If you have been to Florida recently, you may have noticed vehicles bearing a PM sticker on their license plates. A curious you may want to know what does PM on license plate mean?
The PM means permanent, and indicates the vehicle with the sticker is permanently registered. It is a new trend in the state that emerged after the amendment of some laws.
There is plenty to know about the PM sticker on license plate, which we will gladly cover and furnish you with all the necessary information.
What Does PM Mean on A License Plate?
Car tags or stickers indicate the validity of your vehicle registration and show the expiry date. By law, you should place the tags in a visible place, mostly on the license plate, though some jurisdictions allow you to have them on the windshield.
As already mentioned, the PM sticker on license plate is mean to be permanent. This tag means your vehicle is permanently registered, and you shouldn’t stress about constantly renewing the registration throughout the year. It is convenient for fleet owners to register their cars, as they don’t have to redo the process once the registration expires.
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What Does the PM On Florida License Plates Mean?
The PM stickers on license plates are becoming commonplace in Florida, and you will hardly see them in vehicles from other states. If you see the permanent tag on the registration plate, the car likely belongs to a car rental company.
Why do rental cars have this sticker? Before answering this question, it is crucial to understand the background. In the past it was easy to identify Florida rental vehicles, as their license tags began with the letter Y or Z, or they had the word ‘lease.’ The problem with these unique plates is that they were easy to distinguish. As such, they became the target of thieves who set their sights on tourists who frequently traveled in hired cars.
This grim situation forced Florida’s lawmakers to abolish the giveaway car registration plates. Rental cars used regular plates with stickers indicating the registration expiry date. The problem is that your regular Florida car registration expires on your birthday. The registration of vehicles for hire expires in June each year, meaning they can still be targets.
The permanent registration sticker keeps the expiry date private, thus ensuring privacy of the motorists’ info. Nevertheless, with time, criminals may start targeting vehicles with such tags.
Back to the question, the PM stickers make car registration a walk in the park for owners. The use of the decals began after the change of a law, whose implementation began on July 1st, 2021. With the law in effect, car rental companies can permanently register their vehicles instead of going for fleet options.
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What Does It Mean When PM Is on A Tag?
The yellow sticker on license plate PM indicates several things, first that the car is from Florida and it belongs to a rental firm. As hinted earlier, an updated Florida law allows rental car firms to register their vehicles regularly or permanently.
A rental car company that opts for regular registration will have its vehicles issued with a sticker that highlights the expiry date. On the other hand, car rentals that opt for permanent registration will have their vehicles issued with stickers bearing the PM letters.
The PM tag on the license plate has many benefits, such as making it easier to identify the vehicle’s purpose. It also gives the company an easy time in handling its fleet logistics. The argument against the tags is that they might put a target on clients using the vehicles. Adequate security measures will solve this setback.
How to Get PM Registration?
You can apply for the permanent registration sticker to enjoy its benefits. Getting a PM registration sticker is easy and requires a visit to your local tax collector’s office or a private tag agency. You fill out an application form, and during the registration process, the registering clerk must ask you if you want a regular or permanent sticker for the car.
If you go with the permanent decal option, you retain your license plates and get the yellow PM sticker. You will receive a paper registration, as is the norm. Besides containing ordinary details like license number and expiry date, the paper registration has ‘Permanent Decal Issued’ stamped on it.
You can opt out of permanent registration and revert to regular by visiting the tax collector’s office. Despite the PM sticker being permanently valid, failure to pay required license taxes and fees as specified will render it void.
How Much Is A Permanent Registration Tag in Florida?
Signing up for a permanent registration decal Florida requires you to settle various fees. Unlike other states, you don’t register for the decal at the DMV in Florida; instead, you visit the tax collector’s office.
The initial registration fee is $225, while registration depends on the car’s weight. For example, you pay $28.10 annually for vehicles weighing up to 2499 pounds or $56.20 for the two-year registration. Cars weighing 2500-3499 pounds require $36.10 annually or $72.20 for two years.
Moreover, you must pay taxes and other fees, such as a $5 annual processing fee. A replacement decal costs roughly $34.10. Registration is yearly and biennial; the license plate expires after ten years.
What Does PM Mean on A Massachusetts License Plate?
You will find several cars with PM on license plates Massachusetts. Unlike Florida plates, the PM is not a sticker but part of the serial codes, situated on the left side in a vertical orientation, the P atop the M.
What does PM mean on Massachusetts license plate? This special license plate represents the Pan-Mass Challenge, a bike-a-thon fundraising event that benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The PM license plate has the Pan-Mass Challenge logo on its far left side. Under the plate characters are the words,’ Share the Road,’ alerting motorists to share the road with cyclists. Anyone can get the Pan-Mass Challenge plates, which cost $40. $12 covers the plate’s manufacturing costs, while the remaining $28 goes to the charitable organization.
Final Words
Cars belonging to rental companies in Florida typically have ‘FLEET’ on their license plate. However, following recent developments, some vehicles will have a PM tag on the plate instead of the expiration date.
We learn that PM on the license plates stands for permanent registration, a sigh of relief for rental car companies when it comes to logistics of their fleet. Registration is a walk in the park and the firms can pay the registration fees yearly or after two years.
If interested in permanently registering your fleet, you should visit the local tax office to get relevant information and guidance.
