Florida’s HSMV 82040 form is the application you file to get a Certificate of Title for a vehicle you’ve bought, been given, or brought in from another state. The version for cars, trucks, and motorcycles is labeled HSMV 82040 MV, available as a free PDF on the FLHSMV website, and you submit it with your supporting documents and payment to your county tax collector or a licensed tag agency.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title You can file in person or by mail.
What to Gather Before You Start
Pull everything together before you open the PDF. A missing document means a rejected mailing or a wasted trip to the counter.
- Proof of identity for every owner listed on the title. A current Florida driver license, Florida ID card, or unexpired U.S. passport works. Foreign passports are accepted only alongside a valid U.S. immigration document such as a permanent resident card or unexpired I-94.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Registrations
- Proof of ownership. For a brand-new vehicle, that’s the original Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. For a used Florida vehicle, the existing title signed over by the seller. For a vehicle coming from another state, the out-of-state title assigned to you.3Florida Statutes. Florida Code 319 – Title 23 Application for and Issuance of Certificate of Title
- Bill of sale or dealer invoice. A dealer invoice shows the purchase price, trade-in allowance, and any sales tax already paid. For a private-party sale, the selling price has to be written on the title itself.
- Proof of Florida auto insurance. An insurance card or policy showing active coverage is required if you’re registering the vehicle at the same time you title it.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Registrations
- Lienholder details, if a bank or credit union financed the vehicle: the lender’s name, mailing address, FEID number, and whether they participate in Florida’s Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program.
Business applicants also need documentation showing the company is authorized to transact in Florida, such as a corporate charter or articles of organization, plus proof that the person signing has authority to act on the business’s behalf.
Filling Out the Form Section by Section
The current HSMV 82040 MV has 13 sections. Not every section applies to every transaction. Here’s what you’ll run into working through the form in order.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title
Section 1: Owner and Applicant Information
Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your Florida driver license or ID card, your residential street address, and your Florida driver license number (or FEID number, for businesses). Each co-owner gets their own name and ID number. The form asks for “FL DL/ID or FEID/Suffix Number,” not a Social Security number. People confuse those often.
Sections 2 Through 5: Vehicle Details, Brands, Liens, Transfer Type
Section 2 captures the vehicle itself: VIN, Florida title number if previously titled here, license plate number, make, model year, body style, and color. Copy the VIN character by character from the vehicle or the previous title. One wrong digit sends the application back.
Section 3 handles brands and usage. If the vehicle was ever declared a total loss, rebuilt, or used as a taxi, police car, or lease vehicle, that goes here. Florida law requires the department to stamp this status on the title, so skipping it isn’t an option.3Florida Statutes. Florida Code 319 – Title 23 Application for and Issuance of Certificate of Title
Section 4 is the lienholder block. Check whether the lender is an ELT customer, then enter name, address, and FEID number. Leave it blank if there’s no lien. Section 5 asks you to identify the type of transfer: new purchase, out-of-state title, gift, repossession, or other.
Section 6: Odometer Declaration
Both buyer and seller must certify the odometer reading. Record the mileage exactly as it shows on the odometer, the date read, and whether the reading is actual, exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or is not actual. Both parties sign under penalty of perjury.
Not every vehicle requires this disclosure. Vehicles with a model year of 2010 or older are exempt because they’ve passed the 10-year threshold. Vehicles with a model year of 2011 or newer are exempt only after 20 years. Also exempt: vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds, non-self-propelled vehicles, low-speed electric vehicles, and off-highway vehicles.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. TL-09 Odometer Disclosure and Declaration Requirements For exempt vehicles, write “exempt” in the odometer field instead of a mileage reading.
Sections 7 Through 13: Tax, Exemptions, and Signatures
Section 7 is used by dealerships to report sales tax and trade-in information. Private buyers skip it. Section 9 handles sales tax exemptions. If the vehicle was a gift or qualifies for another exemption, you declare it here. Section 10 applies only to repossessions. Section 12 is where you and any co-owners sign and date, attesting that everything is accurate. Section 13 is a release of a spouse’s or heir’s interest, used only in specific estate or divorce situations.
VIN Verification for Out-of-State Vehicles
If your vehicle has never been titled in Florida, a physical VIN inspection has to happen before the state will issue a Florida title. The verification is done on a separate form, HSMV 82042, not on the 82040 itself.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Identification Number and Odometer Verification Someone authorized by the state has to physically look at the VIN and confirm it matches your paperwork.
The inspection can be performed by a Florida-licensed motor vehicle dealer, a law enforcement officer, a military police officer, a Florida compliance examiner, or a Florida-commissioned notary public. An out-of-state dealer can also complete it, but their statement has to come on dealer letterhead. The inspector signs the form certifying that the VIN under the windshield and in the door jamb matches the VIN on the application.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Identification Number and Odometer Verification
Easiest route: drive the vehicle to the tax collector’s office and let them do the VIN check on the spot when you file the 82040. No notary hunt, no separate appointment.
Fees and Sales Tax
Florida’s title fees depend on whether the vehicle is new or used and whether you want paper or electronic. The base fees for electronic titles are:
- Original title, new vehicle: $77.25
- Original title, used vehicle: $85.25
Add $2.50 for a paper title mailed to you, or $10.00 for a fast title printed at the office while you wait. A $2.00 lien recording fee applies if a lienholder is listed.6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
On top of the title fee, you owe Florida’s 6% sales tax on the purchase price minus any trade-in credit. Most counties also charge a discretionary sales surtax, typically 0.5% to 1.5% on the first $5,000 of the purchase price.7Flagler County Tax Collector. Motor Vehicle Titles If a dealer already collected the full sales tax at the time of sale, bring the invoice showing the tax paid so you aren’t charged again. For private-party sales, the tax collector collects the sales tax when you file the title application, based on the selling price written on the title or bill of sale.
Gifted Vehicles and the Sales Tax Exemption
If someone gives you a vehicle at no cost and you aren’t assuming an outstanding loan, the transfer is exempt from sales tax. To claim it, fill out the Sales Tax Exemption Certification in Section 9 of the 82040 and attach a sworn statement that includes a description of the vehicle, the donor’s name and address, a declaration that no money or other consideration changed hands, and a statement that no lien is being assumed.8Florida Department of Revenue. Sales Tax on Motor Vehicle Gift Transfers The exemption isn’t limited to family members. Any genuine gift between individuals qualifies, as long as no payment of any kind was involved.
Where people get tripped up: if you “gift” a vehicle but the recipient takes over the car payments or assumes the existing loan, the state treats the remaining loan balance as consideration, and sales tax applies on that amount.
Where and How to Submit
Bring or mail the completed Form HSMV 82040 MV, all supporting documents, and payment to your county tax collector’s office or a licensed private tag agency. Both handle the same transactions. The FLHSMV location finder at flhsmv.gov/locations lists the nearest offices.
An in-person visit lets the clerk review your documents on the spot and catch problems before they stall your title. If you need the vehicle on the road right away, request a fast title and the office prints it the same day for the additional $10.00 fee.7Flagler County Tax Collector. Motor Vehicle Titles Mailing works too, but call the office first to confirm what to include and what forms of payment they accept by mail. Use a trackable shipping method. You’re sending original title documents that can’t be replaced quickly.
Without a fast title request, the state mails a paper title to the address on file. Expect delivery within three to four weeks.7Flagler County Tax Collector. Motor Vehicle Titles Keep your receipt and copies of everything you submitted until the title arrives and you’ve confirmed the information is correct. If a lienholder is on the title, Florida defaults to an electronic title and the lien is tracked through the ELT system rather than a paper document mailed to you.9Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Electronic Liens and Titles
Penalties for False Information
Lying on a title application is a third-degree felony in Florida. Using a fake name, providing a false address, misstating the odometer reading, or committing any fraud on the application falls under Section 319.33 of the Florida Statutes. A third-degree felony carries up to five years in prison.10Florida Statutes. Florida Code 319.33 – Offenses Involving Vehicle Identification Numbers, Applications, Certificates, Papers Penalty The state can also seize the vehicle itself as contraband and pursue forfeiture. Odometer fraud draws particular scrutiny because it directly affects a vehicle’s resale value and violates both state and federal law.