Dealer plates will be necessary for successful operation of the business.

Vehicles that require dealer plates are as follows: vehicles involved with the dealer’s business; vehicles that are being used for demonstration; vehicles that are being moved from or to a dealership; vehicles that are loaned out to a customer by a dealer without any compensation; vehicles used by the dealer to conduct some services that are related to the day to day business of the dealership; vehicles owned by the dealer while in inventory and for sale.

Vehicles that may not require dealer plates are as follows: services trucks that are being used for hauling or making service calls for compensation, on parts or supply trucks calling on retail or wholesale trade, or on wreckers (s. 320.13, f.s.). A wholesale dealer is not entitled to using dealer plates. It’s not acceptable to use dealer plates for private use.

It’s very much possible to replace dealer plates, which may have been destroyed, lost, or stolen. But to accomplish this, the dealer must report such incidence to any law enforcement agency, before applying for a replacement plate (visit the department’s http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/forms.html to access form HSMV 83146, application for replacement license plate, validation decal, or parking permit).  The use tax, which is normally required from the dealer for issuance of dealer plate, is not needed for the replacement dealer plates.

The registration periods for dealer license plates are the same as the dealer license period.

Any misuse or abuse of dealer license plates may lead to penalty and sanctions. For instance, the use of license plates on private cars, which are not really inventory and for sale violate the motor vehicle, laws as well as sales laws of the state. The story is the same whenever a private vehicle is used in such a way to avoid paying taxes or license fees. It’s not right to use dealer plate for the purpose of testing or driving a vehicle, to determine whether a dealer wishes to purchase that vehicle.  In essence, the use of dealer plates must be confined to those purposes specified, authorized, and described in paragraph (b) on the previous page.

See Florida Statutes Chapter 320.13: http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2011/320.13