To get a Florida learner’s permit, you need to be at least 15, prove Florida residency, finish a required driver education course, bring documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and address to a service center, and pass vision, hearing, and knowledge tests. The fee is $48. If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian also has to sign a consent form. Here’s how each step works.
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 15 years old and a Florida resident.1Justia Law. Florida Code Title XXIII Chapter 322 – Section 322.1615 Florida treats you as a resident if you’ve lived in the state for more than six consecutive months, enrolled children in public school, registered to vote, or filed for a homestead tax exemption.
Applicants under 18 need a Parental Consent Form signed by a parent or legal guardian. Step-parents cannot sign unless they’ve legally adopted you. The signature must be notarized or made in front of a driver license examiner at the service center.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Parental Consent Form 71142 Signing makes the parent financially responsible for liability the minor incurs while driving.
Finish the Required Education Course
As of August 1, 2025, anyone under 18 who has never held a license must complete a six-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course before applying.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) This replaced the older four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course. You can take DETS in person or online, and it ends with a 40-question exam that requires 80 percent to pass.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) Course Frequently Asked Questions
If you finished the old TLSAE course before August 1, 2025, your certificate is still valid for one year from the date you completed it. Miss that window and you’ll need to take the new DETS course. Certain county school board offerings, including the Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP) and FDOE Traffic Safety Classroom courses, also satisfy the requirement.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS)
Documents to Bring
You need to prove three things: your identity, your Social Security number, and your Florida residential address.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens
- Identity: an original U.S. birth certificate (not a hospital-issued copy) or a valid U.S. passport.
- Social Security number: a Social Security card or a W-2 form.
- Residential address: two separate documents showing where you live in Florida. Utility bills dated within the last 60 days, a Florida voter registration card, or a homeowner’s insurance policy all work.
If you can only produce one address document in your own name, a parent, guardian, or other person whose name appears on address documents can vouch for you using a Certification of Address form.6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Certification of Address Form 71120 Bring your course completion certificate and, if you’re under 18, the signed parental consent form as well.
Pass the Vision, Hearing, and Knowledge Tests
The service center will give you a vision test and a hearing test. You can wear corrective lenses or hearing aids during the tests, and any such requirement is noted on your permit.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens
You’ll also take the Class E Knowledge Exam, a 50-question multiple-choice test on Florida traffic laws and road signs. You need 40 correct answers, or 80 percent, to pass.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens If you’re under 18, you can take this exam online through an approved third-party provider. A parent or guardian has to proctor it and sign a Parent Proctoring Form, which must be notarized or signed in front of a driver license examiner.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test
One deadline to know: starting April 1, 2026, the Class E Knowledge Exam will be offered in English only. Until then, a Spanish version is available. If English isn’t your strongest language, sit for the exam before that date.
Apply at a Service Center and Pay the Fee
Bring your documents, your course completion certificate, and (if under 18) your parental consent form to an FLHSMV service center or an authorized tax collector office. You’ll have a photo taken and provide fingerprints. Once you pass the tests and submit your paperwork, the permit is issued on the spot.
The fee for an original Class E learner’s permit is $48.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.21 – License Fees Tax collector offices may add a $6.25 service fee. A replacement, if you lose the permit later, is $25.9Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. FLHSMV Fees
What You Can and Can’t Do With the Permit
A learner’s permit is not a driver’s license. Every time you drive, a licensed driver at least 21 years old must be in the front passenger seat, the seat closest to your right. There are no exceptions.1Justia Law. Florida Code Title XXIII Chapter 322 – Section 322.1615
Nighttime driving phases in. For the first three months after your permit is issued, you can only drive during daylight hours. After that, you can drive until 10:00 p.m.1Justia Law. Florida Code Title XXIII Chapter 322 – Section 322.1615 Breaking the supervision rule or the curfew counts as a moving violation and can push back the date you’re eligible for a full license.
You also need auto insurance to drive on a permit. In most cases, a teen with a learner’s permit is covered under a parent’s existing policy, but call your insurer to confirm and to ask whether your name needs to be added. Florida law specifically prohibits insurers from charging an extra premium for certain minors in out-of-home care while they hold a learner’s permit.10The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 627.746 – Coverage for Minors Who Have a Learner’s Driver License Adult permit holders who don’t live with a parent may need their own policy.
If You’re 18 or Older
Adults who have never been licensed anywhere are not required to get a learner’s permit at all. You can apply directly for a full Class E license. You still complete the four-hour TLSAE course (not the six-hour DETS course, which is only for minors), pass the vision and hearing tests, pass the Class E Knowledge Exam, and pass the driving skills test. There are no nighttime curfews or supervised driving hour requirements for adults.
Some adults still choose to get a permit voluntarily so they can practice before the road test. The $48 fee is the same, and none of the teen-specific driving restrictions apply.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.21 – License Fees