Who can receive a Florida ID card
The Florida Driver License Handbook sets the ordinary ID card minimum age at five. Its exception allows a person of any age to receive an ID when applying for a disabled parking permit. That exception should not be read as a general waiver of the age requirement for every child.
The handbook also prohibits holding a driver license and Florida ID card simultaneously. An applicant who already holds a driver license must surrender it when obtaining the ID. An ID application is therefore a meaningful change for an existing driver, rather than simply a request for an extra identification card.
How long the card lasts
FLHSMV's identification FAQ says cards for children ages five through 14 are valid for four years. After age 14, the ordinary card term is eight years.
Nonimmigrant cards are an exception to the ordinary age based term. The same FAQ ties them to the time approved by USCIS, with a maximum of one year. The nonimmigrant checklist also describes verification before issuance and mailing of the completed credential. The Florida limited term guide explains those immigration document and validity rules.
Applying for a first Florida ID
The FLHSMV issuance instructions require a first Florida ID application to be completed in an office. A first ID is not an online replacement transaction, even if the applicant can create a MyDMV Portal account.
Use Florida's What to Bring page to choose the U.S. citizen, immigrant, nonimmigrant or Canadian document checklist. The required categories are identity, Social Security evidence and Florida residential address. The accepted documents vary by status. The complete lists, full Social Security number rule and name matching requirements are on the Florida REAL ID guide.
FLHSMV's service overview says some offices use appointments while others offer walk in service. Select an office that provides driver license and ID services; a vehicle transaction service does not by itself establish that the location issues ID cards.
Address documents for a child
The Miami Dade Tax Collector's published document instructions, which describe FLHSMV's address requirements, say a minor's parent or guardian can provide two residential address proofs in the adult's name together with documents establishing the family or guardianship relationship. That page says a Certification of Address form is not needed for that parent or guardian route.
For an applicant using another person's household documents through the certification route, the agency's HSMV 71120 form supplies separate applicant and certifier sections. The person certifying the address provides the supporting address documents. FLHSMV's citizen checklist permits the certifier to attend the office or sign before a notary.
Those are distinct ways of establishing a household address. Do not assume a child must have utility bills in their own name, or that every household situation uses the same form.
Florida ID fees checked October 16, 2026
The state fee schedule lists original, renewed and replacement identification cards at $25. A $6.25 service fee may apply in a tax collector office. The ordinary combined amount with that charge is $31.25. The schedule also exempts qualifying documented veterans from that service charge for marked ID transactions.
These published amounts were checked October 16, 2026. The schedule does not identify a new effective date for the ordinary ID charge. Online replacement processing charges and eligibility are covered on the Florida replacement card guide rather than included in the office total above.
No cost cards for homeless applicants
The ID section of the FLHSMV handbook, checked October 16, 2026, says a homeless person can obtain an ID at no cost with a current local homeless shelter letter verifying homelessness and the required identity documentation. The fee exemption does not eliminate the identification requirements.
For residential evidence, the agency's document checklists also recognize qualifying shelter or transitional housing documentation. Follow the applicable checklist's address conditions as well as the no cost card documentation, rather than assuming the fee eligibility letter satisfies every document category.
No cost cards at or below the poverty level
The same handbook, checked October 16, 2026, describes a no cost ID for a qualifying person at or below the poverty level who meets the identity requirements. It lists either the previous year's tax return showing gross income meeting the 100 percent federal poverty criterion or proof of enrollment in ACCESS, the Department of Children and Families benefits program.
The handbook supplies a percentage test and document choices, not a single dollar threshold for every household. This guide therefore does not substitute a household income figure or treat an unsupported statement of income as one of the listed documents.
REAL ID, renewals and replacements
Florida's REAL ID page identifies compliant cards by the star in the upper right corner. The September 2026 design incorporates a gator into that mark. The redesign announcement says a currently valid card does not need replacement solely to obtain the new design.
For an expiring ID, use the Florida license and ID renewal guide, including its explanation of the agency's conflicting advance renewal windows. For a lost or stolen ID, use the replacement guide. If the name or address changed, the name and address guide covers the document update instead of treating it as a first ID application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a child younger than five receive a Florida ID?
The FLHSMV handbook identifies an exception for a person applying for a disabled parking permit. The ordinary minimum age is five.
Can I keep my driver license and also get a Florida ID card?
No. FLHSMV says a driver license must be surrendered and prohibits holding both credentials at the same time.
How long does a child's Florida ID last?
The ordinary term for ages five through 14 is four years. After age 14 it is eight years, subject to separate limited term rules.
Does a homeless applicant still need identification documents?
Yes. FLHSMV's no cost route retains the identity document requirements and calls for a current local shelter letter verifying homelessness.
What low income evidence does the handbook identify for a no cost card?
It lists the prior year's tax return meeting the 100 percent federal poverty criterion or proof of ACCESS enrollment, together with required identification documents.
Must an existing valid Florida ID be replaced for the 2026 design?
No. FLHSMV's redesign announcement says existing valid credentials remain valid until expiration.