How do I file a Declaration of Domicile in Florida?

What is a Declaration of Domicile?

It is a sworn statement, authorized by section 222.17, Florida Statutes, in which you declare that you are a bona fide resident of Florida and that your Florida home is your permanent home. The form lists your current Florida address, your former address (city, county and state), and any other places where you keep a home.

Someone with homes in more than one state can instead declare that the Florida home is their "predominant and principal home." The statute makes filing a way to evidence domicile; it does not replace other ways of proving it.[1][2]

How do you file it in Broward or Palm Beach County?

The declaration is recorded in the official records of the county where you live. Each person signing must appear before a notary with current government-issued photo ID; spouses, domestic partners or others who live together may sign the same Broward form.

• Broward County: file with Records, Taxes and Treasury at the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 114, Fort Lauderdale, in person (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or by mail with a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope. As of 2026 the county form lists a $10 recording fee for a one-page document, an optional $10 fee if you use the office notary, and $3 per certified copy; checks are payable to "Board of County Commissioners."
• Palm Beach County: the Clerk & Comptroller's Recording Department accepts documents in person (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), by mail to P.O. Box 4177, West Palm Beach, or by eRecording. Its recording transmittal form (revised Aug. 26, 2025) lists $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page. Clerk staff cannot give legal advice about which form to use.[2][3][4]

Does a declaration make you a Florida resident?

The Florida Department of Revenue says you are a Florida resident when your "true, fixed, and permanent home and principal establishment" is in Florida. Its new-resident brochure (revised August 2025) lists filing a declaration of domicile, qualifying for homestead exemption and registering to vote in Florida as actions that can establish residency, while getting a Florida driver license only indicates intent.

Many movers take several of these steps. You can register to vote at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, through tax collector offices or by mail; registration closes 29 days before an election. Homestead exemption is a separate application filed with the county property appraiser. If you are leaving a state with an income tax, ask a CPA or Florida attorney how your former state decides when your residency there ends.[5][6]