Florida, Louisiana and Alabama: resale certificates with a printed expiry date

In most states, a resale certificate is a form you fill in, and it doesn't expire on its own. Florida, Louisiana and Alabama work differently. The state issues the document, and it carries a printed expiry date. Once that date passes, the document no longer works as a resale certificate, so a seller can't rely on it.

That makes these three states the most common reason a reseller's paperwork quietly goes stale. Here's how each one works, and how ZipToSale handles them.

Florida: the Annual Resale Certificate (DR-13)

Florida registered dealers receive an Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax. As the name says, it's issued for one calendar year and shows the date it expires, December 31 of that year.

Keeping it current: each year, sign in to the Florida Department of Revenue's online services and print the new year's certificate. It's usually available before the new year starts. Diary it for every December, because a certificate printed last year stops working on January 1.

What sellers look for: your business name, your Florida certificate number, and the expiry date, all readable.

Louisiana: the Resale Certificate (R-1064)

Louisiana's Department of Revenue issues resellers a Resale Certificate with a printed expiration date. You renew it through the department's online portal before it expires.

Keeping it current: check the date printed on your certificate now, and set a reminder a month before it. The renewed certificate has a new date; upload that one.

Alabama: the Sales Tax License

In Alabama, sellers need your Sales Tax License. Alabama licenses must be renewed every year through My Alabama Taxes, and the license shows the period it covers.

Keeping it current: renew in the state portal each year and upload the new license. An old-year license is the Alabama equivalent of an expired certificate.

How ZipToSale handles these three states

For most states, if a certificate has no expiry date, ZipToSale sets one 3 years after approval so certificates are refreshed regularly. For Florida, Louisiana and Alabama we never do that, because the real date is printed on the document and only that date counts. So:

• A readable date is used exactly as printed. Your account shows it as the expiry, and we email you 30 days before it.
• If we can't read the date, the certificate isn't approved automatically. It goes to a person on our team, and your account says: "We couldn't read the expiry date on your Florida certificate. An admin will check it." (with your state's name). If they can read it, it's approved with that date; if not, we'll ask for a clearer copy.
• If the date has already passed, the certificate is marked expired and can't be used. Upload the current one.
• An expired certificate can't be used to check out. Lots that require a certificate for that state are blocked until a current one is approved.

Upload tips that avoid delays

Most delays on these three states come down to one thing: the date isn't legible. Before you upload:

1. Use the state's PDF, not a photo, where you can. Download or print-to-PDF straight from the state portal.
2. Include the whole page. Don't crop off the edges; the date is often in a corner or the footer.
3. Check it's this year's. Especially for Florida in January.
4. Make sure the business name matches your account. We check the business on the certificate against the company name in your profile and on your addresses. If the certificate is in a trade name we don't have, it goes to our team to confirm, which takes longer.
5. One document per upload. Don't combine several years or states in one file.

Which certificate do you need?

These rules apply when Florida, Louisiana or Alabama is the state that counts for the order: the state the lot ships to, or the seller's state if you collect it. A Florida reseller buying a lot shipped to Florida needs their current Florida certificate. A Florida reseller collecting a lot from a seller in Alabama needs an Alabama certificate. How state rules work

For sellers in these states

If you ship from Florida, Louisiana or Alabama and buyers collect from you, the certificate you receive is for your state. ZipToSale shares only certificates that are approved and in date on the day of the order, and shows you the certificate on the order page to review. You can still reject one with a reason.

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