Thousands of New Yorkers fled their state for the sunshine of Florida during the pandemic.
Over 33,000 New York residents turned in their Empire State driver's licenses in exchange for Florida licenses between September 2020 and March 2021, according to data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The number represents a 32% increase from the same time period during the previous year, when 25,370 New Yorkers traded in their New York licenses for Florida licenses.
Florida officials say one of the driving forces behind the defections included parents looking to get their children back to in-person instruction full-time, highlighting the difference between the states' approaches to pandemic restrictions.
