Driver's licenses for Haitians with TPS get another renewal extension in Florida

Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald on Mar 26, 2026

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MIAMI — Haitians with temporary protected status who hold Florida driver’s licenses will be eligible to keep driving until at least July 1, 2026, Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced Thursday.

The revised expiration date means eligible individuals will need to visit a local driver’s office to renew and pay the $54.25 fee. A previous extension had extended the validity through March 15 for individuals with TPS or a pending application with an expired work authorization document.

Fernandez said his office was notified of the new extension by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The extension is tied to the ongoing legal proceedings over the ending of the TPS program, which has allowed over 300,000 Haitians to live and work legally in the United States amid their homeland’s ongoing gang violence and political instability.

Haiti’s TPS designation had been set to end Feb. 3 by the Department of Homeland Security. But after a group of Haitians sued over the decision, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked the decision in order to allow the litigation to unfold in the courts. The stay was later unheld by an appeals court.

The Trump administration has since appealed to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear oral arguments next month. The court’s decision would come sometime after that.

“This temporary extension provides additional time while federal legal proceedings regarding the TPS designation for Haiti continue,” Fernandez said. “Individuals may receive services if they qualify and present valid documentation confirming their legal presence, as required by law.”

To make an appointment for renewal, residents can visit mdctaxcollector.gov.

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