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Tampa Relocation- Highlights

Relocating to Tampa

Area Highlights

  • Latest census shows Tampa and Hillsborough county are first in business and job growth
  • The Bay hosts a mixture of business segments, including banking, tourism, insurance, telecommunications and construction.
  • Fortune magazine has ranked Tampa as one of worlds best cities for business
  • Other well known publications have ranked Tampa as Florida's best global business location and one of America's best insurance cities
  • More than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies have a local presence
  • Pinellas county hosts more than 100 medical and 1,400 manufacturing companies.
  • Several hot technology companies are based in the region. They include Jabil Circuit, Tech Data, Intermedia, IBM, GTE, Ascend and AT&T
  • One in every 6 jobs created in Florida is created in the Bay area
  • The Port of Tampa is one of America's busiest export centers
  • Tampa International is consistently ranked as a favorite amongst travelers
  • The Hillsborough county school district wins more state academic college scholarships than any other school district of its size in Florida
  • Pinellas county schools routinely exceed national and state average SAT scores
  • Pinellas county offers some of the best beaches on the Gulf coast
  • Cypress trees over 100 years are abundant in local parks.

Auto Tags

Newcomers must obtain a Florida License plate within ten (10) days of establishing residency.

To get a plate, drivers must show title, registration and proof of insurance.

Initial registration fee of $100, title fee of $34.25 and $4.00 out-of-state fee are required.

Department

601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 14th Floor, (813) 307-6500

Hillsborough County branch

  • Downtown Office - 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 14th Floor, Tampa 33602 - (813) 307-6500
  • Brandon Office - 9325 Bay Plaza Blvd., Brandon 33511 - (813) 272-7265
  • Horizon Park Office - 3932 W. Hillsborough Ave., 33614 - (813) 272-7265
  • North Tampa Office - 9340 N. Florida Ave., Tampa 33612 - (813) 272-6020
  • Plant City Office - 1854 J. L. Redman Parkway, Plant City - (813) 272-7265
  • South County Office - 3044-3046 State Rd. 674, Ruskin - (813) 272-7265

Pasco County branch

  • P.O. Box 276 - Dade City, FL 33526 - (352) 929-6020
  • 4111 Land 0'Lakes Blvd., 34639 - (813) 929-6020

Pinellas County branch

  • 1800 66th Street N., St. Petersburg 33710 - (727) 528-7643
  • 8040 Brian Dairy Road, Largo 33777 - (727) 464-5500
  • 1663 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater 33755 - (727) 464-5500
  • 29399 US Hwy 19, Clearwater 33761 - (727) 464-5500, (352) 929-6020

Cable Television

  • Time Warner Communications(813) 684-2000

Driver's License Testing Centers

New Florida residents must get a Florida driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency.

Drivers with a valid out-of-state license must take a vision examination.

Those seeking a Florida license must be at least 16 years old, although restricted licenses are available to 15 year olds.

The intial fee for a Florida driver's license is $20.00. It can be renewed for four or six year periods for $15.00.

Those seeking renewals must be re-examined, although they do not have to take another driving test.

Hillsborough County

  • 2814 E. Hillsborough Ave. - (813)272-3770
  • 14220 N. Nebraska Ave. - (813)975-6547
  • 4100 Martin Luther King Blvd. - (813)871-7375
  • 10101 E. Adamo Dr. - (813) 272-2714>

Pasco County

  • 10628 US Hwy 30, Dade City 33523 - (352) 521-1442

Pinellas County

  • 4827 34th Street South, St. Petersburg 33714, (727) 893-2749
  • 1900 62nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg 33705, (727) 893-2583

Emissions Testing

Florida has no mandatory vehicle inspection. However, an emissions test is required of all cars built since 1975.

The test must be completed within 90 days of registration ($10.00 fee, payable in cash only). Tests are conducted at various county facilities.

Directions to the nearest site are given upon vehicle registration. For a list of locations near you, please call:

  • Hillsborough County - (813) 975-6564
  • Pinellas County - (727) 446-6688

Phone Services

GTE provides local service for Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

  • Residential: (800) 483-4200
  • Commercial: (800) 483-5200

Post Office

  • For all offices: 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777)
  • 24 Hour Facility/ Main Office/ Airport: 5201 W. Spruce St., (813) 288-4000
  • General/ Zip Code Information: (813) 288-4000

Schools

  • Hillsborough County Public School Board: 901 E. Kennedy Blvd., (813) 272-4000

Electricity

Hillsborough County

  • Tampa Electric Company Residential - (813) 223-0800
  • Tampa Electric Company Commercial/ Industrial - (813) 228-4497

Pasco County

  • Florida Power Corporation - (813) 229-2981

Pinellas County

  • Florida Power Corporation - (727) 895-8711

Natural Gas

Pasco and Hillsborough Counties:

  • Peoples Gas - (813) 272-1501
  • Plant City Natural Gas - (813) 752-1262

Water and Sewer

  • 306 E. Jackson St. 5E, (813) 274-8811

Taxes

  • State Income Tax Personal: None
  • State Income Tax Corporate: 5.5%
  • Real Estate Tax - Florida has a $25,000 homestead exemption on primary residences. This means that the first $25,000 of assessed value of a home is exempt from property taxes.
  • Property Tax Hillsborough County - $25.0654 per $1,000 of assessed property value
  • Property Appraiser Offices - Hillsborough County - (813) 272-6100, Pasco County - (352) 521-4433, Pinellas County - (727) 582-7652
  • Sales Tax - Hillsborough County - 7%, Pinellas County - 7%, Pasco County - 6%

Trash Pickup & Recycling

Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management

  • 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 24th Floor, (813) 272-5680
  • Recycling: (813) 878-1144

Solid Waste

  • Waste Management — (813) 621-3053
  • Kimmins Recycling — (813) 248-3802
  • East Bay Sanitation Inc. — (813) 265-0292