To get a Florida driver’s license, you need proof of identity, a document showing your Social Security number, two documents proving your Florida residential address, a completed driver education course, and passing scores on three tests: vision, a written knowledge exam, and a behind-the-wheel driving skills test. The license fee starts at $48, plus a $6.25 service fee at most county tax collector offices. Gathering everything before your appointment is the single biggest time-saver, because one missing document sends you home.
The Documents You Have to Bring
Bring originals. Photocopies, phone screenshots, and faxed identity documents will not be accepted, and the examiner verifies each one before you can start any test.
Proof of Identity
One original document showing your full legal name. Accepted options for U.S. citizens include:
- Certified U.S. birth certificate issued by a state, territory, or D.C. vital records office (hospital birth certificates are not accepted)
- Valid U.S. passport or passport card
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
- Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
If your name has changed since your identity document was issued, bring certified marriage certificates, court orders, or divorce decrees that trace every step from the name on the document to the name going on your license.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – U.S. Citizen
Proof of Social Security Number
One original document showing your full Social Security number. This can be your Social Security card, a W-2, a paycheck or pay stub, an SSA-1099, or any 1099. Handwritten W-2s and 1099s are not accepted. The name on your Social Security record must match the name going on your license. If you recently updated your name with the Social Security Administration, wait 24 to 48 hours before your driver’s license visit so the databases have time to sync.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – U.S. Citizen
Two Proofs of Florida Address
Two different documents that show your Florida residential address. Any two of the following work:
- Deed, mortgage document, or monthly mortgage statement
- Residential rental or lease agreement
- Utility bill for water, gas, electric, cell phone, or cable, dated within the last 60 days
- Florida voter registration card
- Valid Florida vehicle registration or title
- Homeowner’s or automobile insurance policy or bill, dated within the last 60 days
If you can’t produce two documents in your own name, which is common for teenagers and people who recently moved in with a partner, the person you live with can sign a Certification of Address form and provide two proofs of their own address.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – U.S. Citizen
If You’re Not a U.S. Citizen
The Social Security and address requirements are the same. Identity documents change based on immigration status. Permanent residents, refugees, and asylees generally use a valid green card (Form I-551), an I-551 stamp in a passport or on an I-94, an immigration judge’s order granting asylum, or an I-797 approval notice, in each case paired with a valid passport and A-number where required.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – Immigrant
Non-immigrants use either a valid Employment Authorization Card (Form I-766) or a non-expired I-94 with a valid passport and date-of-entry stamp, plus classification-specific attachments: Form I-20 for F-1 or M-1 students, Form DS-2019 for J-1 or J-2 exchange visitors, and travel or parole documents for refugees, asylees, and parolees. All immigration documents must be valid for more than 30 days from the date you apply, and any name change must already be reflected on your USCIS documents.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring – Non-Immigrant
The Education Course You Have to Complete
Florida requires a driver education course before you can apply, and which one you take depends on your age.
If you’re 18 or older and have never held a license from any state or country, take the four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course. Several approved providers offer it online, and it usually costs $22 to $30.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What is Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE)
If you’re under 18, the rule changed on August 1, 2025. You must now complete the six-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course instead of the TLSAE. A TLSAE completed on or after August 1, 2025 does not count for a minor. The one exception is a Florida Department of Education Traffic Safety Classroom course (course numbers 1900300 or 1900310) or a Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP) course through your county school board, either of which can substitute for DETS.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS)
The Three Tests You Have to Pass
All three can happen in a single visit if you’re ready, though many applicants schedule the driving skills test for a separate day.
Vision Screening
The minimum standard is 20/70 visual acuity in either eye or both together, with or without corrective lenses. If one eye is blind or 20/200 or worse, the other eye must be at least 20/40, and you need at least 130 degrees of uninterrupted horizontal field of vision. If you don’t meet the standard, the examiner refers you to a licensed eye specialist, and you can still qualify by submitting a completed Report of Eye Examination form.6Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Vision Standards7Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Report of Eye Examination (Form 72010)
Class E Knowledge Exam
Fifty multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving practices, and road signs. You need 40 correct, an 80%, to pass. The Florida Driver License Handbook, free on the FLHSMV website, covers everything on the exam. The road-sign section is worth extra time; less common signs like the pennant-shaped no-passing-zone sign catch a lot of first-time test-takers.8Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test
Class E Driving Skills Test
The road test scores maneuvers including backing in a straight line for about 50 feet, straight-in parking, stopping quickly from 10 mph, signaling and turning, following at a safe distance, and obeying stop signs and traffic signals. You’ll also be asked to demonstrate or describe parking on a hill, both with and without a curb.
You have to bring a vehicle with valid registration, current insurance, and working equipment. The examiner performs a basic safety inspection before the test starts, and bald tires, a cracked windshield, or a broken turn signal will get you turned away before you drive a foot.8Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test
You’re limited to one driving skills test attempt per day. Fail the driving skills test five times inside a single year and your driving privilege can be suspended for one year under a designation of “Incapable of Operating a Motor Vehicle Safely.”
What It Costs
The fee for an original Class E license is $48.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 322.21 – License Fees; Procedure for Handling and Collecting Fees If you apply at a tax collector’s office, expect an added $6.25 service fee. Veterans who provide proof of honorable discharge are exempt from that service fee.10Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
If you fail a test, the retake fee is $10 for the knowledge exam and $20 for the driving skills test, plus the $6.25 service fee at a tax collector’s office.11Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Frequently Asked Questions Once everything passes, you’ll have your photo taken and leave with a temporary paper license. The permanent card comes by mail to your residential address.
Age Rules and Teen Restrictions
A Class E license is the standard non-commercial license for cars, vans, and small trucks, and the minimum age is 16.12Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews If you’re under 18, you first need a learner’s permit, which you can get at 15, and you must hold it for at least 12 months before upgrading, unless you turn 18 during that time.
The 12-month hold has a catch. You cannot have any moving violation convictions during that period. One narrow exception allows a single moving violation if the court withheld adjudication, meaning no formal conviction was entered. Any regular conviction resets the clock.
With a learner’s permit, a licensed driver who is at least 21 must always be in the front passenger seat. For the first three months, driving is limited to daylight hours. After three months, you can drive until 10 p.m.
Nighttime curfews continue after you get the full Class E license, until you turn 18:
- At 16, you can drive between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
- At 17, you can drive between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.
Both curfews carry the same two exceptions: driving to or from work, or driving with a licensed driver who is 21 or older in the vehicle.12Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
If You’re Moving From Out of State
New residents have 30 days after establishing residency to get a Florida license. Under Florida law, residency starts when you accept employment, start a business or profession, or enroll your children in public schools. Your spouse and dependents are held to the same 30-day deadline.13Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.031 – Licenses; Nonresidents
If you already hold a valid license from another state, you skip the written and driving tests. You’ll still need to pass the vision screening and bring the same identity, Social Security, and two-address documents required of any first-time Florida applicant.
Where to Apply
You can apply at any FLHSMV service center or at a county tax collector’s office that handles driver’s license services. Not every tax collector’s office offers every service, so check the FLHSMV locations page before you drive over.14Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Locations Booking an appointment through the FLHSMV’s online system saves considerable wait time, especially in larger counties.
Making Sure You Get a REAL ID
Florida has been issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses since January 1, 2010, and you can spot a compliant card by the gold star in the upper right corner.15Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring If you’re applying for the first time with the documents above, your license will be REAL ID-compliant automatically.
This matters because, as of May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant license or an alternative like a passport is required to board domestic commercial flights and enter certain federal buildings.16Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. REAL ID If you’re renewing an older license that doesn’t have the gold star, you’ll need to visit a service center with the full identity, Social Security, and address documents to upgrade.