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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and the division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) proudly reflect on the department’s major accomplishments in 2025. More than 1,600 FLHSMV personnel and nearly 2,000 State Troopers serve Florida’s 23 million residents and 143 million visitors each day, united by the mission to provide highway safety and security through excellence in service, education, and enforcement.

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This year, the Department has advanced initiatives to uphold law and order, strengthen public safety, and protect the many children, families, and residents who call Florida their home. From implementing innovative traffic safety programs and expanding community outreach efforts to enhancing immigration enforcement strategies and leveraging new technologies, FLHSMV has worked tirelessly to safeguard lives and promote responsibility on Florida’s roadways.

“The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol have had an unprecedented year, one that will leave a lasting impact on Floridians and visitors alike,” said Executive Director Dave Kerner. “Thanks to the decisive leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, we are protecting families, preserving law and order, and upholding the values that make Florida strong. As we look ahead, we remain committed to building on these achievements, strengthening collaboration with our partners, and ensuring that Florida’s highways remain safe, secure, and welcoming for all.”

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FLHSMV’s key accomplishments include:

Law Enforcement and Public Safety

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• Entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to allow more than 1,800 of FHP’s troopers to execute functions of immigration enforcement within the state.
• Led the nation in securing historic DHS funding to support mission-critical equipment and resources that protect troopers, improve mobility and response capabilities, and reinforce Florida’s commitment to immigration enforcement and public safety.
• Led the nation in immigration readiness, apprehending more than 7,000 illegal aliens, with more than 1,240 of them having prior criminal histories, including crimes related to trafficking narcotics, smuggling weapons, and engaging in organized criminal activity.
• Created the Immigration Enforcement Section in support of the Governor’s mission and led the nation’s effort to address illegal immigrants in our state.
• Experienced an increase in the base rate of pay for state law enforcement officers, including a 10% pay increase for entry-level sworn officers and a 15% increase for veteran sworn officers with at least five years of state service.
• Continued efforts to support Operation Vigilant Sentry in the Florida Keys along with the Treasure Coast. In addition, FHP expanded our immigration footprint in the state by holding multiple operations to detect and apprehend illegal immigrants in our state.
• Assisted Miami and Panama City law enforcement with Spring Break enforcement to ensure a safe environment for our residents and visitors.
• Coordinated with local law enforcement throughout metropolitan areas of the state to reduce the impact of street takeovers.
• Contributed to the reduction in traffic deaths on our roadways with proactive enforcement as traffic fatalities continue to trend downwards for the past four years.
• Implemented the Desk Trooper Program which provides a platform for minor traffic crashes to be investigated remotely, leveraging technology to allow a Trooper to view the crash scene from anywhere in the state using the driver’s cell phone with their permission. People involved in minor crashes often wait hours for a Trooper to physically respond and the program solves this problem by allowing the Trooper to respond to the crash without the added expense and time of driving to the scene.
• Celebrated the graduation of 51 recruits from the 154^th Basic Recruit Class, the Transitional Recruit Class 20, and the Transitional Recruit Class 21. The recruits consisted of 16 members with previous military experience in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army.
• Received an additional $3.3 million dollars to replace vehicles for our Troopers, and funding to replace the in-car video cameras in patrol vehicles and to install ballistic panels in patrol vehicles.

Motorist Modernization & System Improvements

• Completed ORION Pilot and launched the official statewide rollout of ORION’s Motor Vehicle Issuance (MVI) functionality, a major milestone in transforming how vehicle-related services is delivered across Florida. This new phase streamlines transactions, enhances efficiency, and brings us closer to a fully modernized experience for both users and customers.
• Fully transitioned the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to a new platform that better supports how we access and share vehicle title data with other states and agencies. NMVTIS plays a critical role in public safety by helping law enforcement detect and prevent title fraud schemes like title washing, which can hide a vehicle’s true history. The new platform improves system stability, reduces the risk of outages, and helps our team respond more quickly and securely when verifying vehicle histories, supporting law enforcement, and improving service for Florida residents.
• Successfully completed its first annual disaster recovery fail-over exercise—a landmark achievement for operational resilience marking a major step forward in preparedness and continuity planning.
• Effectively began transitioning day-to-day Motorists Services operations in Miami-Dade offices from state-maintained to county-run Tax Collector operations.
• Implemented the Verification of Lawful Status (VLS)/Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. The program delivers key benefits to law enforcement agencies. By improving access to verified identification data and eligibility status, the system strengthens interagency coordination and supports safer, more informed interactions with individuals under TPS.