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Rep. Tom Fabricio [flhouse.gov]

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Posted February 25, 2026 | By The News Service of Florida

A proposal backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate the need to place yellow vehicle registration stickers on license plates was approved by the House on Feb. 25.

Backed in a 93-17 vote, the proposal (HB 841), which hasn’t moved in the Senate, would still require people to renew their vehicles’ registration, with the process recorded electronically.

Miami Lakes Republican Rep. Tom Fabricio said his proposal, which was recommended by his tax collector, will be “cutting yellow tape, an additional burden for motorists.”

A House staff analysis doesn’t put an economic impact figure on the bill but notes the Miami-Dade Tax Collectors Office estimated going digital would save the office $2.5 million annually to record registrations and renewals.

In voting against the measure, Rep. Yvonne Hinson, D-Gainesville, said the state needs to cover a $2.50 service charge that tax collectors use to offset staffing costs that would be eliminated with the bill.

The proposal was backed by DeSantis in December, when he posted “get it done!” to Fabricio on social media.

Law enforcement uses the validation sticker to verify that a motor vehicle is legally registered. However, the staff analysis notes many law enforcement officers have the capability to verify motor vehicle registrations electronically using automated license plate recognition systems.

Currently, the registration period is 12 months, but an applicant may opt for an extended registration period of 24 months.

Local police grants for immigration enforcement get Cabinet OK

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet, sitting as the State Board of Immigration, on Feb. 24 approved approximately $40 million in grants for immigration enforcement.

It was a last-minute drop of millions of dollars compared to the previous funding request of $53 million attached to the Cabinet agenda.

State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Anthony Coker told Cabinet members the Lee County Sheriff’s Office would be modified “to include two years of equipment” for approximately $9.9 million instead of the original request of $23 million.

Lee County changed a six-year contract for body cameras with AI translation, an $18 million contract, to a two-year contract costing $4.3 million.

Of the $40 million approved on Tuesday, about $14 million of the funds were for new awards, Coker said, and the remaining $26 million was to go to agencies who were amending their requests and asking for more money.

The state has set aside $250 million to reimburse local law enforcement for purchases related to illegal immigration enforcement and has already approved tens of millions of dollars in requests.

That money has been earmarked for body cameras, license plate readers, surveillance towers, software, 287(g) training and bed space for detained immigrants in jail, among other requests.