When it comes to renewing your driver license, car tags, vehicle and vessel registration or even your concealed weapons permit, it’s not as much of a hassle as you may think. Making the trip to your local tax collector’s office to complete these transactions is a thing of the past. Now-a-days, local tax collector offices and other governmental agencies are providing residents the opportunity to easily renew any of these services online. But, as with anything you do online, make sure you’re trusting your information to the right source!

The Lee County Tax Collector’s Office wants to remind and inform the residents of Lee County to be cautious and recognize what website they are using before providing any information. Here are some tips for renewing online:

Don’t automatically click on the first search result – When conducting internet searches, be wary of initial results that may appear at the top or sides of the page. Typically, these slots are for sale and can be purchased by anyone based on keywords or search terms. Keep an eye out for “sponsored” or “ad” icons next to the website name. Also, watch out for website addresses that use a variation of the real agency’s name, but are slightly different.

Read the website carefully and look for any disclaimers – When you are on a website, make sure to read the fine print and keep an eye out for any disclaimers at the top, bottom or sides of the page that may indicate the website is privately owned and not owned or operated by a government agency. For example, while the www.dmv.org website looks like it may be a legitimate government owned agency site, they clearly state at the top of the website that they are not affiliated with a government agency.

Don’t input credit card information – While there are many websites out there promising to process and renew your registrations, they are actually acting as a middleman charging additional fees for performing the same online services that your local tax collector can help you complete without any additional cost. Not to mention, identity theft is at an all-time high, so avoid putting yourself and your information at risk by inputting credit card information on a website that is not secured through a government agency.

If you’re looking to renew, avoid the hassle and risk by visiting the official Lee County Tax Collector’s website, LeeTC.com, to complete these transactions. We are sharing this information because we want our Lee County tax payers to feel safe and secure whenever they are completing an online transaction. It’s just another way to show the residents of Lee County that the Lee County Tax Collector’s “got your back!”