Florida Temporary Tags for Dealers: Issuance Rules and Recordkeeping Checklist

Temporary tags let a customer legally drive a newly purchased vehicle while title and registration work is completed. They are not extra dealer plates, extensions for delayed paperwork, or blank stock that can be handed out whenever a customer asks.

Florida dealers must use the Electronic Temporary Registration (ETR) system, keep required records, protect access to the system, and account for backup stock. A simple written process can prevent many of the violations found during dealer inspections.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Temporary-tag rules and system procedures can change. Confirm current requirements with FLHSMV, your ETR provider, or qualified counsel.

Key points in 30 seconds

• A standard dealer-issued temporary tag is generally valid for 30 calendar days, including the issue date.
• No more than two temporary tags may generally be issued to the same person for the same vehicle.
• Dealers must issue temporary tags through the ETR system unless an authorized outage procedure applies.
• Outage tags must be reported electronically within one business day, excluding weekends and state holidays.
• ETR and dealer transaction records generally require five-year retention.
• Preprinted temporary-tag records have a separate minimum three-year rule, and voided tags must be retained.

Temporary tags are not dealer plates

A dealer plate is assigned to the dealership and may be used only for authorized dealer purposes. A temporary tag is assigned to a particular person and vehicle for a legally permitted temporary use.

The most common dealer use occurs when a customer purchases a vehicle and does not have a valid plate available to transfer. The temporary tag allows the customer to drive the vehicle while the dealer processes title and registration.

Do not issue a temporary tag merely because a dealer plate cannot be used. Confirm that the transaction fits an authorized purpose under section 320.131, Florida Statutes.

The 30-day rule

Unless a specific statutory exception applies, a Florida temporary tag is valid for 30 days. The day it is issued counts as day one.

Florida law also authorizes certain 10-day, 60-day, and 90-day tags for defined situations. Those periods are not interchangeable. Select the duration that matches the legal purpose recorded in the transaction, not the amount of time someone expects the paperwork to take.

The two-tag limit

Florida generally prohibits issuing more than two temporary tags to the same person for the same vehicle. A second tag should not be automatic. Before issuing one, identify why the permanent title or registration was not completed, confirm that another tag is legally available, and document the reason.

FLHSMV may issue more than two tags when resolving a consumer complaint. That narrow authority does not give a dealer permission to keep printing tags until a title problem is solved.

ETR issuance checklist

Before printing a temporary tag, verify and record:

• The dealership and employee are authorized to use the ETR system.
• The transaction qualifies for a temporary tag.
• The buyer’s full legal name and current address match the deal documents.
• The vehicle identification number is correct.
• The vehicle year, make, model, and description are correct.
• The tag duration and stated purpose are authorized.
• The issue date is accurate.
• Any previous temporary tag issued to the same buyer and vehicle has been reviewed.
• The printed tag is legible and placed in the required license-plate location.
• A copy or retrievable electronic record is placed with the deal file.

Use a second-person review for the buyer name, VIN, and tag number whenever staffing allows. Those fields are difficult to fix after issuance and are central to an inspection.

What records to keep

Florida’s rules use different retention periods for different records. Keep them separate in the dealership’s retention schedule.

ETR records: five years

Rule 15C-16.003 requires an authorized electronic temporary registration issuer to maintain records related to issuance for five years. The records must be available for inspection during reasonable business hours.

Dealer transaction records: five years

Section 320.27(6), Florida Statutes, requires licensed motor vehicle dealers to keep purchase, sale, exchange, and receipt-for-sale records for five years. The required information includes the temporary-tag issue date, title-transfer date, vehicle description, and the names and addresses of relevant parties.

Preprinted temporary-tag records: at least three years

Rule 15C-1.004 separately requires an issuer to account for preprinted temporary tags purchased and issued in numerical order for at least three years from issuance. These records include the recipient’s name and address, vehicle make and VIN, and issue date.

Because the same transaction may also fall within a five-year dealer or ETR requirement, do not destroy part of a deal file after three years simply because the preprinted-tag rule lists a shorter minimum. Apply the longest relevant retention period to the complete record set.

What to do during an ETR outage

Preprinted backup stock is an outage procedure, not a substitute for ETR. When FLHSMV or an approved provider cannot assign a print-on-demand tag:

1. Confirm that an actual system outage exists.
2. Use only authorized preprinted and preassigned stock.
3. Record the issue date, tag number, buyer’s name and address, VIN, vehicle description, and reason for offline issuance.
4. Secure unused stock and limit employee access.
5. Report the issuance electronically within one business day, excluding weekends and state holidays.
6. Reconcile the paper stock with the ETR record after service is restored.

Keep screenshots, provider notices, or support-ticket details that document the outage when available.

How to handle voided tags

Do not erase, cover, or write over incorrect information on a preprinted temporary tag. Under Rule 15C-1.004, a tag with an erasure, whiteout, or correction is void.

Mark VOID across the face of the tag and retain the physical tag with the temporary-tag records. Record why it was voided and who processed it. For an ETR tag, follow the provider’s void or cancel workflow and retain the resulting system record.

Common temporary-tag mistakes

• Issuing a tag before verifying the buyer’s identity or address.
• Entering a VIN from memory or from the wrong deal file.
• Treating the second tag as a routine 30-day extension.
• Issuing a third tag without FLHSMV involvement.
• Using preprinted stock when there is no system outage.
• Failing to report an outage issuance by the next required business day.
• Altering a tag instead of voiding it.
• Discarding the voided tag.
• Sharing ETR credentials among employees.
• Keeping tag records separately from the transaction file without a reliable cross-reference.
• Allowing unused backup stock to remain unsecured.

Why the controls matter

Florida law permits administrative and criminal consequences for temporary-tag misuse. Knowingly using temporary tags to avoid registration can be a first-degree misdemeanor. Knowingly issuing a tag to a fictitious person or entity to hide the true owner can be a third-degree felony. Failure to maintain required records can also carry penalties, and ETR noncompliance can place the dealer license at risk.

A manager should reconcile issued, voided, and unused tags regularly. Investigate missing numbers immediately rather than waiting for an inspection or consumer complaint.

Quick FAQ

• How long is a standard Florida dealer temporary tag valid? Unless a specific exception applies, a temporary tag is valid for 30 days. The day of issuance counts as the first day.
• Can a Florida dealer issue a third temporary tag for the same buyer and vehicle? Generally, no more than two temporary tags may be issued to the same person for the same vehicle. FLHSMV has limited authority to issue additional tags when resolving a consumer complaint.
• How long must a dealer keep temporary-tag records? ETR records and general dealer transaction records have a five-year retention requirement. Rule 15C-1.004 separately requires records for preprinted temporary tags to be maintained for at least three years.
• What should a dealer do with a corrected or voided preprinted temporary tag? A preprinted tag with an erasure, whiteout, or correction is void. Mark VOID across its face and retain it with the dealership’s temporary-tag records.

Related resources

• Florida dealer licensing basics: /dcs/resources/florida-dealer-licensing-basics
• Wholesale and auction rules: /dcs/resources/wholesale-and-auction-ground-rules
• Dealer license types: /dcs/resources/florida-dealer-license-types-explained

References

[1] FLHSMV, License Plates and Registration, Temporary License Plates: https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/license-plates-registration/

[2] FLHSMV, Motor Vehicle Procedure RS-31, Temporary License Plates: https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/proc/rs/rs-31.pdf

[3] Section 320.131, Florida Statutes, temporary tags: https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0320/Sections/0320.131.html

[4] Section 320.27, Florida Statutes, motor vehicle dealers: https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0320/Sections/0320.27.html

[5] Rule 15C-1.004, Florida Administrative Code, temporary-tag records: https://flrules.elaws.us/fac/15c-1.004

[6] Rule 15C-16.002, Florida Administrative Code, outage procedures: https://flrules.elaws.us/fac/15c-16.002

[7] Rule 15C-16.003, Florida Administrative Code, ETR record retention: https://flrules.elaws.us/fac/15c-16.003

[8] FLHSMV, Dealer Issued Temporary Tags Audit Report 202223-06: https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/igoffice/202223-06.pdf

Last reviewed: August 3, 2026.