Florida Learner’s Permit: Requirements, Restrictions, and Penalties

To meet the Florida learner’s permit requirements, you must be at least 15 years old, finish a state-approved Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course, pass a written knowledge exam along with vision and hearing screenings, present documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Florida address, and pay a $48 fee. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian also has to sign a consent form. Once the permit is in hand, you can only drive with a licensed adult 21 or older in the front passenger seat, and time-of-day limits apply.¹

Minimum Age and the Required Course

You have to be 15 to apply.¹ Before you set foot in a service center, you also have to finish a state-approved driver education course covering traffic laws, the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving, and basic road safety.² It’s commonly called the TLSAE or the Drug Alcohol Traffic Awareness (DATA) course, and multiple state-authorized providers offer it online or in person.³

There is no way around it. Keep your certificate or provider confirmation number on you when you go in, because staff will ask for proof.

Documents to Bring

Florida asks for original documents in three categories, and the same set makes your permit REAL ID-compliant.⁴

Proof of identity: a certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport is the most common option, showing your full legal name and date of birth.
Proof of Social Security number: your original Social Security card is easiest; a W-2 or SSA-1099 showing the full nine-digit number also works.
Proof of residential address: since most teens don’t have utility bills or bank statements in their own name, a parent or guardian can provide their own proof of residency along with a signed statement that you live at the same address.

Every document must reflect your current legal name. If your name changed by adoption, marriage, or court order, bring the paperwork linking your birth name to your current one.

Parental Consent for Applicants Under 18

If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign Form 71142, the Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor, which places the legal obligations tied to your driving on that adult under Florida law.⁵ A step-parent cannot sign unless they have legally adopted you. The form is signed in front of a driver license examiner at the office.

At the Office: Screenings, Exam, and Fee

You can apply at any Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) office or a local tax collector’s office. Booking an appointment online is worth the few minutes it takes.

You’ll go through three steps once you’re there. First, a vision and hearing screening, which Florida law requires for all Class E license applicants.⁶ Bring your glasses or contacts if you use them. If you need corrective lenses to pass, the permit will carry that restriction.

Second, the written knowledge exam. It’s 50 multiple-choice questions on traffic signs, right-of-way rules, and safe driving. You can take it online at home before your office visit, with a parent or guardian supervising, or in person at the service center. Each retake after a failed attempt costs $10.⁶

Third, you pay the $48 processing fee for an original Class E learner’s license.⁷ Tax collector offices may tack on a small service charge. After payment, you get your photo taken and walk out with a temporary permit.

Rules for Driving on the Permit

Three restrictions apply from the day the permit is issued:

Supervised driving only. A licensed driver who is at least 21 must sit in the front passenger seat any time you drive, and that supervisor must hold a valid license for the type of vehicle you’re operating. Not the back seat. Front passenger seat.¹
Daylight hours only for the first three months after the permit is issued.¹
Until 10:00 p.m. after that. Once you have held the permit for three months, you can drive up to 10 p.m., and no later.¹

Penalties for Breaking the Restrictions

Driving without a qualified supervisor or outside the allowed hours is treated as a moving violation, with the same kind of civil penalty as running a stop sign or speeding.¹ That means a fine and points on your record before you even hold a full license. Because Florida also requires a clean driving record during the learner’s permit period, a citation can push your full-license date back.

Moving From the Permit to a Full License

The permit is a training stage. To upgrade to a full Class E license, every one of the following has to be true:

You are at least 16.
You have held the learner’s permit for at least 12 consecutive months, or you have turned 18, whichever comes first.⁴
A parent or guardian has certified on Form 71143 that you completed at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, with at least 10 of those hours at night.⁸
You have no moving violation convictions in the 12 months after the permit was issued. A single moving violation is allowed if adjudication was withheld, meaning the court did not formally convict you.⁴
You pass the behind-the-wheel driving skills test. The vehicle you use must have valid registration, proof of insurance, and pass a basic safety inspection by the examiner. Each retake after a failed skills test costs $20.⁶

Note that a full license at 16 does not remove every rule. Florida’s graduated licensing system keeps some restrictions in place until you turn 18, including a driving curfew and limits on teenage passengers, and those are separate from the learner’s permit rules covered here.

1
Justia Law. Florida Statutes 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.095 – Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education
3
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws
5
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.12 – Examination of Applicants
7
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
8
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.05 – Persons Not to Be Licensed