Qualify for the learner-to-driver upgrade
The FLHSMV teen licensing requirements set these conditions for an under-18 driver license:
- Be at least 16. - Hold a learner's license for at least 12 months or reach age 18, whichever comes first. - Complete the required supervised driving and have it certified. - Meet the moving-violation requirement. - Pass the Class E driving skills test and complete issuance.
The page requires a year without moving convictions from learner issuance, with an allowance for one moving violation when adjudication was withheld. A birthday or a practice-hour total alone does not establish eligibility.
For someone who has not yet obtained the learner credential, use the Florida learner's license guide. That guide covers the current education requirement, initial knowledge exam and supervised learner driving hours.
Certify 50 hours, including ten at night
Use HSMV 71143, Certification of Driving Experience of a Minor. It certifies a minimum of 50 driving hours during the preceding 12 months, including ten at night. The form must be signed by a parent, legal guardian or qualifying responsible adult, with the signature notarized or witnessed by an examiner.
The form's instructions say a responsible adult may be 21 or older, while the teen requirements page describes a responsible adult over 21. A parent or legal guardian can use the form directly; if relying on a nonparent who is exactly 21, confirm acceptance with the issuing office because the published wording differs.
FLHSMV's teen resources page provides a practice log. Use it to track actual experience and support the certification. The log helps the signer verify the hours; it does not replace the signed certification required for issuance.
Prepare the vehicle and driving skills test
The Class E test instructions allow testing at a service center, through an authorized driving skills provider or through a participating DELAP school program.
The test vehicle must have valid registration and insurance evidence and pass the examiner's basic safety inspection. An unsafe vehicle can prevent the test from being conducted. Review the Florida knowledge and driving test guide for vehicle preparation and the tested maneuvers.
Passing through an outside provider or DELAP does not complete license issuance. FLHSMV receives the result electronically, and the applicant must still finish the licensing transaction. The agency can also randomly select an applicant for an office retest after an outside passing result.
Complete the office issuance transaction
The department's teen FAQ directs customers to take the required experience certification and any identification documents not already supplied to a service center. Bring the learner credential for surrender when receiving the Class E license.
The FAQ says there is no license upgrade fee when the learner credential is surrendered and no name or address change is needed. If it is not surrendered, or a name or address change is required, it lists a $25 replacement charge. These amounts were checked October 16, 2026.
The state fee schedule lists a $20 driving skills retest fee and notes that a $6.25 tax collector credential service fee may apply. Listed veteran exemptions can affect that service fee. The cited pages give no new effective date for those charges. Outside testing providers may have their own charges, which should be checked before booking.
Driving hours after the Class E license is issued
The teen licensing page gives different hours for 16- and 17-year-old licensed drivers:
- At 16, driving is allowed from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. - At 17, driving is allowed from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Outside those hours, the published exceptions are driving to or from work or being accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21. The teen FAQ places that accompanying driver in the closest seat to the driver's right. At 18, the age-based driving-hour restriction ends.
These rules apply after the driver license is issued. They do not let a learner drive alone to work, school or another destination. Learners must continue to obey their own supervision and time restrictions until they obtain the appropriate driver license.
Moving convictions and points
FLHSMV's teen driver guidance says a moving conviction while holding a learner's license extends the waiting period to one year from conviction or age 18, whichever comes first.
The same page says six points within 12 months trigger a Business Purposes Only restriction for 12 months or until age 18, whichever occurs first. Additional points during that restricted period add 90 days per point. Its introductory summary describes a one-year restriction, while its detailed explanation includes the age-18 limit.
Use the Florida points guide for point assessment and related sanctions. For the actual recorded convictions and actions, see requesting a Florida driving record. Do not assume a traffic-school completion automatically resolves every restriction on the record.
School attendance can affect licensing
The teen safety page says school-attendance noncompliance can prevent issuance or lead to suspension. It describes providing proof of 30 consecutive days of attendance to resolve that situation.
FLHSMV provides HSMV 72870 for school officials to certify compliance after a notice of intent to suspend or withhold licensing eligibility. The form requires the authorized official's signature, with notarization or the school seal, and says it is accepted only within 30 calendar days after completion.
If the license is already suspended, the form directs the customer to present it at a driver license or tax collector office for reinstatement. It lists a $45 reinstatement fee, checked October 16, 2026. Returning to school and having the driving record cleared are separate steps. Follow the notice and the form's submission instructions, and verify the resulting status.
Parental consent can be withdrawn
The required teen forms page explains that the parent or legal guardian signing the minor's application accepts responsibility for the minor's driving. The signer may withdraw that responsibility, which cancels the minor's license.
The page provides a written withdrawal route containing the minor's full name, birth date and driver license number. The department's MyDMV Portal service list also includes withdrawal of parental consent and parental access to a minor's driving history. Use the available official transaction and check the resulting status; a household driving restriction is not the same as an FLHSMV cancellation.
Alcohol restrictions continue beyond age 18
The teen safety page describes Florida's under-21 zero-tolerance process. A blood alcohol level of .02 percent or more can trigger a six-month suspension, with longer periods for repeat cases or refusal to test. Turning 18 does not end the under-21 alcohol rules.
The Florida DUI and alcohol suspension guide distinguishes those administrative actions from other DUI proceedings. Use the notice for the actual suspension type rather than treating every alcohol case as the same action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upgrade as soon as I turn 16?
Only after meeting the learner holding period, driving experience, record, testing and issuance requirements. Age 16 alone is insufficient.
Do I need 50 hours even if I took professional driving lessons?
The under-18 upgrade requires certification of at least 50 hours, including ten at night. Count the actual completed experience and have the qualified signer certify it.
Can a 16-year-old licensed driver travel alone after 11 p.m.?
The published exception permits driving to or from work. Otherwise, driving outside the permitted hours requires the specified licensed adult companion.
Do learner drivers get the same work exception?
No. The learner credential always requires the licensed adult supervisor and remains subject to learner driving hours.
Does passing a school road test automatically issue my license?
No. The test result is submitted to FLHSMV, but the applicant must complete the office issuance process and can be selected for a mandatory retest.
Can school attendance problems suspend a teen's license?
Yes. Follow the attendance notice and the official compliance certification process, then verify that licensing eligibility or driving privileges have been restored.