New to Orlando? Start OUC power and water online, get a Florida driver's license within 30 days, file for homestead by March 1 and check your city services.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. This page is an index of first steps for new residents. Each section links to our fuller guide or to the official start-service page as the provider publishes it. Sources: OUC, the Orange County Tax Collector, the City of Orlando and the providers named below.

Welcome to Orlando. The first thing to check is whether your new address is inside city limits: many Orlando mailing addresses are in unincorporated Orange County, which changes who picks up your trash, who answers police calls and which permits you need. Use the city’s address check. City Hall’s main line is 407-246-2121.

First-week checklist

  • Confirm city or county with the city’s address check.
  • Start power and water with OUC, or your electric provider if it is Duke Energy.
  • Get Florida auto insurance (within 10 days) and a Florida driver’s license (within 30 days).
  • Register your vehicle with the Orange County Tax Collector.
  • Find your zoned school and your trash days.
  • Note March 1, the homestead exemption deadline.

Our guides for new residents

Power and water

OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) supplies electric and water service across much of Orlando. To start service, create a myOUC account and fill out the start service form; all you need is the new address and the date you want service to begin, OUC says. Moving within OUC’s area? Use the move form; you can start service at the new address before stopping the old one. Not sure OUC serves you? Check its service area map. OUC’s 24-hour line is 407-423-9018.

If your bill will come from Duke Energy Florida, set up service through duke-energy.com. Our power outages guide explains how the two split Orange County.

Trash and recycling inside the city are billed through OUC, the city says, so the charge appears on your monthly OUC bill.

Natural gas

Peoples Gas supplies natural gas in parts of Florida and lists Orlando among its locations. Check whether gas is available at your address and start service on its start service page. Customer care: 877-832-6747. If you ever smell gas, leave first, call 911, then call Peoples Gas.

Internet

Providers that publish service pages for Orlando addresses include AT&T and Xfinity. The city’s council meetings are carried on Spectrum and CenturyLink Prism as well as Comcast, the city says. Availability varies street by street; enter your address on each provider’s site, or on the FCC’s National Broadband Map, to see who serves your home.

Driver’s license and vehicle

New residents must get a Florida driver’s license within 30 days of establishing residency and Florida auto insurance within 10 days to register and title a vehicle, the Orange County Tax Collector says. You count as a resident once you start a job here, enroll a child in a public school, register to vote, file for homestead or live in Florida more than six months in a row.

  • License: visit one of the Tax Collector’s six Orange County locations; book an appointment. Surrender your out-of-state license. With a valid license from a reciprocal state you can skip the written and road tests, but every new resident takes a vision test. Check what to bring.
  • Vehicle: a car not previously titled in Florida needs a VIN and odometer verification before it is titled here. The Tax Collector’s title transfer page lists the forms and who can verify the VIN. Bring proof of Florida insurance and ID.
  • Help line: Orange County Tax Collector, 407-434-0312.

Homestead exemption

If the home you bought is your permanent residence, apply to the Orange County Property Appraiser for the homestead exemption by March 1 of the tax year through its online application. It can lower your taxable value by as much as $50,000 and caps future increases in assessed value; our property tax guide explains it.

Pets

We found no City of Orlando pet registration requirement. Florida law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies under section 828.30 of the Florida Statutes. Animal control in the city is handled by Orange County Animal Services, 2769 Conroy Road, 407-836-3111, which also runs a microchipping program.

What this means for you

  • Do the city-or-county check first; it decides your trash, police and permit office.
  • Insurance in 10 days, license in 30, homestead by March 1.
  • Sign up for OUC’s outage texts (send OUT to 69682) once your account is live.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to get a Florida driver’s license after moving to Orlando?

30 days after you become a Florida resident, the Orange County Tax Collector says. You also need Florida auto insurance within 10 days to register and title your vehicle.

How do I start electric and water service in Orlando?

If your address is in OUC’s service area, create a myOUC account and submit the start service form with your new address and start date. OUC’s service area map shows whether it serves you.

Where do I get a Florida driver’s license in Orange County?

At one of the Orange County Tax Collector’s six locations, by appointment. Bring your out-of-state license; new residents must pass a vision test.

When is the homestead exemption deadline in Orange County?

March 1 of the tax year. Apply to the Orange County Property Appraiser once the home is your permanent residence.

Does Orlando require pet registration?

We found no City of Orlando pet registration requirement. Florida law requires rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets, and Orange County Animal Services handles animal control in the city.