How to Move to Florida From Alabama (Sun City Center Retiree Guide)

Direct answer

You move to Florida from Alabama by establishing legal domicile, filing homestead, and unwinding Alabama ties. Alabama exempts Social Security and traditional defined benefit pensions in full, but taxes IRA and 401k withdrawals at up to 5 percent, with only the first 6,000 dollars exempt at age 65 and older. Florida taxes none of it.

The tax swap, Alabama versus Florida

The honest picture: pensions ride free in both states, so the delta lives on the IRA and 401k line. A retired Alabama couple pulling 80,000 dollars a year from IRAs saves roughly 3,500 to 4,000 dollars annually by moving to Florida. Property tax favors Alabama, so factor that against the income tax line before deciding.

Tax disclaimer

Tax information is general and for educational purposes only. It is not tax advice. Rates, exemptions, and thresholds change and vary by county and by individual circumstance. Verify current figures with the Alabama Department of Revenue and consult a licensed CPA or tax attorney before making relocation decisions. Tax data verified July 2026.

The seven step move

• ◆Decide snowbird or outright move. Most Alabama retirees start with one winter rental in Sun City Center before buying.
• ◆Line up Florida financing before you list at home. Get fully underwritten so you can write a non contingent offer once you are ready.
• ◆Pick your neighborhood category: Sun City Center Proper for detached single family, Kings Point for gated condo and villa living, or Renaissance for the higher end.
• ◆Sequence the sale and purchase. Options include buy first with bridge or asset based financing, sell first with rent back, or overlap with a short term rental.
• ◆Establish Florida domicile and document it. See the checklist below.
• ◆Move the household. Full service movers, container pods, or auto transport for one vehicle plus a fly down are the three common patterns.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 of the year after you close. Miss that date and you lose the exemption for a full year.

Establishing Florida domicile from Alabama

Alabama audits departures at a low rate. Standard domicile documentation carries almost every case. Keep the file: Declaration of Domicile, license issue date, voter card, homestead approval, physician transfer, and a monthly location log.

• ◆File a Declaration of Domicile with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court.
• ◆Get a Florida driver license and surrender the license from your former state.
• ◆Register vehicles in Florida and cancel the old state registration.
• ◆Register to vote in Hillsborough County.
• ◆Update your address on federal tax returns, Social Security, and Medicare.
• ◆Move primary banking and brokerage relationships to Florida addresses.
• ◆Transfer primary physicians and specialists to Tampa Bay providers.
• ◆Update wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health directives to Florida law.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 to lock the exemption and the Save Our Homes 3 percent cap.
• ◆Count and document days present. Keep flight receipts, EZ Pass records, and credit card geolocation.

Logistics: drive, flights, and moving

The drive from Birmingham is about 600 miles and 9 hours, an easy one day run down I-65 to I-10 to I-75. From Mobile it is closer to 500 miles and 7.5 hours straight along I-10 to I-75. Nonstop options from BHM to Tampa International are limited, verify with the airline. Household moves for a full three bedroom band 4,000 to 8,000 dollars, and auto transport Alabama to Tampa runs roughly 800 to 1,200 dollars per car.

Financing from out of state

Get fully underwritten before you list at home. That means income, assets, and credit verified so your Florida offer can go in without a financing contingency. Travis works multiple retiree friendly programs. Asset depletion qualifies buyers on brokerage and retirement balances instead of monthly income. Social Security and pension income qualification gets you the gross up boost most lenders miss. Kings Point condos need non warrantable condo programs, and Travis has relationships that lend where big banks decline. See the full financing overview. Travis Penny is a licensed mortgage broker, NMLS 1649161, and this is not an offer to lend. Loans are subject to underwriting approval.

Why Alabama retirees pick Sun City Center

Alabama retirees pick Sun City Center for the IRA tax line, deeper water access, and a 55 plus community with a hospital inside. It is a Gulf to Gulf move that keeps the culture. Sun City Center is cart legal, walkable, and has HCA Florida South Bay inside the community. Tampa International is 45 minutes north.

Call Rex

Ready to plan the move? Call Rex, your 24/7 concierge, (813) 576.3131. Rex hands warm calls to Dewey for real estate and Travis for financing during business hours, and takes messages the rest of the time.