Promoting appointments for driver’s license companies is now an unlawful act in Broward County, the Broward Tax Collector’s Workplace introduced Wednesday. This transfer, geared toward combating exploitation and bettering public entry, comes as the same statewide regulation is about to take impact subsequent yr.
The Broward County Fee unanimously handed Ordinance 2025-20, making it illegal to “promote, market or promote appointments for public companies provided by the Florida Division of Freeway Security and Motor Automobiles or the Broward Tax Collector’s Workplace,” in accordance with the information launch.
Whereas this county ordinance is efficient instantly, Florida House Bill 961, authorised by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 5, additionally makes promoting driver’s license appointments unlawful throughout the whole state. Nonetheless, the state regulation is not going to go into impact till July 1, 2026.
In Broward County, people present in violation of the county ordinance will face a superb of $250 for a primary offense, with every subsequent offense incurring a $500 superb. These violating the state statute, as soon as it turns into lively, could face prison prices, which may probably result in jail time.
“Each insurance policies assist the Tax Collector’s broader initiative to modernize and streamline driver license companies forward of taking on operations in the summertime of 2026,” the information launch acknowledged.
This initiative follows widespread complaints from many South Floridians about lengthy strains at DMV areas and people allegedly shopping for up appointment time slots on-line solely to resell them, typically for as a lot as $250 per reservation.
In an announcement issued Wednesday morning, Tax Collector Abbey Ajayi expressed gratitude for the brand new ordinance. “Thanks, Commissioner Hazelle Rogers, for sponsoring the county ordinance, the whole Broward County Fee, in addition to Florida Legislators and the Governor for establishing these a lot wanted insurance policies,” Ajayi stated. She added, “It is a win for our clients. Public companies, like driver license issuance, have to be delivered to residents with integrity and effectivity. Each the county and state insurance policies will deter opportunists from abusing the system, ensuring that extra appointments are available to people who want them, with out unjust trouble or price.”
The Miami-Dade County Fee handed the same ordinance earlier this yr. The workplace of the Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez introduced in Could that the state legislature had handed a invoice making it unlawful to promote service appointments with the DMV or tax collector workplaces, whereas the county fee’s laws makes it a misdemeanor, with violators probably receiving a $500 superb.
