Moving between states / Florida
Iowato
Florida, Truck driverMoving from Iowa to Florida as a CDL holder
What a CDL holder licensed in Iowa has to do to work in Florida, what the move does to your pay, and who in Florida is hiring from out of state.
Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Florida resident you surrender the Iowa CDL at a Florida driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in Florida. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.
What the move does to your paycheck
On a $60,000 salary Florida leaves you roughly $2,280 a year more than Iowa does, because Florida has no state income tax on wages.
| Salary | Iowa state tax | Florida state tax | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,520 | $0 | +$1,520 |
| $60,000 | $2,280 | $0 | +$2,280 |
| $90,000 | $3,420 | $0 | +$3,420 |
Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. Property and sales tax are not in it.
CNA: Iowa to Florida
Transfers by reciprocity. Your Iowa certificate stays on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing); to work in Florida you apply to the Florida Board of Nursing (CNA certification by endorsement) for reciprocity. Endorsement for an active CNA from another state registry; Florida runs its own background screening before it certifies you. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.
RN and LPN: Iowa to Florida
Works on day one. Both Iowa and Florida are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Iowa is valid in Florida the day you arrive. Once Florida is your primary residence, apply there for a Florida multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.
Electrician: Iowa to Florida
Reciprocity likely. Florida licenses electricians at state level through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board, and Contractor licences are state-certified or county-registered; journeyman cards are county-issued, and several counties reciprocate with each other. Your Iowa licence comes from the Iowa Electrical Examining Board, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.
Does Florida pay you to come?
No statewide program in Florida pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.
Going the other way? Iowa has Newton Housing Initiative. See moving from Florida to Iowa.
Openings filed in Florida
297 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Florida employers who could not fill them locally.
- Regulatory Reporting Operations ProfessionalBank of America · Jacksonville
- Markets Support AnalystBank of America · Jacksonville
- Senior Manager, Supply Chain Protection & Loss IntelligenceFlexport · Miami
- Manager, Claims Operations - ATFUSAA · Tampa
- Account Manager II, Eats EnterpriseUber · Miami
- Transaction Management Ops Analyst - BPRO Financial Transaction ReviewBank of America · Jacksonville
Your own route from Iowa to Florida
Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for Florida employers.
Plan my move to FloridaSame move, by trade
CNA: Iowa to Florida · RN or LPN: Iowa to Florida · Electrician: Iowa to Florida · All licences: Iowa to Florida
From Iowa to the states next to Florida
Georgia (flat 5.19% state income tax) · Alabama (progressive, top rate 5%)
To Florida from the states next to Iowa
Minnesota · Wisconsin · Illinois · Missouri · Nebraska · South Dakota
Everything about working in Florida · All moves between states · All 50 states