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A Florida learner’s license (what most people call a permit) lets you drive from age 15, but only with a licensed driver aged 21 or over beside you, and only in daylight for the first 3 months. This page sets out every Florida learner rule from the statute, what happens if you break one, and how the 12 month wait works.
Florida learner’s license rules at a glance
| Rule | Florida requirement | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 15 | s. 322.1615(1) |
| Supervisor | Holds a valid license for the vehicle, is at least 21, and sits in the seat closest to the right of the driver | s. 322.1615(2) |
| Hours, first 3 months | Daylight hours only | s. 322.1615(3) |
| Hours, after 3 months | Until 10 p.m. | s. 322.1615(3) |
| Penalty for breaking the supervisor or hours rule | Civil penalty for a moving violation | s. 322.1615(4) |
| Holding period before a Class E license (under 18) | At least 12 months, no moving traffic convictions | s. 322.05(2) |
| Supervised driving | 50 hours, 10 at night, certified | s. 322.05(3) |
How to get a Florida learner’s license
- Complete the FLHSMV-approved driver education course (DETS). This has been required for the learner’s license since July 1, 2025. See TLSAE and DETS explained.
- Pass the Class E knowledge exam (online if you are under 18). See the Florida permit test.
- Go to a driver license office with your identity documents and a parent or guardian.
- Pass the vision and hearing exam.
- Have your parental consent signed (see below) and pay the fee.
Parental consent for a Florida learner’s license
If you are under 18, your application must be signed and verified before a person authorized to administer oaths by a parent or guardian, or by another responsible adult if there is no parent or guardian (s. 322.09). FLHSMV’s form for this is the Parental Consent form (HSMV 71142). It is signed in front of the driver license examiner or a notary public.
Signing has a real cost: under s. 322.09(2), the adult who signs is jointly liable with the minor for damages caused by the minor’s negligent or willful misconduct while driving. Married minors are exempt from the consent rule, and separate rules apply to young people in foster or out-of-home care.
The application must also include a certified US birth certificate, a valid US passport, or one of the immigration documents listed in s. 322.09(1)(b).
Who can supervise a Florida learner driver?
Anyone who meets all three tests in s. 322.1615(2):
- holds a valid license for the type of vehicle being driven
- is at least 21
- sits in the front passenger seat (the seat closest to the right of the driver)
It does not have to be a parent. An older sibling, relative, family friend or instructor who meets the three tests can supervise.
Florida learner’s license driving hours
First 3 months
Daylight hours only.
After 3 months
You may drive until 10 p.m. There is no exception for work or school runs in s. 322.1615; the work exception in Florida’s curfew applies to full licenses at 16 and 17, not learners. See the Florida teen curfew.
Scenario: your learner’s license was issued on March 1. Until June 1 you drive in daylight only. From June 1 you can drive until 10 p.m. From March 1 the following year, if you have no moving convictions and your 50 hours are certified, you can take the driving test.
The 12 month wait and what resets it
Under s. 322.05(2), a 16 or 17 year old can only get a Class E license after holding a learner’s license for at least 12 months with no moving traffic convictions. If you do get a moving conviction, you can still qualify by electing to attend traffic driving school, with adjudication withheld.
The 12 month rule does not apply once you turn 18. FLHSMV states the learner period as 12 months or until age 18, whichever comes first.
Other things that can stop a Florida learner
- School attendance. Under s. 322.091, a minor who is not enrolled in school and meeting attendance requirements (or exempt) cannot get, or can lose, a learner’s license.
- Points. A licensee aged 15 to 17 with 6 or more points in 12 months is restricted to business-purposes-only driving for at least a year (s. 322.161). See the Florida points system.
- Phone use. See Florida phone and texting laws.
Common questions
Can a Florida learner drive with friends in the car?
Florida’s learner statute does not set a passenger limit. The rule is that a licensed driver aged 21 or over must be in the front passenger seat.
Can I drive alone with a Florida learner’s permit?
No. Driving without a qualified supervisor carries the civil penalty for a moving violation (s. 322.1615(4)), and a moving conviction on your learner’s license can stop you getting a Class E license unless you elect traffic school.
Can I drive on the highway with a learner’s license in Florida?
The statute does not ban any road type. Build up to busy roads and see freeway driving for new drivers.
Can my 20 year old brother supervise me?
No. The supervisor must be at least 21.
Can I drive in another state on a Florida learner’s license?
That depends on the other state’s rules. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
Next: the 50 hour certification. Back to the Florida learning to drive guide.
Sources
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.1615, Learner’s driver license” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.05, Persons not to be licensed” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.09, Application of minors” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.091, Attendance requirements” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.161, High-risk drivers; restricted licenses” (leg.state.fl.us)
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Required Forms for Teens” (flhsmv.gov)
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Parental Consent for a Driver Application of a Minor (HSMV 71142)” (flhsmv.gov)
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews” (flhsmv.gov)