The Florida HSMV 71142 parental consent form is the one-page document a parent or legal guardian signs so a Floridian under 18 can be issued a learner’s permit or driver license. You fill in the minor’s full name and date of birth, sign the consent statement, and have that signature either notarized or witnessed by a driver license examiner at a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) service center.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor The form is short. What you’re agreeing to is not, so read it before you sign.
Who Can Sign
Florida law limits the signature to specific people. The minor’s father, mother, or legal guardian may sign. If the primary guardian has died, a secondary guardian may sign. If no parent or guardian is available, another responsible adult willing to take on the legal obligations that come with signing may do so.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.09 – Application of Minors; Responsibility for Negligence or Misconduct of Minor
A stepparent cannot sign unless they have legally adopted the minor.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews A married minor doesn’t need the form at all; the instructions state parental consent is not required if the applicant is married.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor
Foster Care and Out-of-Home Placements
For a minor in the state’s care, Florida law opens a separate path. A caregiver, an authorized representative of a residential group home, the caseworker assigned to the minor, or a guardian ad litem authorized by the caregiver may sign the learner’s permit application. The caseworker or group home representative must notify the caregiver or other responsible party before signing. None of these signers take on the financial liability a parent or guardian would; the statute explicitly shields them from responsibility for damages the minor causes while driving. A caseworker may also sign the application for a full driver license when a court-approved transition plan is in place, with the same shield and notification rules.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.09 – Application of Minors; Responsibility for Negligence or Misconduct of Minor
Filling in the Form
The form is a single page. Enter the minor’s last name, first name, and middle name, along with their date of birth. The parent or guardian then signs and prints their name beneath the consent statement, which reads: “I do hereby consent that [minor’s name], a minor, date of birth [date] be granted a Florida driver license and assume the obligations imposed by Section 322.09, Florida Statutes, unless and until I notify the Department to withdraw this consent in writing.”1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor
Two things live in that sentence. You are accepting the obligations of Section 322.09, and you keep the right to end that consent later by writing to the department.
Notarizing the Signature or Signing at the Service Center
The signature must be either notarized or witnessed by a driver license examiner at an FLHSMV service center.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor You have two ways to handle this:
- Sign in person at the service center. If the parent or guardian comes along with the minor, an examiner witnesses the signature on the spot at no extra cost.
- Sign in front of a notary beforehand. The form includes a standard notary block with fields for the date, the signer’s identity, identification type, and the notary’s stamp and signature. The minor then brings the completed, notarized form to the appointment.
The notary route works well for a parent who lives out of state, works during service center hours, or otherwise can’t be at the office on the day of the appointment.
What You Are Agreeing to by Signing
This is the part that catches signers off guard. Under Section 322.09, when you sign a minor’s driver license application, any negligence or willful misconduct by that minor while driving is imputed to you. You become jointly and severally liable with the minor for damages they cause.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.09 – Application of Minors; Responsibility for Negligence or Misconduct of Minor
Joint and several liability means an injured party can pursue you, the minor, or both for the full amount. If the teen causes a serious crash, you can be personally on the hook for medical bills, property damage, and other costs. The exposure lasts as long as the minor holds the license or until you withdraw consent in writing.
Because of that exposure, confirm your auto policy covers the minor as a listed driver before you sign. Adding a teen raises premiums, but driving uninsured or underinsured while you carry statutory liability is a much larger financial risk.
How to Withdraw Consent
The consent language on HSMV 71142 preserves the signer’s right to withdraw at any time by notifying the FLHSMV in writing.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor When consent is withdrawn, a cancellation is placed on the minor’s driving record. It remains until the minor turns 18 or a new consent form is filed with the department.
Withdrawing consent is the only way to end your Section 322.09 liability before the minor turns 18. If the household situation changes, a written notice to the department cuts off your future liability for the minor’s driving.
What Else the Minor Needs at the Service Center
The completed form is one piece of the application package, not the whole thing. Along with HSMV 71142, the minor presents primary identification (such as an original U.S. birth certificate issued by a county health department or state vital statistics bureau, a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship; hospital birth certificates aren’t accepted), proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of Florida residential address.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. U.S. Citizen – What to Bring Since a minor is unlikely to have utility bills or bank statements in their own name, a parent’s documents showing the same residential address are acceptable. If the name on the birth certificate doesn’t match the name on the application, bring the court order or other legal document linking the two.
The fee for an original Class E license, which includes the learner’s permit, is $48.00.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
Do You Need to Sign Again for the Full License?
No. The parental consent filed with the learner’s permit carries over, so you don’t submit a new HSMV 71142 when the teen applies for a Class E driver license. At that stage the parent or guardian completes a separate document, the Certification of Minor Driving Experience Form (HSMV 71143), certifying the teen has logged at least 50 hours of supervised driving with 10 of those hours at night.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews Your original consent, and the liability that came with it, keeps running until the minor turns 18 or you withdraw it in writing.