To get a Florida learner’s permit, you need to be at least fifteen, finish the required driver education course, bring documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Florida address, pass a fifty-question knowledge exam plus a vision and hearing screening, and pay $48 at a service center or tax collector’s office. Florida learner’s permit requirements changed on August 1, 2025 for applicants under eighteen, so the course you take now depends on your age.
Who Can Apply
You must be at least fifteen years old.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License There is no upper age limit, and adults who have never held a license follow the same general process.
If you are under eighteen, your permit is tied to school. You have to be enrolled in and attending a public school, private school, or home education program, or you must already hold a diploma or equivalency certificate. If your district reports you as noncompliant, FLHSMV will suspend the permit, and getting it back requires the district to verify at least thirty days of compliance.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.091 – Attendance Requirements The check is electronic.
The Education Course You Must Complete
Which course you take depends on your age, and this is where applicants most often get tripped up.
Under Eighteen
If you are under eighteen and have never held a license anywhere, you must complete the six-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course before applying. The older four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course is no longer accepted for minors unless you finished it before August 1, 2025. A TLSAE certificate completed before that date stays valid for one year; if you don’t get your permit within that year, you’ll need to take DETS instead.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS)
Two paths substitute for the standalone DETS course: enrollment in a Florida Department of Education Traffic Safety Classroom course (course number 1900300 or 1900310), or enrollment in a Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP) run through your county school board.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS)
Eighteen and Older
If you are eighteen or older, the four-hour TLSAE course still applies. The 2025 change did not affect adult first-time applicants.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) TLSAE covers Florida traffic law fundamentals and the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
Course completion is verified electronically at the service center, so you don’t need to bring a paper certificate, though keeping one as backup doesn’t hurt.
Documents to Bring
Florida follows federal REAL ID standards. For your first in-office visit, bring original documents in three categories: proof of identity, proof of your Social Security number, and proof of your Florida residential address.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring The specific documents accepted differ for U.S. citizens, immigrants, and non-immigrants, so check the FLHSMV list that matches your status. Common examples for U.S. citizens are a birth certificate or passport for identity, a Social Security card, and two items such as a utility bill or bank statement showing your address.
Applicants under eighteen also need a signed parental consent form, HSMV 71142, available on the FLHSMV website. A parent or legal guardian must sign it, and the signature has to be either notarized or witnessed by a driver license examiner at the service center.6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor If the signing parent can’t come with you, get it notarized in advance.
The Knowledge Exam and Vision Screening
The Class E Knowledge Exam is fifty multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws and road signs. You need at least forty correct (80 percent) to pass, and every question comes from the Official Florida Driver License Handbook, which FLHSMV publishes free online.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test You can take it at a service center, a tax collector’s office, or through an authorized third-party provider; some third parties offer online testing.8Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver License Exams Third-party test takers can be randomly selected for a mandatory retest at a state office.
You also have to pass vision and hearing screenings.9Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. General Information The vision standard is 20/40 or better in either eye, with or without corrective lenses; if you need glasses or contacts to reach that level, a restriction code is added to your license requiring you to wear them while driving.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test Applicants who are deaf or cannot hear normal conversation are not disqualified but receive a restriction requiring an outside left-side rearview mirror or the use of a hearing aid.
Where to Apply and What It Costs
You can apply at any FLHSMV service center or at most county tax collector offices that offer driver license services. Booking an appointment through the FLHSMV website cuts wait times significantly compared with walking in.
The state fee for a Class E learner’s license is $48.00. Tax collector offices add a $6.25 service fee per transaction.10Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Frequently Asked Questions Payment methods vary by location but generally include credit cards, checks, and cash. The examiner takes a digital photo and captures your signature to produce the permit.
What You Can and Can’t Do With the Permit
A learner’s license is not a full license. Every time you drive, a licensed driver at least twenty-one years old must sit in the front passenger seat, which the statute describes as “the closest seat to the right of the driver.”1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License That supervisor must hold a valid license for the type of vehicle you’re driving. An expired license doesn’t qualify.
A driving curfew also applies and loosens over time:
- First three months: daylight hours only.
- After three months: until 10:00 p.m.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License
There is no work exception on a learner’s license; that exception only kicks in once you move up to a full license at sixteen or seventeen. Driving outside the curfew or without a qualifying supervisor is a moving violation, which means a citation, a fine, and points on your record.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License
Insurance Before You Start Practicing
Florida requires every registered vehicle to carry at least $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 in property damage liability.11Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Insurance Requirements Insurance follows the vehicle, not the driver, so a permit holder practicing in a parent’s insured car is generally covered under that existing policy. Notify the insurer that a new driver is using the vehicle; failing to disclose a permit holder in the household can give the company grounds to deny a claim or cancel the policy after a crash. Adding a teen to an existing policy is almost always cheaper than a separate one.