The Florida knowledge (permit) test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe the exam format and the pass mark.
• You can list the main topics the law says the exam must cover.
• You can explain who may take the exam online and the rules for doing so.
• You can explain what happens and what it costs if you fail.
• You can build a study plan around the handbook.

What you need to know and understand

• The exam has 50 multiple-choice questions and you need 40 correct (80 percent) to pass.
• By law it must test road signs, Florida traffic laws, impaired driving laws and the effects of alcohol and drugs.
• At least 25 questions in the state's question bank must cover bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Applicants under 18 may take it online through an approved third party administrator; applicants 18 and over test in person.
• Each retake after a failed first attempt costs $10.
• Exams are in English only from February 6, 2026.
• Holders of a valid license from another US state or a Canadian province usually do not take the knowledge exam.

What the questions cover

Florida law spells out the content: your ability to read and understand signs that regulate, warn and direct traffic; your knowledge of Florida traffic laws, including the laws on driving under the influence and unlawful blood-alcohol levels; and the effects of alcohol and drugs on drivers. FLHSMV describes the test as covering traffic laws, safe driving practices and identifying traffic controls.

Expect Florida-specific numbers: learner hours, curfew times, the move over speeds, school bus rules, points and blood-alcohol limits. General knowledge from another state is not enough.

Taking the exam online if you are under 18

Approved third party administrators can give the exam online to applicants under 18. A parent, guardian or responsible adult must agree to monitor you during the exam and later confirm to FLHSMV that they did. You answer security questions set up in advance. Anyone who passes with a third party can be picked for a free random retest at an office, so learn the material properly rather than relying on luck.

Applicants 18 and over take the exam in person at a driver license office or a tax collector office that offers testing.

A study plan that works

1. Read the current Florida driver license handbook from start to finish once, without testing yourself.
2. Learn signs by shape and color until you can name any sign at a glance.
3. Make a list of every Florida number in the handbook and drill it.
4. Take practice tests, then go back to the handbook for every question you missed.
5. Book the exam when you are scoring well above 40 out of 50 every time.

Common mistakes

• Studying a handbook from another state. Florida has its own curfews, speeds and penalties.
• Guessing on alcohol and drug questions. These are required topics, so learn the 0.08 and 0.02 limits and the penalties.
• Cheating on an online exam. Anyone found to have cheated must retake the exam, and a random office retest can expose weak knowledge.
• Forgetting the vision and hearing exams. They are separate and happen at the office.

Test yourself: The Florida knowledge (permit) test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Florida Permit Practice Test
• Florida Permit Test
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