- Driver Types

New License - Under 18

FLORIDA FIRST TIME DRIVER COURSE (D.A.T.A.) SPONSOR

Never had a FL drivers license? All first time drivers in the State of Florida are required by law to take a Florida drivers ed course prior to applying for a Florida drivers license. DMV.ORG recommends FloridaDrivingCourse.com as a good choice for Florida drivers ed.

First-Time Driver (D.A.T.A.) - FloridaDrivingCourse.com

Enroll in the FloridaDrivingCourse.com four-hour class from the privacy of your own home and complete it at your convenience. This course will allow you to learn about how alcohol and other drugs affect your ability to drive, FL laws and responsibilities, safe driving techniques, and how to increase your awareness on Florida's roadways. You will also have the option of taking your FL drivers license written exam online after completing the course--as long as you are younger than 18 years old.

FloridaDrivingCourse.com also features driving courses for:

Page Overview

Requirements By Age
Take Drivers Education
Obtain a Learner’s License
Practice Behind the Wheel
Apply for an Operator’s License

Top Requirements By Age

Age	Take Driver's Education	Apply for Learner's License	Complete 50 Hours, Supervised Driving	Apply for Class E Operator's License (restricted)	Apply for Class E (restrictions released)
15	X	X	X
16 & 17	X	X	X	X
18					X

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Founded in 1996, Florida's Graduated Driver’s License program was one of the first in the nation. A teen goes through three stages of increasing driver responsibility, showing he is capable of handling each one, before obtaining a full, permanent driver’s license.

To get an unrestricted Class E license, teens between the ages of 15 and 17 must:

Take a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course through a private company or a school.
Apply for a Learner’s License.
Practice driving for 50 hours (10 of which are at night) with a parent or other licensed person 21 years or older.
Take a driver’s training class with a professional. It isn't mandatory, but smart. Driver's training classes allows an applicant to get a waiver for the driving test.
Hold the Learner’s License for one year before applying for an Operator’s License.
Hold the Operator’s License for one year.

Top Take Drivers Education

Residents

You may take a state-approved driver’s ed program or one offered through your high school.

New to the State

If you’re new to the state and have a non-provisional license from another state, you’ll still have to go through the graduated driver license program.

However, you can skip the Learner’s License if you’ve had your license for at least a year, and go straight to the Operator’s License if you have taken the Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course. Just show your out-of-state license. You may still have to take a written, hearing, vision, and driving test.

If you have taken driver’s training in another state and want to get your driving test waived, you will need to inquire at the DHSMV office or the main customer service line at (850) 617-2000 as to whether they’ll accept the course from your old state.

Top Obtain a Learner’s License

Study the driver handbook and take a practice test to prep for your written test.
Have your parent or guardian sign the Parental Consent Form, and get it notarized if he can’t accompany you when you apply. (Keep in mind, if you’re younger than 18 and not married, your parent or guardian must accompany you to sign this form.)
Don't forget your proof that you passed a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course.
Bring both a certified primary and secondary identification, proof of residence, your Social Security card (if you have one),
Be prepared to pass a written test, covering traffic signs and laws. The retake fee is $5.
Be prepared to pass a vision test with 20/40 or better vision, and a hearing test.
Have payment for the $27 fee. This fee covers all the stages of your driver's licenses, including your regular license (unless you need to retake tests).
Make an appointment online or call your local driver's license office or the main number at (850) 617-2000.

Learner’s License Restrictions

When you have a Learner’s License, you must only drive in the daylight with a licensed driver (21 year old or older) in the front seat. If you go three months with no problems, you can drive until 10 p.m.

Top Practice Behind the Wheel

Now you have to hold the Learner’s License for a year. You must practice 50 hours during over those 12 months, 10 hours at night. Your parent or guardian must fill out and sign a form confirming you properly performed the practice hours.

You aren't required to take a driver’s training course, but you can use it to skip out of your driving test.

Parents can use this Skills Mastery Checklist to test whether their teens are ready for the driving test.

Top Apply for an Operator’s License

Once you've held a Learner's Permit for one year, you may apply for an Operator's, or Class E, license. Some restrictions apply.

To get an Operator's License:

Find your Learner’s License, or license from another state if you just moved here. You must submit this.
Fill out a driving hour certification and have your parent or guardian sign it.
Be ready to take a driving test or show proof of passing an approved driver training course. If you fail, the retake fee for the driving test is $10.
Make an appointment to go to a driver’s license office. This isn't mandatory, but will save you time.

Operator’s License Restrictions

With an Operator’s License, you may drive between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. (at age 16) or 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. (age 17). If you drive at any other time, you must take a 21-year-old (or older) licensed driver with you in the front seat, or be heading to or from your employment.

Parents can also use monitoring services. These range from from magnets proclaiming “Caution-Newly Licensed,” to monitoring teens via cell phone and GPS.

After you turn 18, you may drive anytime with anyone you like.

Related Questions from DMV Answers

How useful is a free drivers permit practice test?

Practice tests for the drivers permit test are very useful, if you want to pass the learners permit test the first time you take it and be on the road to getting a regular drivers license. Free tests, available from your state motor vehicle office, are usually only about ten questions long; some states have several available. These tests are taken right out of the driver’s manual. But, the more practice tests you take, the better you’ll be at taking the exam to get your drivers permit. Some people find that the free tests aren’t quite comprehensive enough to make them 100% confident that they’ll pass the regular test. Taking some extra practice tests compiled by expert third-party companies that specialize in creating practice tests will reinforce what you have studied--and will boost your test-taking confidence. Many of these companies have put together learners permit practice tests for every single state; and these tests have more questions, so you g...
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Does the state's free DMV permit practice test have the same questions as t...

Yes, but the questions may not be exactly the same when you take the learners permit test. The practice test questions from the DMV consist of about ten random samplings from the drivers handbook. For example, when you take a practice drivers license test, the sample questions may ask you about turning right on a red light. The actual test may not have that question at all; instead, it might ask you about a four-way stop. The best way to prepare for the drivers permit test is to study the drivers manual and take plenty of practice tests, so you have lots of exposure to any type of question the test will throw at you. In addition to taking the free DMV permit practice test, which have a limited number of questions, you can also buy permit practice tests with more questions that you can also take on your home computer. This allows you extra practice. Once you are consistently scoring well on the sample questions, you have a much higher likelihood of passing the DMV test so you can get...
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Is a work permit the same as a restricted or hardship license?

While some states group all of these under the same category, a work permit is usually considered to be a bit more limited that a restricted or hardship license.That's because a work permit normally only allows you to drive to and from work. Meanwhile, a restricted or hardship license allows you to drive within certain hours of the day - perhaps to go to the doctor's office, school, or grocery store - as well as to and from your job. Some states also offer hardship licenses to young drivers under the legal driving age, depending on their family needs and distance from school and public transportation.Again, though, states define work permits and hardship licenses differently, so you'll need to inquire with your state's driver's license agency to specifically find out what driving activities you're allowed to do - and when.If you have a revoked drivers license, you might find it more difficult to obtain a work permit or hardship license than if you have a suspended drivers ...
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Where can I access the parking rules where I live?

Are you looking for statewide parking rules - or parking laws for your town? Statewide parking laws - concerning matters such as how far away you must park from a fire hydrant, driveway, or curb - should be found in your state's driver's license manual. Meanwhile, local parking rules can be discovered by searching through your municipality's legal code. But, it's easier to simply call your local police department or city law department and ask.It's important to know when and where you can park, or otherwise you risk getting a parking ticket. For instance, many cities prohibit on-street overnight parking. Others have snow parking bans, which means you can't park on a street when a certain amount of snow is on the ground. And, there are a myriad of other situations that can be covered by parking laws.
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Can you drive out of state with a learners permit?

"Can you drive out of state with a learners permit?" is one of the most frequently asked questions. It's also a tricky question to answer. For while just about every state allows its permit drivers to operate a vehicle without border restrictions (see grid below), there are other factors that come into play. Currently six states (New Hampshire, Arizona, Hawaii, Vermont, Pennsylvania and South Carolina) and the District of Columbia ban permit drivers from other states. And several others will not recognize any driver (including those holding a drivers license) under 16. So if you're planning on driving on a family road trip, take the time to educate yourself on the rules of other states.
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