• When purchasing a car in Florida you should understand the laws dealerships are required to follow.yellow car, a honda japanese sport car model image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com
  
  Before purchasing a car in Florida it's important to understand the rules and regulations associated with buying a car. Some dealerships will try and take advantage of the law which can ultimately cost you extra money. It's important to understand the laws regarding odometers, tags, titles, taxes, and registration.
  
  

Odometer Fraud

• Odometer fraud is illegal in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It is illegal to disconnect or turn back an odometer when selling a car.
  
  The value of a car is largely based on how many miles the car has been driven. As the amount of miles a car has been driven increases the value of the car is significantly reduced. Some people try to turn back the odometer to increase the value of a car they are selling to increase their profits.
  
  It is illegal for anyone to sell a car without providing a written statement of the actual mileage the car has been driven. The odometer fraud law has exceptions including selling vehicles that are more than 10years old, vehicles with a gross vehicle rating of over 16,000 pounds, and cars that are non-self propelled.
  
  

Fees

• When selling a car, tax, license plate, and title fees must be paid to the state. Dealerships are only allowed to charge the exact amount of fees required by the state of Florida. It is illegal for a dealership to lie about how much the fees are and keep the difference for themselves.
  
  

Title

• Licensed dealers are required to transfer the license plate and title of a car to you 30 days after purchasing a vehicle, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
  
  If a dealer provides a second, temporary tag, purchasers should ask the dealer why they did. If a dealer provides a purchaser with a third, temporary tag they should contact the department of motor vehicles immediately.
  
  Issuing a third temporary tag to a purchaser is a violation of Florida statues under the DMV jurisdiction.
  
  

Proof of Insurance

• Individuals must provide proof of insurance to a dealership before the dealer is allowed to sell them a car. This is because all vehicles driven on public roads and highways in Florida must have insurance. If a dealer does not have proof of insurance they cannot transfer the title and registration to the purchaser's name.