How licensing works in Florida
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) licenses drivers. Teens start with a learner's license, then get a Class E driver license with limited hours until age 18.
| Stage | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Learner's license | 15 | Always with a licensed driver 21 or older. Daylight only for the first 3 months, then until 10 p.m. Hold 12 months or until 18. |
| Driver license, age 16 | 16 | 50 practice hours (10 at night) certified. Pass the skills test. May drive 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. unless going to or from work or with a licensed driver 21 or older. |
| Driver license, age 17 | 17 | May drive 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., with the same exceptions. |
| No hour limits | 18 | Teen driving hours end. |
New drivers are most likely to crash in their first months of driving alone, and night driving and carrying friends make that risk higher. Graduated licensing rules give you time to build skill in safer conditions, so you gain experience before the limits come off.
Before your first license
- Hold your learner's license for 12 months, or until you turn 18.
- Have a parent, guardian or responsible adult over 21 sign the Certification of Minor Driving Experience for 50 hours, 10 at night.
- Have no moving violation convictions in the year after your learner's license was issued (or only one with adjudication withheld).
- Pass the Class E driving skills test.
The Class E Knowledge Exam
The Class E Knowledge Exam has 50 multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving and traffic controls. You must answer 40 correctly (80%).
- Languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole and Russian.
- Applicants under 18 can take the exam online. A Parent Proctoring Form must be notarized or signed in front of a driver license examiner.
- You can also test at a service center, or through a school's Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP).
- If you pass with a third-party administrator, you may be picked at random for a free re-test.
The TLSAE course
If you have never had a driver license in any state or country, you must complete the Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course before you apply. FLHSMV lists approved providers on its website.
Rules specific to Florida
Phones
Texting while driving is banned for all Florida drivers. Holding a phone while driving is banned in school zones and work zones.
The driving skills test
The skills test checks 14 maneuvers. Know these numbers:
- Three-point turn in a space 20 to 40 feet wide.
- Back up 50 feet slowly without relying on the mirror or camera.
- Signal for the last 100 feet before a turn.
- Follow at least four seconds behind the car ahead.
- Other maneuvers include stopping quickly, straight-in parking, parking on a grade, and obeying signs and signals.
A three-point turn: forward, back, forward again.
- Turn left across the road.
- Back up while turning right.
- Drive forward in the new direction.
Your test vehicle needs valid registration, proof of insurance, and must pass a basic inspection. No passengers are allowed unless you need an interpreter.
Key numbers to remember
Many test questions ask for an exact age, time or number. Use this table as a quick review before you practice.
| Rule | Number |
|---|---|
| Learner's license age | 15 |
| Daylight-only period | First 3 months |
| Learner limit after 3 months | Until 10 p.m. |
| Exam questions / needed to pass | 50 / 40 |
| Practice hours | 50, including 10 at night |
| Hold learner's license | 12 months (or until 18) |
| Age 16 driving hours | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| Age 17 driving hours | 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. |
Test tips
- Read the Official Florida Driver License Handbook.
- Finish your TLSAE course early, since you need it before you apply.
- Learn the hour limits for learners, 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds.
- Do these practice tests until you score at least 45 out of 50.
On test day
Give yourself plenty of time on the day of your test. Get a good night's sleep, eat something before you go, and arrive early so you do not feel rushed.
- Bring every document on the official checklist, plus your glasses or contact lenses if you need them to see.
- Turn off your phone and put it away before the test starts.
- Read each question all the way through, then read every answer before you choose.
- If you are not sure, first rule out the answers you know are wrong.
- Change an answer only if you are sure you misread the question.
If you do not pass, do not give up. Look at the topics you missed, study those parts of the handbook again, and take more practice tests before you try again.
Keep studying
This guide covers rules that are special to Florida. The general rules of the road, such as right-of-way, turns, lane markings, parking, alcohol and sharing the road, are in the national US driving study guide. Study both before your exam.