1998 Florida Code
TITLE XXIII MOTOR VEHICLES
Chapter 324 Financial Responsibility  
324.201   Return of license or registration to department.

324.201  Return of license or registration to department.--

(1)  Any person whose license or registration shall have been suspended as herein provided; whose policy of insurance or bond, when required under this chapter, shall have been canceled or terminated; or who shall neglect to furnish other proof upon the request of the department shall immediately return his or her license and registrations to the department. If any person shall fail to return to the department the license or registrations as provided herein, the department shall issue a complaint to a court of competent jurisdiction which shall issue a warrant charging such person with a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Such person shall surrender to the court his or her driver's license, registration, and plates for delivery to the department. For the service and execution of such warrant the sheriff shall receive the arrest and other fees authorized by law.

(2)  It shall be unlawful for any person whose license has been suspended to operate any motor vehicle or for any person whose registrations have been suspended to obtain another motor vehicle for the purpose of circumventing this chapter.

(3)  If a law enforcement officer determines that a person operating a motor vehicle is also the owner or registrant, or the coowner or coregistrant, of the motor vehicle and is operating the motor vehicle with a driver's license or vehicle registration that has been under suspension pursuant to a violation of this chapter for a period of at least 30 days, the police officer shall immediately seize the license plate of the motor vehicle.

(4)  All information obtained by the department regarding compliance with the provisions of this chapter shall be made available to all law enforcement agencies, and recovery agents or recovery agencies authorized under s. 324.202 to seize license plates, for the purpose of enforcing this chapter. Law enforcement agencies and recovery agents or recovery agencies may utilize that information to seize the license plate of any motor vehicle which has a suspended registration as a result of noncompliance by the operator or owner of the motor vehicle under the provisions of this chapter.

(5)  When a recovery agent or recovery agency obtains a seized license plate in accordance with this chapter, local law enforcement agencies must be notified of the recovery within 6 hours after seizure. The recovery agent or recovery agency shall deliver the license plate to the local law enforcement authorities and obtain a receipt upon delivery of the license plate for claim record purposes with the department pursuant to the procedure prescribed in this section.

History.--s. 1, ch. 29963, 1955; s. 7, ch. 57-147; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 220, ch. 71-136; s. 96, ch. 73-333; s. 6, ch. 86-36; s. 10, ch. 88-370; s. 440, ch. 95-148; s. 3, ch. 95-202; s. 1, ch. 95-262.

Note.--Former s. 324.16.