Overview
- The package signed by Governor Ron DeSantis takes effect October 1, 2026, authorizing the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to use email for covered notices.
- Under SB 488 the FLHSMV may send license and vehicle notices by email to drivers who opt in, and those messages are deemed delivered 20 days after sending or 15 days in certain cases.
- SB 490 retroactively exempts from public-record disclosure email addresses the agency collects for its notifications and is slated to expire October 2, 2031 unless the Legislature renews the exemption.
- The bills also raise the crash-reporting damage threshold from $500 to $2,000, allow decorative plate frames that do not cover plate numbers or validation stickers, and let disabled veterans keep the 'DV' plate designation on reissue or transfer.
- Drivers who authorize electronic delivery must monitor their inboxes because unread emails can trigger legal consequences, the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act still governs other DMV personal data, and the new rules could prompt administrative appeals or court challenges over missed notices.