Chris
Sonny JHow to Get Your Florida Drivers License
Getting your Florida drivers license can be overwhelming. That’s why I Drive Safely put together this how-to guide to make sure you know every necessary step on the way to your Florida drivers license.
STEP 1 – Pass Our First-Time Florida Learners Permit Course
Your path to earning your Florida drivers license starts here. Our simple 4- hour course makes Florida drivers ed easy and fun.
STEP 2 – Apply for Your Florida Learners Permit
(Remember, you must be at least 15 1/2, but under 18 years to get a permit)
To get your Florida learners permit, you must provide:
- One primary form of identification such as:
- Certified United States birth certificate issued by a government agency (hospital birth certificates cannot be accepted).
- Valid United States passport
- Certificate of naturalization
- Proof of date of birth
- One secondary form of identification which may include:
- School record stating date of birth, which must contain the registrar’s signature
- Baptism certificate, which shows date of birth and the place of baptism
- Family Bible record or birth announcement in a baby book
- An insurance policy on the customer’s life which has been in force for at least two years and has the month, day and year of birth
- Proof of Social Security number which may include:
- Social Security card
- Tax return
- W-2 form
- Pay check
- School record
- Proof of residential address
- Proof that you have taken and passed a Florida TLSAE course, or a license from any state/county
- A Florida DHSMV parental consent form, which should either be signed by a parent in the presence of a Florida drivers license examiner or notarized if the parent/guardian will not be present.
- If you are an unmarried minor (under the age of 18), at least one parent/legal guardian is required to sign your license application. Step-parents are not allowed to sign unless they have legally adopted you.
The following tests are required:
- A written exam, which is made up of 50 questions.
- A vision test with an eye machine. You must have 20/40 (or better) vision in each eye, and both eyes together, with or without corrective lenses in order to pass.
- A hearing test
Conditions for driving with a Florida learners license:
- For the first 3 months: you may only drive during daylight hours
- After the first 3 months: you may only drive until 10 p.m.
- At all times: a licensed driver who is 21 years of age or older must accompany you in the front passenger seat as you drive
STEP 3 – Complete Your Parent-Supervised In-Car Training
You must complete this step before you can apply for your first-time Florida drivers license.
- The law requires a parent/guardian to certify that your teen has spent:
- A minimum of 50 hours behind the wheel to qualify for getting a first-time Florida drivers license (Ten of those hours must be at night).
- A responsible licensed adult over 21 years of age must always occupy the front passenger seat closest to the driver.
STEP 4 – Get Your Florida Drivers License
- Minimum requirements:
- Be at least 16 years of age
- Must have been in possession of a Florida learners license for at least one year with a clean driving record
- Documents you must provide:
- Either a Florida learners license, or a valid license from another jurisdiction
- Certification from a parent/guardian that you have practiced a minimum of 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving, with 10 of those hours occurring at night
- The next step is to take a driving test, during which you will be asked to perform specific maneuvers.
- Conditions for driving with a Florida intermediate drivers license:
- For 16-year-olds: you may only drive between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., unless you are traveling to or from work, or have a licensed driver over the age of 21 sitting in the car’s front passenger seat
- For 17-year-olds: the same rules apply, but the hours you may drive between are 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.
