The legal driving age in Florida is 15 for a learner’s permit, 16 for an intermediate license, and 18 for a full unrestricted license. Each stage adds privileges and drops restrictions, so teen drivers build time behind the wheel under supervision before driving on their own.
Driving at 15 With a Learner’s Permit
You can apply for a Florida learner’s permit on your 15th birthday. The permit lets you drive only with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat at all times.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.05 – Persons Not to Be Licensed
To qualify, you need to:
- Finish the 6-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course. As of August 1, 2025, this course is required for all applicants under 18, and the older 4-hour TLSAE course no longer counts for minors.
- Get written, notarized consent from a parent or legal guardian. A step-parent cannot sign unless they have legally adopted you.
- Pass a vision and hearing test at a Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles service center.
- Pass the Class E Knowledge Exam, a 50-question multiple-choice test. You need 40 correct answers to pass.
- Show proof of identity, your Social Security number, and your residential address.2Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
For the first three months after your permit is issued, you can only drive during daylight hours. After that, you can drive until 10 p.m., still with the supervising adult beside you.
Driving at 16 With an Intermediate License
At 16, you can upgrade to an intermediate license and drive without an adult in the car. Three things have to be in place first:
- You have held the learner’s permit for a full 12 months without any moving traffic convictions. A ticket that ends in a withhold of adjudication after traffic school does not break the streak.
- You have logged 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 at night. A parent, guardian, or other responsible adult 21 or older certifies the hours on the state’s Certification of Minor Driving Experience form.3Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Certification of Driving Experience of a Minor
- You pass the Class E Driving Skills Test. The vehicle you bring must have valid registration, proof of insurance, and pass a basic safety inspection by the examiner.2Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
At 16, you cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless you are driving to or from work, or a licensed driver 21 or older is in the car with you. Either exception on its own is enough.4Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Laws for Florida Teens
Driving at 17
The nighttime curfew narrows when you turn 17. You cannot drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., with the same work and supervised-driving exceptions that applied at 16. Everything else about the intermediate license stays the same.
Full License at 18
At 18, every curfew and supervision rule drops away. If you already hold an intermediate license, it becomes unrestricted automatically on your 18th birthday.
If you never got a permit as a teenager, you can skip the learner’s stage and apply directly for a Class E unrestricted license. Adults still need the 4-hour TLSAE course, the vision and hearing tests, the Class E Knowledge Exam, and the driving skills test.2Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
Fees and Insurance
Florida charges a single $48 fee for an original Class E license, which covers the learner’s permit as well. You pay it once rather than at each stage.5Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees The DETS or TLSAE course is a separate cost paid to the course provider, generally $20 to $50.
Any vehicle you drive on Florida roads must carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability coverage.6Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Insurance Requirements This rule applies whether you are 15 with a permit or 18 with a full license. Teen drivers are usually added to a parent’s existing policy. Because the car you bring to the skills test must show proof of insurance, coverage has to be arranged before the test, not after.