Moving to Miami — 38-Item Checklist

Check crime rates, safety grades, and neighborhood profiles for Miami. CityCheck provides FBI-sourced safety grades for every neighborhood.

Compare housing costs, grocery prices, transportation, and utilities between your current city and Miami. Check if your salary goes further or shorter.

Learn about street cleaning schedules, permit parking, meter hours, and common fine amounts in Miami before you arrive. Expired meter tickets run $25-50 in FL.

File a change of address with USPS online ($1.10 identity verification fee) or at your local post office. Forward mail for 6-12 months to catch stragglers.

Update your mailing address with all financial institutions. Some banks flag out-of-state transactions as fraud — call ahead to prevent card freezes during your move.

Get at least 3 insurance quotes for your new Miami address before move day. Landlords typically require proof of renter's insurance before handing over keys.

Cancel gym memberships, update streaming service addresses, transfer magazine subscriptions. Check which services are available in your new city.

Request copies of medical records, dental records, and school transcripts. Many offices need 2-4 weeks to process requests. Get vaccination records for school enrollment.

Miami has specific rules about what goes in recycling vs. trash. Learn your pickup day and recycling rules before you arrive so you don't miss your first collection.

Miami internet providers: AT&T Fiber (expanding), Xfinity/Comcast (wide coverage), T-Mobile Home Internet. AT&T Fiber is the fastest option where available. Xfinity is the fallback in most neighborhoods.

FPL (Florida Power & Light): https://www.fpl.com/start-stop.html or call 1-800-226-3545. FPL serves nearly all of Miami-Dade. Start service online or by phone. No deposit for most customers with good credit.

Most Miami homes are all-electric (no gas service needed): https://www.fpl.com or call N/A. Unlike most US cities, the majority of Miami homes do not use natural gas. Cooking and heating are electric. If your home has gas, contact TECO Peoples Gas at 1-877-832-6747.

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/my-account.page or call (305) 665-7477. Mon-Fri 8am-7pm. Online Self-Service Application available. $50 deposit required for new water/sewer service. Bring photo ID and lease/deed.

Miami trash is collected by Miami Department of Solid Waste (311). Find your specific pickup day by address on their website.

Contact Miami Department of Solid Waste at 311 to request your bins if they weren't left by the previous tenant. Standard is a trash bin + recycling bin.

DMV (when you transfer license), voter registration, employer HR, IRS (Form 8822), health insurance, car insurance, Amazon, and any subscription services.

Map out the closest grocery stores and pharmacy to your new Miami address. Download store apps for digital coupons — this will save you hundreds over the first year.

Introduce yourself to immediate neighbors in the first week. They're your best source for hyperlocal information: which trash day is yours, where to park during street cleaning, and what to know about the block.

Miami-Dade Tax Collector - Mall of the Americas, 7795 W Flagler St, Suite 82C, Miami, FL 33144 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-1pm). Phone: (305) 375-5448. Cost: $48 for new license. Deadline: 30 days after establishing residency. Bring: Current out-of-state license, Proof of FL residency (2 documents: utility bill, lease, bank statement), Social Security card, Proof of identity (passport or birth certificate). Other locations: Miami-Dade Tax Collector - NW 27th Ave at 7900 NW 27th Ave, Suite E14, Miami, FL 33147; Miami-Dade Tax Collector - SW 147th Ave at 11735 SW 147th Ave, Suite 23, Miami, FL 33196. All Miami-Dade DMV offices are now run by the Tax Collector (not the state)

Bring your out-of-state title, proof of insurance, and proof of FL address to the Florida DHSMV. Most states require registration within 30-60 days. You'll also need a FL emissions/safety inspection in many states.

Register at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/. Register online at registertovoteflorida.gov. Miami-Dade Elections: miamidadeelections.com. Florida does not have same-day voter registration. Deadline: 29 days before election.

Free for Miami-Dade residents. 50 branches. Apply online for an eCard with instant digital access, or visit any branch with photo ID. MDPLS card includes free museum passes.

Miami-Dade Transit (Metrorail + Metrobus): EASY Card costs $2 at any Metrorail station. Miami is very car-dependent — transit coverage is limited outside the Metrorail corridor. Monthly pass: $112.50/mo (unlimited Metrorail + Metrobus). Single ride: $2.25. More info: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/transit-pass.page

Miami has specific rules about what's recyclable. Common mistakes: plastic bags (never in curbside recycling), greasy pizza boxes (trash, not recycling), and Styrofoam (trash in most cities).

Car insurance rates vary significantly by city. Miami may be higher or lower than your old city. Get 3 quotes and update within 30 days of your move to avoid coverage gaps.

Search your insurance provider directory for in-network doctors near your Miami address. Book a new-patient visit — most offices have a 2-4 week wait for new patients.

Search for in-network dentists near your Miami address. Schedule a cleaning if you're due — dental health is easiest to maintain when you don't skip visits during a move.

File IRS Form 8822 (Change of Address) so tax documents go to the right place. This is separate from USPS mail forwarding. Free to file online or by mail.

Many Miami neighborhoods require a residential parking permit. Check with Miami's parking authority whether your block requires one — unpermitted cars get ticketed during restricted hours.

Join your Miami neighborhood's Nextdoor group, Facebook neighborhood group, and any local Reddit community (r/miami or similar). These are where you'll learn about block parties, lost pets, and local issues.

Walk every block within a 10-minute radius of your Miami home. Note the coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and corner stores. You'll discover spots that don't show up on Google Maps.

Unexpected costs in Miami: parking tickets ($25-115), towing ($150-400), lost apartment keys ($50-200 locksmith), laundry machine repairs. Build a $500 city emergency fund.

Know your rights as a renter in FL: security deposit limits, required notice periods, habitability standards, and eviction protections. Landlords cannot charge fees or make deductions that violate state law.

Miami uses 311 (or a local equivalent) for non-emergency city services: pothole reports, noise complaints, abandoned vehicles, streetlight outages. Save the number in your phone.

Street cleaning tickets in FL run $25-55. Set a weekly reminder on your phone for the morning before your block's cleaning day. Move your car the night before.

Track open 311 requests near your Miami address. Patterns in complaints reveal neighborhood issues: repeated noise complaints, rodent sightings, or infrastructure problems.

Recycling rules change. Miami may add composting mandates, change accepted materials, or modify pickup schedules. Check annually or when you see a notice on your bin.

Set calendar reminders for annual renewals: residential parking permit, vehicle registration, and driver's license. Late renewal fees add up.