To transfer your license to Florida, visit a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) service center or a participating county tax collector’s office within 30 days of becoming a resident, bring original identity and address documents, pass a vision screening, surrender your out-of-state license, and pay $48.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. New Resident – Welcome to Florida! If your current license is valid and unexpired, the written and road tests are waived, and the visit usually takes under an hour.
When the 30-Day Clock Starts
Florida considers you a resident once you do something that shows you’ve settled in: accepting a job, starting a business, or enrolling your children in public school.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.031 – Nonresident; When License Required From that point you have 30 days to get a Florida license. Your spouse and any dependent children who plan to drive have the same 30 days. Driving past that window with only an out-of-state license is a noncriminal traffic infraction, treated as a moving violation.
A separate deadline runs alongside it. If you brought a vehicle with you, you have only 10 days to get Florida auto insurance and register the vehicle.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. New Resident – Welcome to Florida!
Documents to Bring
Florida follows the federal REAL ID Act, so every document must be an original or a certified copy. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Document Help You need one item from the identity list, one item showing your Social Security number, and two documents showing your Florida address.
Proof of Identity (One Document)
- U.S. birth certificate issued by a county health department or the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Hospital birth certificates are not accepted.
- Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Certificate of Citizenship
If the name on your identity document doesn’t match your current legal name, bring certified marriage certificates, court-ordered name change documents, or divorce decrees showing each change.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. REAL ID
Proof of Social Security Number (One Document)
Your Social Security card works, as does any document showing your full number: a W-2, a pay stub, an SSA-1099, or another 1099.6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Document Help The name on the Social Security record has to match the name you want on your license. If it doesn’t, update your record with the Social Security Administration before your appointment.
Proof of Florida Address (Two Documents)
- Deed, mortgage statement, or residential lease
- Florida voter registration card
- Florida vehicle registration or title
- Utility bill dated within the last 60 days
- Insurance policy or medical/health card
If you just moved and don’t yet have two documents in your own name, you can use a Certification of Address form signed by the person you live with. That person then has to provide their own two proofs of address.
What Happens at the Office
Go to an FLHSMV service center or a county tax collector’s office that offers driver’s license services. Many locations require appointments now, so check the office’s website or call before you drive over.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Locations
The examiner will review your documents and give you a vision screening. A hearing screening may also be given. If you use glasses, contacts, or a hearing aid to pass, a restriction code is added to your license.
If you’re transferring a valid, unexpired out-of-state license, both the written knowledge test and the driving skills test are waived.8Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. General Information If your license has expired, expect to take both tests. Licenses from foreign countries also require both tests, even if they’re current.
Cost
An original Class E license (the standard noncommercial license) is $48.00. If you use a county tax collector’s office rather than an FLHSMV service center, add a $6.25 service fee, bringing the total to $54.25.9Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees Payment methods vary by office; most take cash, check, and card. The license is valid for eight years, or six years if you’re 80 or older.10Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 322.18 – Expiration of Licenses; Sinkholes
Special Cases
Commercial Driver’s License
Florida reciprocates out-of-state CDLs.11Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Commercial Driver License You must appear in person and surrender your current CDL. A hazardous materials endorsement doesn’t carry over: you have to reapply in Florida, which involves a TSA security threat assessment with fingerprinting and a background check for $85.25, plus any state endorsement tests and fees.12Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement If you already hold a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), the threat assessment fee drops to $41.00.
Motorcycle Endorsement
Florida carries over out-of-state motorcycle endorsements without requiring a safety course. The one exception is Alabama: if your license is from Alabama, bring a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course completion card along with your license.13Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Rider Education and Endorsements
Drivers 80 and Older
Your Florida license will be valid for six years instead of eight.10Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 322.18 – Expiration of Licenses; Sinkholes At renewal, you’ll also need to either submit a Vision Examination Form (FLHSMV Form 72119) completed by a licensed physician or take the vision test in person at a driver’s license office.14Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Vision Standards
After You Leave the Office
You’ll surrender your old out-of-state license and walk out with a temporary paper license. That paper lets you drive legally while your permanent card is produced and mailed to the address on your application. The card usually arrives within a few weeks.
Once you hand your old license over, it’s gone. If you need any information from it later (for insurance records or employer paperwork), write down the license number or photograph the card before the visit.