General Information

The Tax Collector works as an agent for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in registering vehicles. Tag renewals can be obtained at any Florida tax collector's office.  Most license plates expire at midnight of the registered owner's birthday (owned or leased). You may renew your registration up to 90 days prior to the expiration date.  A penalty will be charged if you fail to renew before the 11th day of the month following your renewal month. The metal plate is replaced every 10 years and will be received with the decal for that year (you may discard old plate). To renew online by e-check - ($1.50 fee) or credit/debit card (fee of 2.39% charged with $2 minimum) please click here.  If you want to pay for your renewal by mail and do not have the return envelope, make check payable to Clay County Tax Collector and mail to:

Clay County Tax Collector
PO Box 1843 (Overnight Mail - 477 Houston St)
Green Cove Springs, FL  32043

If you purchased a vehicle from a dealer, please allow 30 days to receive your registration.  If you have not received after 30 days, contact your dealer as to the status.

Items required to renew license plates:

Your reminder notice, previous registration, or license plate or decal number.
Proof of Florida property damage and PIP insurance. Company name and policy number is required.

A registration cannot be renewed if the owner or any co-owners has a suspended drivers license.

Exceptions to this birthday renewal date are: company-owned vehicles and leasing company vehicles (Hearst, Enterprise, etc) are renewed in June, mobile homes, truck-tractors, semi-trailers, and trucks over 5000 lbs. are renewed in December. Vehicles are licensed according to weight, mobile home trailers and travel trailers according to length.

An Initial (first time) Registration Fee of $225 is imposed upon the initial application for registration of private automobiles, any truck with a weight of less than 5000 lbs., and any motor home. All motor vehicles previously registered and/or titled in another state, and all new vehicles sold by out-of-state dealers or manufacturers to the applicant, must have the vehicle identification number verified by a Florida motor vehicle dealer, Florida Notary Public, or law enforcement officer.

Frequently Asked Questions - click here

Registration Number - The registration number is the plate/decal number.

Disposing of license plate - You must surrender your license plate when no longer in use if it will not be transferred to another vehicle (this does not apply when you receive new plates for 10yr replacement).  This is true even if you move out of state as a suspension may be placed on your drivers license which would then have to be cleared when applying for a new license. For Clay County tags, you can return the plate to any of our offices or mail to:  PO Box 1843, Green Cove Springs 32043, include a note of why returning, i.e. - sold, moved out of state, or insurance cancelled. For all other Florida counties click here for where to return.

Refund of Registration - To Qualify for a Refund:
The vehicle owner who renews their registration early (during the 3 months prior to the vehicle owner's birthday) and surrenders the license plate and decal before or by close of business on the vehicle owner's birthday qualifies for a refund.  If a vehicle owner chooses a biennial registration and surrenders the license plate and decal anytime after the vehicle owner's birthday, there is NO REFUND for either the first or second year.  THERE IS NO PROVISION IN FLORIDA LAW FOR PRORATED REFUNDS. Click here for required form.