Florida learner's permit requirements

The requirements in one list

Florida's licensing agency is the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), and what most people call a "permit" is officially a learner's license. According to FLHSMV's teen licensing page, you need to:

1. Be at least 15 years old.
2. If you are under 18, have a signed or notarized Parental Consent Form.
3. Show completion of the required course (DETS if you are under 18).
4. Pass a vision and hearing test at a service center.
5. Pass the Class E Knowledge Exam.
6. Bring documents proving your identity, your Social Security number and your residential address.

The sections below go through each item in more detail than our Florida permit practice test page, which focuses on the exam itself.

1. The course: DETS or TLSAE

Which course you take depends on your age, and the rule changed recently.

• Under 18: since August 1, 2025, anyone under 18 who has never held a license from any state, country or jurisdiction must complete the 6-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course before applying (FLHSMV DETS page). It can be taken in person or online (DETS FAQ).
• 18 and older: applicants who have never held a license from any state or country (or do not have it with them) must complete the 4-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course (FLHSMV TLSAE page).

A few details from the DETS FAQ about the switch:

• Teens who completed TLSAE before August 1, 2025 could use that certificate for one year after completion; a teen who did not get a license within that year must take DETS. Since every such certificate is now more than a year old, a teen applying today takes DETS.
• Teens who complete TLSAE on or after August 1, 2025 still need DETS. The exception: a Florida Department of Education Traffic Safety course (1900300 or 1900310) or a school DELAP course can substitute for DETS.
• Teens who already held a Florida learner's license before August 1, 2025, and teens transferring a valid out-of-state license, are not affected.

FLHSMV publishes the list of approved providers on the DETS and TLSAE pages. If you pass the knowledge exam with an approved vendor or a DELAP course, the teen FAQ says you do not need to bring evidence of your score, because it is sent electronically.

2. Parental consent (under 18)

The Required Forms for Teens page lists the forms:

• Parental Consent Form (71142): signed by a parent or legal guardian in front of a driver license examiner or a notary. A step-parent may sign only if they have legally adopted the teen. Married minors show a certified marriage certificate, and emancipated minors a certified court order.
• Parent/Guardian On-line Test Proctoring Form (71144): needed only if the knowledge exam was taken online. It must be signed in front of an examiner or notarized.

The parent who signs takes responsibility for the teen's driving and can later withdraw consent in writing, which cancels the license.

3. The Class E Knowledge Exam

The exam has 50 multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving practices and traffic controls, and you need 40 correct (80 percent) to pass. It is offered in English only (FLHSMV exam page).

You can take it in three ways, per the same page:

If you pass through a third-party administrator, Florida law allows FLHSMV to pick you at random for a no-fee re-test in an office before issuing the license. A failed re-test means a re-exam fee at your next attempt (FLHSMV).

4. Documents to bring

For a U.S. citizen, the What to Bring page asks for an original identity document, an original proof of Social Security number and two proofs of address:

• Primary identification, for example a U.S. birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Hospital birth certificates are not accepted.
• Proof of Social Security number, such as your Social Security card, a W-2 (not handwritten), a pay stub or an SSA-1099. The name on your SSN record must match the name on the license.
• Two different proofs of your Florida residential address, such as a lease, a utility bill or a bank statement (printouts are accepted). Many of these must be dated within the last 60 days, and out-of-state addresses are no longer accepted.

Teens often have no bills in their own name. In that case, the person they live with can complete a Certification of Address form and bring two proofs of address from that form's list; that person must come to the office or sign the form in front of a notary (What to Bring). Non-citizens use the separate immigrant and non-immigrant lists on the same site.

5. Fees

According to the teen FAQ, there is then no fee to move up to the Class E license if you surrender your learner's license and your name and address have not changed. Course providers charge their own prices for DETS and TLSAE.

The rules once you have it

These restrictions come from FLHSMV's graduated licensing table and the teen FAQ:

• A licensed driver aged 21 or older must be in the front passenger seat at all times, including on the way to school.
• Daylight hours only for the first three months, then driving is allowed until 10 p.m.
• You must hold the learner's license for at least 12 months or until you turn 18, whichever comes first, and log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night.

Several teen-specific laws can delay or cancel the privilege (Traffic Laws for Florida Teens):

• A moving violation conviction restarts the clock: you must wait one year from the conviction date (or until 18) before getting your license.
• School attendance: a teen who does not comply can have the privilege suspended or be refused a license until proving 30 consecutive days of attendance.
• Zero tolerance: a driver under 21 with a blood alcohol level of .02% or more has the license suspended for six months on a first offense.
• Tobacco or nicotine: a conviction for possession revokes a learner's license for at least 30 days.

Before you go

Book the course first, then practice for the exam with the official handbook. Our original Florida practice questions are written from the handbook and FLHSMV pages and explain each answer; they are not the questions of the real exam.

Sources

• Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Required Forms for Teens — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Traffic Laws for Florida Teens — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• DETS Course Frequently Asked Questions — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Florida Teen Drivers, Frequently Asked Questions — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• What to Bring, U.S. Citizen — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)
• Fees — FLHSMV (checked September 30, 2026)

passmock is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) or any Florida tax collector office. Our practice questions are original and written from the Official Florida Driver License Handbook.