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Welcome New Residents
Index of Information

  • AUTO REGISTRATION
    Lee County Tax Collector Main Office
    2480 Thompson Street, Fort Myers FL
    All Offices: (239) 339-6000
    Branch Offices throughout Lee County
    When: Within 10 working days of making Florida your permanent residency (i.e.; registering children in school, beginning employment, filing homestead status). If Florida is not to be your permanent residency, autos don't have to be registered. (Migrant workers are exempt).
    Who: The person whose name appears on the title must be at the office to register, with proper identification. The vehicle must also be at the office.
    Documents needed: Original title (copies not acceptable) and proof of insurance (at least $10,000 PIP and bodily injury).
    How Much: Price of tag depends on weight of vehicle. Renewals are usually around $40/50.
    Other Fees: A $100 fee is assessed for cars needing new plates for either residents or non-residents, when there is no tag to transfer.
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  • DRIVER LICENSES
    Florida Dept of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
    North Ft. Myers - 1830 N. Tamiami Trail, N. Ft. Myers FL (Located in the Weaver's Corner shopping center)
    (239) 656-7978 Hours: Tuesday-Fri 7:00 am to 6:00 pm * Cape Coral - 413 NE Van Loon Lane, Suite 110, Cape Coral FL (239) 458-4428
    Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (tax office-limited services)
    Information Recording (239) 772-1300
    When: If you own a vehicle, you must register it within 10 working days of becoming a Florida resident. You then have 10 days to acquire your Florida driver's license. If you don't own a vehicle, you must first sign an affidavit attesting to that before getting your Florida driver's license.
    How Much: The fee for a new driver license is $20.There are two Lee County Tax Collector locations that provide limited driver license services. The Tax Collector does charge a $5.25 service fee. If the driver license is obtained at one of those offices, the total fee would be $25.25. However, the Ft. Myers and Cape Coral offices listed above are operated by the State of Florida and the fee is only $20, and is good for six years if applicant has maintained a clear driving record.
    Note: An eye test will be performed before Florida driver's license is issued.
  • Note: Effective May 4, 2007 the hours of operation will change for both the Ft. Myers and Cape Coral locations. The new hours will be Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with extended hours on Thursday until 7:00 pm.
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  • ELECTRIC
    Florida Power and Light
    Customer Service - (239) 334-7754
    Report a Power Outage - (800) 468-8243
    24 hour notice required (no weekend service)
    Deposit: The amount is based on a credit scoring system. A deposit can be equal to approx. 2 mo. average bill at the service address or waived. Deposits are refunded in full after 23 months of prompt payment or when the account is closed. There is a cash alternative to a deposit- an Unconditional Guarantee/Guarantor Contract, which is a legal document involving two parties. In order to be eligible for this non-cash deposit option, the Guarantor must meet certain criteria.
  • Lee County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
    Customer Service - (239) 656-2300
    Toll Free - (800) 599-2356
    Deposit: Minimum deposit of $200 or 2 months bill, whatever is greater. Can be waived with credit check. Refundable after one year of on-time payment for residence. Deposit may be waived if customer has a credit check.
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  • EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT - HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
    Lee County Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
    2665 Ortiz Ave., Ft. Myers, FL 33905-7804
    (239) 477-3600 http://www.leeeoc.com/
    What: The EOC is the official County Warning Point. The EOC receives emergency information through the Emergency Dispatch Center and reports serious emergencies to the State Warning Point located in the State EOC in Tallahassee. We in-turn coordinate State and/or Federal involvement or assistance within the County.
    All Hazards Guide www.leeeoc.com/guide/entry.htm
    People with Special Needs: During an emergency special shelters provide a higher level of medical support than regular public shelters, but they are not for everyone. You must preregister and have a caregiver to accompany you to use a Special Needs Shelter. Qualifications vary from county to county, but there are specific requirements and procedures to register as a Special Needs client. Consult your physician and local Emergency Management office to see if you qualify for a Special Needs Shelter.
    Special Needs Program www.leeeoc.com Click on "Special Needs Program" on the right
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  • GARBAGE COLLECTION
    Lee County Solid Waste
    (239) 338-3302
    Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs & Ft. Myers Bch. (Charges on property tax bill)
    Veolia Environmental Svcs. (Area 1, 2) (239) 334-1224
    Waste Management, Inc. (Area 4, 6) (239) 334-4115
    Waste Pro of Florida, Inc. (Area 3, 5) (239) 337-0800
    Electronics disposal: Same day as regular garbage pick-up, place at curb seperately from household garbage.
    Recycle: Residents are encouraged to minimize waste, reuse items and look for products that aren't over packaged. Keeping recyclables out of the regular garbage benefits the residents because less material is burned.
    Remember: More Recycling +Less Garbage = Cheaper Garbage Bills! Request additional recycle bins if needed.
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  • SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LEE COUNTY
    2055 Central Ave. Fort Myers, FL 33901
    (239) 334-1102
    Student Assignment: (239) 337-8247
    Parent Information Center: (2 locations) Ft. Myers & Cape Coral
    www.leeschools.net/dept/sta
    What: School registration for the School District of Lee County occurs through the Student Assignment Department.
    When: Parents of students "NEW TO THE DISTRICT" or reenrolling should visit one of the Parent Information Centers to complete the student registration and school assignment process. Parents or guardians must show photo ID.
    Where: Visit the web site above to see what zone and sub-zone you reside in or parents can call 334-1102 to find out which school their children will be attending.
    Documents needed: At time of registration you must have all of the following documents to complete the registration process.Original Birth Certificate, Health Examination (physical) Social Security Card (if available), Florida Certificate of Immunization (original blue card), Proof of Residence, Proof of Custody is required if child is not living with both natural parents, Name and Address of Last School attended, Copy of I.E.P.
    -This is just the basic information, more details can be found on the Student Assignment web site.
    *if returning to the lee county school district you only need to provide immunization record, proof of residence, proof of custody if applicable and an iep if you child has one. See above for additional information regarding these documents.
    ** if entering the lee county school district from another public or private school located in Florida you do not need a physical exam. All other documentation listed above is required.
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  • TELEPHONE SERVICE
    Embarq
    Areas Served: Fort Myers/Lee County
    Customer Service - (800) 723-8010
    Deposit: Depending on your credit history, you may be required to pay a deposit. Deposits are returned after 12 months of consecutive on-time payments (payments that are received on or before the due date).
  • VOTER REGISTRATION
    Supervisor of Elections Office
    2480 Thompson St., Fort Myers, FL
    (239) 339-6300
    http://www.leeelections.com/
    Also available when applying for Florida Drivers License.
    When: As soon as you can prove your residency (i.e.; Drivers License, Declaration of Domicile)
    Who: To Register You Must: Be a U.S. citizen, be a Florida resident, be 18 years old (you may pre-register if you are 17), not now be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in FL or any other state, not have been convicted of a felony without your civil rights having been restored pursuant to law, not claim the right to vote in another county or state, submit your valid FL driver's license number or FL identification card number. If you do not have either of these, you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.
    To Vote: You must be registered at least 29 days before you can vote in an election. If this is a "new registration," the date a signed application is postmarked or hand delivered to your county supervisor of elections office will be your registration date. If your signed application is complete and you are qualified as a voter, a registration identification card will be mailed to you.
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City Population
Houses: 8,431 (3,416 occupied: 2,614 owner occupied, 802 renter occupied)
% of renters here: 23%
State of Florida: 30%

Housing density: 2944 houses/condos per square mile

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