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Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Government

The following list provides links to the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Government.

Select a topic from the list to go to the topic...

Abandoned Property
Absentee Ballots
Administrative Code
Administrative Weekly
Birth Certificates
Business Complaint
Death Certificates
Doctors with Multiple Malpractice
Doing business with Florida
Drivers' licenses
Elections
E-mail addresses
Florida corporations
Florida Statutes
Homeowners Associations
Job openings
Landlord/Tenant issues
Laws
Marriage Licenses
Name Change
Physician discipline
Professional licenses
Renter's Rights
Residency
RFP/Bid information
Rosewood
Selling to the State of Florida
Starting a business
State Parks
Tourist Information
Unclaimed money
Vital Records
Voting

Administered by the Department of State, State Library of Florida, Division of Library and Information Services, Judith A. Ring, State Librarian


  1. How can I search for unclaimed property in Florida?
  2. The Bureau of Unclaimed Property has a searchable database at the following website: http://www.fltreasurehunt.org.

  3. How can I get an absentee ballot?
  4. Call your Supervisor of Elections office to ask about an absentee ballot as soon as you know that you will be unable to go to the polls on Election Day. When requesting an absentee ballot, whether by phone or by letter, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number, your name, residence address, date of birth, and voter identification number. Your request for an absentee ballot may be denied if you do not provide the required information. Specify the election(s) for which you wish to receive an absentee ballot and provide a mailing address. Check with your elections office if you need more information.

    Contact information for the Supervisor of Elections office nearest you can be found at the following website:

    http://election.dos.state.fl.us/SOE/supervisor_elections.asp

  5. Where can I access the Florida Administrative Code online?
  6. The Department of State has the Administrative Code online at the following website: https://www.flrules.org/

  7. Where can I find that listing of doctors and the number of citations or the number of times they had been taken to court?
  8. The Florida Department of Financial Services provides a searchable database of malpractice claims involving medical and osteopathic doctors, dentists, lawyers, hospitals, and other health care providers in Florida.
    The Florida Department of Health has a searchable database of disciplinary actions taken against health care providers.


  9. Where can I access the Florida Statutes online?
  10. The Florida Legislature's Online Sunshine site includes searchable copy of the Florida Statutes and the State Constitution.

  11. Can I get copies of the Florida Administrative Register (formerly Administrative Weekly) on the Web?
  12. Yes. The Department of State provides the Administrative Register. Back issues are available for downloading.

  13. How can I get a copy of a Florida birth certificate or death certificate?
  14. The Office of Vital Statistics now provides order forms online.

    You may also write the Office of Vital Statistics at P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, FL 32231 which charges $9.00 per copy of birth records ordered by mail, and $5.00 for death records. Please see the website for fee information for rush or certified certificates.

  15. What are the requirements to become a resident of Florida?
  16. Florida does not have rules for residency in general; residency in Florida is program specific. That is, it is attached to a specific purpose or
    need, such as taxes, in-state tuition, etc. The following sections of the Florida Statutes address several ways to establish residency:
    Section 222.17 (homestead exemption)
    Section 1009.21 (residency requirements for tuition and state financial aid for education)
    Section 196.015 (domicile for tax exemption)

    The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has information on resources for persons retiring to Florida on their website: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/resources.php

    The Florida Department of Revenue has information in the new residents section of their website: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/current/gt800025.pdf

    See also information from Florida county elections supervisors: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/SOE/supervisor_elections.asp

    See also information from Florida county property appraisers: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/appraisers.html

  17. Who regulates licensing of various professions and are their databases available to search?
  18. Many professions are regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation

    The Construction Industry Licensing Board is responsible for contractor's licenses and can be reached at 1940 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399. The telephone number is (850)487-1395.

    The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing is responsible for licensing Private Investigators, Security Officers, and the Recovery Industry.

    The Department of Health licenses health care professionals.

    A list of different licensed professions is also available.

  19. How can I get information on corporations in Florida. Is there an online source?
  20. The Department of State's Division of Corporations database is available online.

  21. Where can one file a complaint about a business in Florida?
  22. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Consumer Services has a toll free number (1-800-435-7352) for business complaints. For Lemon Law complaints call 1-800-321-5366.

    To complain about a physician contact the Agency for Health Care Administration's Consumer Services Hotline at (888) 419-3456 for a complaint form.

    The Department of State's Division of Corporations also has a Public Inquiry Line at (850) 488-9000 for Florida Corporations. Select menu item #1.

    Contact the Department of Financial Services's consumer hotline for financial and investment services and a fraud alert.

    Information about nursing or related facilities can be obtained from the Agency for Health Care Administration or by calling (888) 419-3456 .

    The Office of the Attorney General and Department of Juvenile Justice have information on consumer fraud and the Attorney General provides instructions for filing a complaint or checking on a business.

  23. What are the e-mail addresses for Florida legislators, the Governor and Cabinet members?
  24. Not all our legislators have e-mail, but the addresses for those who do are available through Online Sunshine .

    The e-mail addresses for the Governor and Cabinet are listed on the home pages of their individual departments, all accessible via the Cabinet Page.

    Conventions for e-mail addresses for state employees in the various departments can be found as a part of the State Telephone Directory.

  25. Are Florida drivers' license records online?
  26. Driver license records are not available on the State website, but they are available electronically from private vendors. Information on accessing these records is available at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Web site.

    Where can I get information on obtaining a Florida driver license?

    For information on obtaining a driver license, see the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Web site.

  27. I want to do business with the State of Florida. Where do I find RFP's or bid information?
  28. Two sites provide bidding information: The Department of State's online edition of the Administrative Register publishes lists of goods and services up for bid, and the Department of Management Services has purchasing and bidding information.

  29. I'm looking for job openings in Florida.
  30. The Florida Statewide job openings and information for job seekers are listed at PeopleFirst. Applications can be filed online for state jobs.

    The Library JobLine is also located online.

  31. How can I get a Florida highway map and information about visiting Florida?
  32. The Department of Transportation has maps and information about ordering maps on its Web site.

    Request maps and guides from Visit Florida, our official tourism promoter.

  33. Where can I get information about Florida Parks?
  34. Visit the Florida State Parks Web site. To write them, the address is Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Recreation, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399.

  35. Where can I find information about the destruction of Rosewood?
  36. Rosewood research information is available through the State Library of Florida.

  37. Where can I find information about the Landlord/Tenant relationship in Florida?
  38. Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes has many laws related to landlord/tenant concerns. You can access the Florida Statutes online through:

    http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes

    Choose Title VI and then Chapter 83.

    The Florida Bar Association provides information on:
    Rights and Duties of Landlords and Tenants

    Additional information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Leon County Clerk of the Court site.

    You can also check your local public library for:

    1. Landlord/Tenant Rights in Florida: What You Need to Know by William D. Clark
    2. Landlords' rights and duties in Florida: with forms by Mark Warda
    There are recent editions of these books which should be available through InterLibrary Loan if your local library does not have them.

  39. What do I need to do to get a marriage license?
  40. To get information on obtaining a marriage license, contact the Clerk's office in the county in which the marriage will take place. There is a list of Clerks of Court on the Web at http://info.florida.gov/fgils/coclerks.html

    Persons applying for a marriage license need to have some form of identification and their Social Security numbers. If either person has been married previously, he or she needs to have the date when the divorce was final or proof of the divorce if it was granted recently.

    As of January 1, 1999 persons wishing to be married must do one of the following:

    1. complete a 4-hour premarital course given by a provider registered with the Clerk of Circuit Court (Florida license fee $61.00), or
    2. have a 3-day waiting period apply to your license after submitting application to marry with the Clerk of Circuit Court (Florida license fee $93.50).
    For more information, please refer to Florida Statutes 741.0305.

    Florida Statutes 741 has information on marriage licenses, including fees and procedures.

  41. What is the law concerning homeowners associations?
  42. Laws relating to homeowners associations can be found in Florida Statute Chapter 720..

    Requests for arbitration of recall and election disputes with homeowners associations can be made online to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes or by calling 850.488.1122.

  43. How do I legally change my name?
  44. Florida Statutes Chapter 68.07 covers name changes. You can access the statutes online at:

    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes
    Click on Title VI - Civil Practice and Procedure
    Click on Chapter 68 - Miscellaneous Proceedings
    Scroll down to find 68.07 - Change of name

    Forms are available at http://www.flcourts.org/resources-and-services/family-courts/family-law-self-help-information/family-law-forms.stml
    Scroll down to find 12.982 - Name Change

    While the Florida Government Information Locator provides links to all State agencies and departments, we are unable to provide troubleshooting and are not responsible for servers which fail to connect or recognize our address. Whenever possible, we will try to bring problems to the attention of those who can resolve them. Addresses and telephone numbers for state agencies and boards and commissions are listed if you wish to contact them directly.

  45. How do I start a business in Florida?
  46. To start a business in Florida, you should: Check with your county tax collector to see if you need a license.

    Register with the Florida Department of Revenue.

    Register with the IRS.

    Corporate entities or fictitious name registrants should register with the Department of State.

    You may also want to check at your local library for books such as Mark Warda's "How to start a business in Florida."

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