Florida Driver’s License Requirements: Documents, Tests, and Fees

To meet Florida driver’s license requirements, you bring proof of identity, proof of your Social Security number, and two proofs of a Florida residential address to a tax collector’s office or FLHSMV service center, then pass vision, hearing, knowledge, and driving skills tests. A standard Class E license costs $48.¹ First-time applicants 18 or older who have never held a license anywhere must also complete a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course before testing.² Every document must be an original or certified copy; photocopies and phone screenshots get turned away at the counter.

Documents You Have To Bring

Showing up without the right paperwork is the single most common reason people leave without a license. Florida statute requires three categories of proof, and each has to be presented in original or certified form.³

Proof of Identity

Bring one of the following:

Certified U.S. birth certificate (a hospital souvenir copy does not count)
Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
Naturalization certificate from the Department of Homeland Security
Valid green card
Consular Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Department of State
Unexpired employment authorization card from DHS

If your current legal name doesn’t match the name on that identity document, you also need original or certified copies of every name-change document connecting the two: marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or court orders, in order.³ A gap in the chain means a rejected application.

Proof of Social Security Number

You need to show your full nine-digit Social Security number on an original document. An actual Social Security card works, and so does a W-2, a 1099, or a pay stub that shows the complete number. Photocopies and digital images are not accepted.

Two Proofs of Florida Residential Address

Two separate documents, each showing your current Florida home address. Any of these qualify:

Deed, mortgage statement, or signed residential lease
Utility bill for water, gas, electric, phone, or cable dated within the last 60 days
Florida voter registration card
Bank or credit card statement dated within 60 days
Vehicle or vessel registration

If you live with someone else and none of these documents are in your name, use FLHSMV Form 71120, the Certification of Address. The person you live with signs a sworn statement about your living arrangement and provides two of the qualifying documents in their own name.⁴

Vision and Hearing Screening

Every applicant sits for a vision and hearing test at the service center. The vision exam can also be signed off by a licensed ophthalmologist, optometrist, or physician if you’d rather have it done ahead of time.⁵

The clean pass is 20/40 or better in each eye. Anything 20/50 or worse in either eye triggers a referral to a specialist to see whether the vision can be corrected. Applicants can still be licensed with 20/70 vision if it cannot be corrected further, and if one eye is blind or 20/200 or worse the other has to be at least 20/40. Vision of 20/80 or worse in both eyes disqualifies you.⁶ If you need glasses or contacts to hit those numbers, expect a corrective lens restriction on your license.

Deafness or an inability to hear normal conversation is not disqualifying. It results in a restriction requiring a left-side outside rearview mirror or the use of a hearing aid while driving.⁷

The Pre-Test Course, Knowledge Exam, and Road Test

Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education Course

First-time applicants 18 or older who have never held a driver’s license in any state must finish a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course from a state-approved provider before they can test. It’s typically a four-hour online program covering how alcohol and drugs affect driving, Florida traffic laws, and the consequences of behaviors like speeding and distracted driving.² You’re exempt if you already hold a valid license from another state or completed a Department of Education driver education course.

Knowledge Exam

The Class E written test is 50 multiple-choice questions split between road signs and traffic rules. You need 80 percent (40 correct) to pass. Expect questions on right-of-way, speed limits, and traffic-violation penalties. A retake costs $10.⁸

Driving Skills Test

For the road test, you bring a vehicle with valid registration and proof of Florida insurance. The examiner watches for basic maneuvers: three-point turns, backing in a straight line, and safe following distances. A failed attempt costs $20 to retake.⁸

Fees and What Happens at the Office

The base cost of an original Class E license is $48.¹ Applying at a tax collector’s office rather than a state-run FLHSMV service center adds a $6.25 service fee per transaction; veterans who have previously documented their status are exempt. Payment methods vary, but most locations take cash, debit, and credit cards.⁸

Common fees to expect:

Original Class E license: $48
Replacement card: $25
Knowledge exam retest: $10
Driving skills retest: $20
Late renewal within 12 months of expiration: $48 plus a $15 delinquent fee

Many offices use the Online Appointment Service and Information System (OASIS) to schedule visits, which cuts down considerably on wait time. During the visit, staff capture your photo and digital signature. You leave with a temporary paper permit; the permanent REAL ID-compliant card is printed at a central facility and mailed to your verified address, typically within two to three weeks.

New Florida Residents Transferring a License

If you move to Florida and either start working or enroll a child in a public school, you have 30 days to convert to a Florida license. The same 30-day clock applies to your spouse and any dependent children who drive.⁹ Driving past that deadline exposes you to a citation for operating without a valid license.

If your out-of-state license is current and unexpired, Florida typically waives the knowledge and road tests. You still pass the vision and hearing screenings and produce the full identity, Social Security, and address documents.¹⁰ The fee is the same $48.

Rules for Applicants Under 18

Florida uses a graduated system that phases teens into full driving privileges. It changes the age, the documents, and the restrictions attached to the license.

A teen can apply for a learner’s license at 15. They bring the same identity, Social Security, and address documents as any adult, plus a parental consent form, and must pass the road signs, road rules, vision, and hearing exams.¹¹ While on the learner’s license, they must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old sitting in the front passenger seat. Driving is limited to daylight hours for the first three months, then extended to 10 p.m. The teen must log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night. The permit has to be held at least 12 months (or until age 18, whichever comes first) before applying for the full license, and a moving-violation conviction can reset that clock.¹²

At 16, the teen can take the road test and receive a Class E license with a nighttime curfew: no driving between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless traveling to or from work or accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older. At 17, the curfew narrows to 1 a.m.–5 a.m. with the same exceptions. At 18, the curfew drops entirely.¹³

Two other rules bite under 21. Florida has a zero-tolerance alcohol policy: a driver under 21 caught at .02 percent BAC or higher faces an automatic six-month suspension on a first offense and a one-year suspension on a second, with 12- and 18-month suspensions for refusing a breath, blood, or urine test. And a minor out of compliance with school attendance can be blocked from getting a license or have their driving privilege suspended until they attend school for 30 consecutive days.¹²

REAL ID and the Gold Star

Since May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant license (or another acceptable ID like a valid U.S. passport) is required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities.¹⁴ Florida has been issuing compliant licenses for several years, so any new license issued today meets the standard. Look for a gold star in the upper-right corner of the card to confirm.

Holders of older Florida licenses without the gold star have to visit a service center in person with the full set of identity documents to upgrade. Online renewal doesn’t satisfy REAL ID, because the office has to verify original documents face-to-face.¹⁵

1
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.21 – License Fees
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.095 – Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education Program for Driver License Applicants
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.08 – Application for License; Requirements for License and Identification Card Forms
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Certification of Address
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.12 – Examination of Applicants
6
Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 15A-5.011 – Vision Standards
7
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. General Information
8
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
9
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.031 – Nonresident; When License Required
10
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. New Resident – Welcome to Florida!
11
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
12
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Laws for Florida Teens
13
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.16 – Driving Restrictions on Minors
14
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
15
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Renew or Replace Your Florida Driver License or ID Card