Check the basic eligibility requirements
FLHSMV's teen licensing requirements set the minimum learner's license age at 15. The applicant must supply the required identification, Social Security and residential-address evidence, complete the applicable driver education, and pass the Class E knowledge, vision and hearing tests.
A learner's license authorizes supervised practice. Completing a course or passing an online exam is not the same as issuance of the credential. After the required testing and documents are ready, the applicant completes the licensing transaction at a service center.
If you already hold a valid outside-state license, start with Florida driver license applications. The requirements for transferring a credential differ from those for someone who has never been licensed.
Under-18 applicants: use the DETS course requirement
Effective August 1, 2025, the department's Driver Education Traffic Safety instructions require a six-hour DETS course for an applicant under 18 who has never held a license from another state, country or jurisdiction. The page lists authorized providers and approved school-course alternatives, including specified Florida Department of Education courses and qualifying DELAP instruction.
Some older teen FAQs and the general exam page still mention Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education for all first-time applicants. The newer DETS instructions distinguish applicants under 18. They say taking TLSAE on or after August 1, 2025 does not satisfy that new under-18 requirement unless an identified school-course exception applies.
The DETS page's grandfather provision allowed a TLSAE course completed before August 1, 2025 to be used for one year after completion. By October 16, 2026, those one-year windows have passed. Applicants who already obtained a Florida learner's license before the change are separately listed as unaffected. Check the actual credential history before buying another course.
Consent and online test forms
FLHSMV's required teen forms page identifies two different documents for the learner application:
- HSMV 71142 provides the required parental consent for a minor's learner application. - HSMV 71144 documents parent or guardian proctoring when the knowledge exam was taken online.
The applicable signer may sign in front of the examiner or have the form notarized when not appearing. A stepparent cannot sign parental consent unless the child has been legally adopted. The agency provides specific alternatives for qualifying foster-care situations.
The same instructions distinguish married minors, who show a certified marriage certificate, and emancipated minors, who show a certified court order. Use the required document for the actual situation rather than assuming any accompanying adult can sign consent.
Bring identity and Florida address evidence
Use the applicable citizenship or immigration category on What to Bring. Prepare primary identity evidence, the required Social Security evidence and two accepted Florida residential-address documents.
The Florida REAL ID guide covers the detailed document lists, name differences and address certification. The license application still requires these documents even when a school or outside provider submitted a passing test result electronically.
The department's exam instructions also remind under-18 applicants to bring the applicable consent and proctoring forms. An exam vendor's confirmation does not replace those application forms.
Pass the Class E knowledge examination
The Class E exam page describes 50 multiple-choice questions covering traffic laws, safe driving and traffic controls. Passing requires 40 correct answers, or 80 percent. The current page states that the examination is available in English only.
Applicants can test at a service center. Under-18 applicants may also use an authorized online testing provider, and participating high-school DELAP programs can administer the exam. Use an approved provider for the actual examination, not a practice quiz advertised as preparation.
FLHSMV's teen resources page links the official handbook and practice material. The separate Florida test guide covers exam preparation and the later driving skills test.
Complete issuance after an outside test
The exam instructions say authorized third-party knowledge results are submitted electronically and are available to driver license offices. A paper test certificate is not required for those results. Bring the identity and application documents, complete the remaining screening and pay the applicable issuance charge.
Applicants who passed through a third party can be randomly selected for a mandatory office retest. The Class E exam page says that selection has no retest fee initially, but a failed mandatory retest brings the applicable fee on the next attempt. Passing outside testing does not remove the possibility of that verification step.
Learner's license fees
The state fee schedule, checked October 16, 2026, lists $48 for an original Class E credential, including a learner's license. A $6.25 tax collector service fee may apply. A Class E knowledge retest is listed at $10.
Course and outside-provider charges should be checked with the chosen approved provider. The state issuance charge should not be mistaken for a package including every privately supplied course or exam. The cited state schedule does not give a new effective date for these amounts.
Follow the supervision and time restrictions
The teen licensing page allows daylight driving only during the first three months after learner issuance. After those three months, practice may continue until 10 p.m. A licensed driver at least 21 must accompany the learner at all times.
The teen FAQ specifies that the supervising driver occupies the front passenger seat. It expressly says a learner cannot drive to or from school alone. The work-related exceptions for older teens with a driver license do not remove learner supervision requirements.
Use the practice log linked from FLHSMV's resources page to record experience. The under-18 progression requires 50 hours of driving, including ten at night. Schedule night practice only after the learner's permitted hours allow it.
Progressing to a driver license
For the under-18 upgrade, the teen licensing page requires at least age 16, the learner credential held for 12 months or until age 18, whichever comes first, the required experience certification and a passing driving skills test. It also requires the specified moving-violation history.
FLHSMV's teen driver guidance says a moving conviction during the learner stage can extend the holding requirement until one year after conviction or age 18, whichever comes first. School attendance can also affect eligibility.
The Florida teen driver license guide covers the upgrade and the driving-hour restrictions after issuance. Turning 16 or completing 50 hours does not by itself convert the learner credential into an unsupervised license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old must I be for a Florida learner's license?
At least 15, with the applicable education, testing, identification and consent requirements completed.
Can I use a new four-hour TLSAE course if I am under 18?
The DETS instructions require six-hour DETS for the covered under-18 first-time applicants from August 1, 2025, with identified school-course alternatives. A newly completed TLSAE course is not the same requirement.
Can I take the knowledge exam online?
FLHSMV allows applicants under 18 to use an authorized online provider. The required parent or guardian proctoring form must accompany the licensing application.
May I drive to school alone with a learner's license?
No. A licensed driver at least 21 must accompany the learner in the front passenger seat on every drive.
When can I begin night driving practice?
Learners are limited to daylight during the first three months. Afterward, supervised driving is permitted until 10 p.m.
Does passing the online exam give me a learner's license immediately?
No. The applicant must complete the office issuance process, including required documents, screening and fees, before receiving the learner credential.