A floor dowel sleeve has a body portion with a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and an end wall that together to surround an interior cavity. The interior cavity is configured to receive a dowel plate at an opening in the body portion opposite the end wall. Spacing elements are disposed at each of the two side walls and are configured to interface with opposing edges of the dowel plate to provide a space between the dowel plate and interior surfaces of the two side walls. The spacing elements each have a pair of legs that integrally protrude from the side wall into the interior cavity and interconnect to form a spacing chamber. The spacing elements are each configured to flex into the spacing chamber upon lateral horizontal movement of the dowel plate within the interior cavity.