Florida Learner’s License: Requirements, Tests, and Costs

To get a Florida learner’s permit, you must be at least 15 years old, complete an approved Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course, bring REAL ID documents to a service center, pass a vision screening, a hearing screening, and a 50-question knowledge exam, and pay $48.¹ Applicants under 18 also need a notarized parental consent form. The permit is the first step in Florida’s graduated licensing system, and you’ll hold it for at least 12 months before qualifying for a full Class E driver license.

Who Qualifies

The minimum age is 15. If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian has to sign a notarized consent form; step-parents can’t sign unless they’ve legally adopted you.²

Before you apply, finish a Driver Education Traffic Safety course through an approved provider. It covers Florida traffic laws, road safety basics, and the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving.³ Most online providers charge around $22, and the course has to be done before the knowledge exam.

Documents to Bring

Florida follows federal REAL ID rules, so you need original documents in three categories: identity, Social Security number, and Florida residential address.⁴

Identity: one primary document, such as a certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport.
Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing the full number.
Residential address: two separate documents showing your Florida address, such as utility bills, bank statements, or a mortgage document.

Names must match exactly across every document. If your name has changed through marriage or a court order, bring the original legal document that connects the names.

Applicants under 18 also need the Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142) from the FLHSMV website. A parent or legal guardian signs it, and the signature must be notarized or witnessed by an examiner at the service center.⁵

Non-U.S. citizens need proof of legal presence from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with at least 61 days remaining before expiration, and any document in a foreign language must come with a written English translation.

Tests You Have to Pass

The Class E Knowledge Exam has 50 multiple-choice questions covering traffic law and road signs. You need 40 correct to pass (80 percent). Applicants under 18 can take it online through an authorized third-party provider; adults have to take it in person at a service center.⁶

If you fail online, you get up to three total online attempts before you have to switch to in-person testing. Each retest is $10.¹

You’ll also take a vision and hearing screening at the service center. Both are required by statute and happen on-site when you apply.³

Where to Apply and What It Costs

You finalize the application at an FLHSMV service center or a county tax collector’s office. Many locations prefer or require an appointment. Staff will verify your documents, run the vision and hearing screenings, take your photo, and capture your digital signature.

The fee for an original Class E license, which includes the learner’s permit, is $48. Tax collector offices add a $6.25 service fee; veterans who show proof of veteran status are exempt from that extra charge.¹

Rules Once You Have the Permit

Every time you drive, a licensed driver at least 21 years old has to be in the front passenger seat. No driving alone, ever, even for a short errand.³

Time-of-day limits phase in:

For the first three months, you can drive only during daylight hours.
After three months, you can drive until 10:00 p.m.³

Breaking either rule counts as a moving violation and carries the same civil penalty as a traffic ticket.³ A conviction during the holding period can also delay your move to a full license.

What Comes Next

You keep the learner’s permit for at least 12 months (or until you turn 18, whichever comes first) before applying for a Class E driver license. You generally can’t have any moving violation convictions during that year, though one violation with adjudication withheld, typically after traffic school, is allowed.²

Before taking the road test, a parent or guardian has to certify that you’ve completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including at least 10 hours at night. FLHSMV publishes a printable practice log for tracking the hours. The behind-the-wheel Class E Driving Skills Test requires a vehicle with valid registration and insurance that passes a basic safety check by the examiner.²

1
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
3
Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.1615 – Learner’s Driver License
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring
5
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor
6
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test