After you pass in Florida: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the curfew hours for 16 and 17 year old drivers and the two exceptions.
• You can explain the six-point restriction for drivers aged 15 to 17.
• You can explain your duties for passengers' seat belts.
• You can say when each restriction ends.
• You can describe how long your license lasts before renewal.

What you need to know and understand

• At 16, you may not drive from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless a licensed driver 21 or older is with you or you are driving directly to or from work.
• At 17, the curfew is 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., with the same two exceptions.
• Breaking the curfew is charged as a moving violation, which also adds points.
• Florida's license restriction law sets no limit on the number of teen passengers, but every passenger under 18 must be belted and the driver is responsible.
• Six or more points in 12 months before 18 restricts the license to business purposes only for at least 1 year.
• Drivers under 21 face suspension at a blood or breath alcohol level of 0.02 or more.
• The curfews end on your 18th birthday because they are tied to age, not to how long you have been licensed.

Your first months alone

Florida does not give teens a separate provisional card. Your Class E license is a full license with time-of-day limits attached by law until 18. There is no school, sports or religious event exception to the curfew; only work, and only driving directly there and back, or having a licensed driver aged 21 or older with you.

Because the law sets no passenger limit, it is up to you and your family to decide. Friends in the car are a well-known distraction for new drivers, so many families set their own limit for the first months. Our Florida teen curfew guide goes deeper.

How a ticket can set you back

• Most moving violations carry 3 points, so two tickets in 12 months reach the six-point teen restriction.
• Under the restriction you may drive only for business purposes such as work, school, church and medical care.
• Each extra point during the restriction adds 90 days.
• The restriction lifts after a year with no new points, or on your 18th birthday if there are no other grounds.

Keeping your license valid

A Florida license issued to a driver under 80 normally expires on your birthday about 8 years after issue. Update your address with FLHSMV when you move. Keep insurance in force on any car you drive, carry proof of it, and remember that as a minor your license can also be affected if you fail to meet school attendance rules.

Common mistakes

• Giving a friend a lift home at 11:30 p.m. at age 16. The work exception covers only your own direct trip to or from work.
• Assuming the curfew lasts a fixed time after you pass. It is tied to your age and ends at 18.
• Letting friends ride unbelted in the back. You get the ticket for passengers under 18.
• Treating the first ticket as no big deal. At 3 points each, two tickets trigger the restriction.

Test yourself: After you pass in Florida: restrictions and your licence

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

Go deeper

• Florida PIP Insurance Requirement and What to Do After a Crash
• Florida TLSAE Course
• Florida 50 Hour Driving Certification