Florida residency
Answer
Florida does not have a definition or 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, homestead exemptions, etc. You may be interested in the following information on when a person is considered a Florida resident for different purposes, and where to file for these purposes.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, "You are considered a Florida resident when your true, fixed, or permanent home and/or principal establishment is in Florida. You can establish Florida residency by filing a declaration of domicile, qualifying for homestead exemption, or registering to vote. Other actions, such as obtaining a Florida driver's license, can indicate intent to establish residency."
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says:
You are considered a resident of Florida if you:
- enroll your children in public school, or
- register to vote, or
- file for a homestead exemption, or
- accept employment, or
- reside in Florida for more than six consecutive months.
If you are interested in residency for tuition purposes, please see http://www.flbog.edu/forstudents/ati/resrequirements.php
You may file a declaration of domicile with your county clerk of court. A list of Florida clerks is available here: http://dos.dos.state.fl.us/library-archives/research/florida-information/government/local-resources/clerks-of-county-courts/.
Information about a homestead exemption is available here: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/taxpayers/exemptions.html.
A list of links to county elections supervisors is available here: http://dos.elections.myflorida.com/supervisors/supervisor_elections.asp