Last updated: August 2026
Closing on a home is only part of a Florida move. Here's a practical checklist for the administrative side of relocating to Palm Beach Gardens, roughly in the order it comes up.
Before or right at closing
- Decide on domicile/residency. If Florida will be your primary home, establishing legal residency here can matter for tax purposes — especially if you're leaving a state with income tax. A declaration of domicile can be filed with the Palm Beach County Clerk if you want a formal record.
- Line up insurance before closing, not after. Florida homeowners insurance (and flood insurance, if required) can take longer to bind than buyers expect, and lenders require proof before closing.
Within the first 30 days
- Get a Florida driver's license. New residents are generally expected to obtain one within 30 days of establishing residency.
- Register your vehicle(s) with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, generally also within 10 days of starting employment or 30 days of establishing residency.
- Register to vote in Florida, if you plan to, and update your voter registration in your previous state.
- Set up utilities — electric, water, internet — and confirm irrigation/landscaping service if your community requires it.
By March 1 of the following year
- File for the Homestead Exemption if Palm Beach Gardens is your primary residence. This reduces your home's taxable value and caps future assessment increases, but the filing deadline is March 1 of the year after you establish residency — miss it and you wait another year.
Ongoing, first few months
- Update your estate documents (will, power of attorney, healthcare directives) with a Florida attorney, since state-specific requirements can differ from where you moved from.
- Find local providers — doctors, dentists, insurance agents — before you need them, not during an emergency.
- Review HOA or club membership paperwork if you bought in a country-club community, including any move-in orientation or approval steps some communities require.
Don't do this alone
Most of this is straightforward once you know the order, but timelines matter — especially the Homestead Exemption deadline. I walk every relocating buyer through this checklist as part of the process, not as an afterthought.
Read our full Palm Beach Gardens relocation guide →
Or tell me where you're moving from and I'll help you plan the whole move →
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