Learning to drive is a big step for any teen, but the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has created a lot of help along the way. Check out Applying For a New License on this site to get the specific details about how to apply for your learner's and operator's licenses.

Top Education Comes First

Before you get any kind of license, you need to learn the rules and some basic skills. A good place to start is the Florida Driver Handbook, which contains a lot of valuable information about driving laws and procedures. Here's just some of what you'll find in the handbook:

• How to get your license, including required documents and testing

• The point system, as well as information about license suspension and revocation

• Driving skills, such as defensive driving, speed limits, right-of-way, and parking

• Road signs, traffic signals, and highway markings

• Vehicle safety, including equipment requirements

• Study questions for the written tests

Top Classroom Requirements

If you're taking a driver's ed course at school, that class will usually cover the first-time driver education requirements set by the State of Florida. Check with your school board to make sure.

If your school doesn't offer driver's ed, you'll need to take a required Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course through a private company before applying for your learner's license. The state has compiled a list of approved course providers on the DHSMV Web site.

Top Driving Independence, Step by Step

Because the State of Florida is serious about ensuring the safety of teens (and everyone else) on the highways, legislators have come up with a process that allows first-time drivers to gain experience and freedom gradually. Here are the steps you'll take:

Learner's license: You have to be at least 15 years old to get this instructional permit, which only allows you to drive during daylight hours and accompanied at all times by a licensed driver who's at least 21 years old. You'll be required to have this license for a year, during which you must get at least 50 hours of driving experience, with 10 of those hours being at night. You'll need to have a parent or guardian sign a statement saying you did indeed get at least the minimum hours of experience.

Operator's license: Once you're 16, you can take your on-road driving test and get your operator's license, which allows you to drive alone in the car between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. (If you're driving to or from work or accompanied by a licensed driver who's at least 21, you can drive during restricted hours.) When you turn 17, you'll get a little more freedom, and be allowed to drive alone between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m., unless driving to or from work or accompanied by a licensed driver who's 21 or older.

Regular Class E license: At age 18, you'll be able to drive alone at any time or day or night. But even though you have an unrestricted license, you should know that the state will penalize you more harshly for certain infractions, until you are 21. See the Teen Drivers section on this site for more information about the penalties for younger drivers. The increased penalties aren't to keep you down; they're mainly to send a serious message about the need for safe and experienced driving.

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