Florida Learner Permit Documents: What to Bring

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This checklist is for Florida teens (and their parents) heading to a driver license office or tax collector for a learner’s license. You need proof of identity, proof of your Social Security number, proof of your residential address and, under 18, a signed parental consent form. You also need a completed driver education course and a passed knowledge exam. Missing any one of these usually means a second trip.

Key facts (as of November 2026)

Minimum age for a Florida learner’s license: 15.
Identity: one primary document, such as a certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport.
Also bring proof of your Social Security number and proof of your residential address.
Under 18: Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142), signed in front of the examiner or notarized.
Before you go: an approved driver education course and the Class E knowledge exam.
Minors must also meet Florida’s school attendance requirement.

The Florida learner’s license document checklist

Print this or copy it to your phone and tick items off the night before.

Item	What counts	Notes
1. Proof of identity	Certified U.S. birth certificate, valid U.S. passport or passport card, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, naturalization certificate, green card, employment authorization card, or accepted proof of nonimmigrant classification	Originals or certified copies. A hospital birth record is not a certified birth certificate.
2. Proof of Social Security number	A document FLHSMV accepts as proof of your number. Florida law also allows a military ID card.	The name should match your identity document.
3. Proof of residential address	Documents such as a home utility bill, cable bill or home telephone bill	FLHSMV pages differ on whether you need one or two. Bring two to be safe.
4. Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142)	Signed by a parent or legal guardian	Under 18 only. Sign in front of the examiner, or get it notarized if the parent can’t come.
5. Driver education completion	An FLHSMV-approved course that meets the state’s driver education standard	Required for the learner’s license. See Florida’s driver education and TLSAE rules.
6. Knowledge exam result	Class E knowledge exam passed at an office or online	Online under 18: also bring the Parent/Guardian Online Test Proctoring Form (HSMV 71144).
7. Glasses or contacts	If you wear them	You take a vision and hearing exam at the office.
8. Payment	Card or cash, depending on the office	See Florida license costs.

Proof of identity: which documents Florida accepts

Florida law (section 322.08 of the Florida Statutes) sets the list. For a U.S. citizen, the usual choices are:

a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate
a valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
a Consular Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Department of State
a naturalization certificate from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Non-citizens can use an unexpired green card, an unexpired employment authorization card, or proof of nonimmigrant classification. That proof can be a foreign passport with an unexpired I-94 or a federal stamp authorizing presence, or certain immigration court and USCIS notices. A license or permit issued on an employment authorization card or nonimmigrant documents lasts no longer than that document, or one year.

Under 18, the statute specifically asks for a certified U.S. birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport, a green card, an employment authorization card, or proof of nonimmigrant classification with the application.

Name doesn’t match?

If your current name differs from the name on your birth certificate, bring the legal document that links the two, such as a court order. Check FLHSMV’s “What to Bring” tool for the exact list before you go.

Proof of address when bills aren’t in your name

Most 15-year-olds have no bills of their own. FLHSMV’s Certification of Address form (HSMV 71120) is for this case. The person whose address it is, usually a parent, certifies that you live there. They must bring one household document showing the address in their name, such as a deed, lease or property tax bill, plus one supporting document.

Parental consent: who can sign

A parent or legal guardian signs the Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142).
They sign in front of a driver license examiner, or before a notary if they can’t come with you.
A stepparent can sign only after legally adopting you.
If there is no parent or guardian, Florida law lets another responsible adult sign. That adult takes on the legal obligations.

The person who signs is jointly liable for damage caused by your negligent or willful driving until you turn 18. That is Florida law (s. 322.09), not just a form detail.

School attendance: the requirement people forget

Under section 322.091, Florida will not issue a learner’s license to a minor who isn’t meeting school attendance rules. You qualify if you are enrolled in a public school, private school or home education program and meeting attendance requirements. You also qualify if you have a diploma, an equivalency diploma or a certificate of completion, or if you’re in an equivalency study course. Schools report noncompliance to FLHSMV, and a license can be suspended for it later.

Driver education and the knowledge exam come first

Since July 1, 2025, a Florida learner’s license needs a completed, FLHSMV-approved driver education course. The course must meet the Department of Education’s driver education classroom standard (course 1900300). Adults 18 and older take the TLSAE course instead. You also need to pass the Class E knowledge exam. Under 18s can take it online through an approved provider. See:

Is a Florida learner’s license a REAL ID?

Florida’s identity list is built around the federal REAL ID Act, and the statute names it directly. Florida does not run a separate document track that you opt into the way some states do. The documents above are what you need. If you plan to fly on your Florida card later, confirm with FLHSMV that your card carries the REAL ID star. Background: REAL ID and your first license.

Common questions

Can I use a photocopy of my birth certificate?

No. Florida asks for a certified copy. If you only have a photocopy or a hospital certificate, order a certified copy from the vital records office in the state where you were born.

Do both parents need to sign?

No. One parent or legal guardian signs the HSMV 71142.

My parent can’t come with me. What now?

Have the consent form signed in front of a notary and bring the notarized original.

How many proofs of address do I need?

FLHSMV’s handbook says two. One FLHSMV exam page lists one. Bring two to avoid being turned away.

Do I need my Social Security card itself?

Florida requires proof of your Social Security number “satisfactory to the department”. Your card is the simplest proof. Check the What to Bring tool for other documents FLHSMV accepts.

I’m moving to Florida with an out-of-state permit. Same list?

Mostly, plus your out-of-state documents. See moving to Florida.

Next steps: the rules once you hold the permit are in Florida learner’s license rules. For the full journey, see learning to drive in Florida. To compare states, see the US first permit documents checklist.

Sources

Florida Legislature, “Florida Statutes s. 322.08, Application for license” (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. 322.1615, Learner’s driver license” (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, “Driver License Exams” (flhsmv.gov)
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Certification of Address, HSMV 71120” (flhsmv.gov)

Florida Learner Permit Documents Checklist: What to Bring