State service guide

Florida learner's permit: DETS vs TLSAE, knowledge-test rules, and under-18 driving limits

Florida's learner's-permit path is now a teen-specific licensing path, not just a smaller version of a Class E license. The practical Florida issues are the post-August 1, 2025 DETS rule for most first-time applicants under 18, the under-18 online knowledge-test option, the parent-consent and parent-proctoring forms, and the permit's daylight and accompaniment limits.

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Minimum age 15
Current under-18 course rule As of August 1, 2025, most first-time under-18 applicants must complete a 6-hour DETS course
Knowledge exam 50 questions; 80% to pass
Permit driving hours Daylight only for 3 months, then until 10 p.m., always with a licensed driver age 21+

Overview

What this page helps you verify

Florida calls the permit a learner's license, and the state treats it as the first step in graduated licensing for most teenagers. The core Florida rules are straightforward once the current sources are separated correctly: a teen must be at least 15, complete the required education course, pass vision, hearing, and the Class E Knowledge Exam, and bring parent consent plus identity, Social Security, and residence documents. After issuance, the learner's license comes with Florida-specific time-of-day and adult-supervision limits that continue until the teen qualifies for a Class E license.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • Proof of Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course completion if you are under 18 and covered by Florida's current teen rule; certain older TLSAE completions and approved school-based substitutes may still qualify in limited cases
  • A signed and notarized Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142) if you are under 18 and applying for a learner's license
  • A Parent/Guardian On-line Test Proctoring Form (HSMV 71144) if the Class E Knowledge Exam was completed online through an approved third party
  • The official Florida 'What to Bring' documents for proof of identity, proof of Social Security number, and Florida residential address
  • If you are under 18 and not married, a parent or legal guardian to sign the application in front of the examiner or a notary; married minors must show a certified marriage certificate and emancipated minors must show a certified court order

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Confirm that you are on the Florida teen-first path rather than an out-of-state transfer path, because the under-18 DETS rule is aimed at first-time Florida teen applicants.
  2. Complete the required driver-education course before applying. For most first-time applicants under 18, Florida's current rule is the 6-hour DETS course.
  3. Study the Florida Driver License Handbook and pass the Class E Knowledge Exam, either in a service center, through an approved under-18 online provider, or through a participating DELAP school program.
  4. If the knowledge exam was taken online, bring the signed and notarized or in-person Parent Proctoring Form.
  5. Go to a Florida service center or tax collector office that issues licenses with the required documents, parental consent, and exam completion on file.
  6. Once issued, follow the learner's-license restrictions exactly: daylight-only driving for the first 3 months, then until 10 p.m., and always with a licensed driver age 21 or older in the vehicle.

Course requirement

Florida's teen permit rule changed in 2025, and the current source set is split between DETS and older TLSAE language

The current teen page points under-18 applicants to DETS, not just the older TLSAE course. Florida's newer DETS pages say that, as of August 1, 2025, an individual under 18 who has never held a driver license from another state, country, or jurisdiction must complete a 6-hour DETS course before applying for a license in Florida.

  • Florida says DETS can be delivered online or in person.
  • Florida also says certain FDOE Traffic Safety Classroom courses and some DELAP courses may substitute for DETS.
  • Under-18 applicants who completed TLSAE before August 1, 2025 are grandfathered for limited use, and FLHSMV says that certificate can still be used for one year after completion.
  • Because some older FLHSMV pages still describe TLSAE as the general first-license course, the safest permit article should treat DETS as the current under-18 rule and TLSAE as the older or age-18-plus rule.

Testing

Florida gives teens several ways to pass the knowledge test, but final permit issuance still runs through the office network

The Class E Knowledge Exam is the permit gate. Florida says the exam has 50 multiple-choice questions covering traffic laws, safe driving practices, and traffic controls, and the passing score is 80 percent.

  • The knowledge exam can be taken in person at a service center.
  • Applicants under 18 may also take the Class E Knowledge Exam online through an approved third-party administrator.
  • Students in participating DELAP high school programs may be able to complete the test through school.
  • If the online under-18 option is used, FLHSMV requires the Parent Proctoring Form.
  • Florida also warns that customers who pass through an authorized third party may be randomly selected for a no-fee mandatory retest before a credential is issued.

Consent and documents

Parent consent is not a casual checkbox in Florida's learner path

Florida's under-18 permit process is built around parental responsibility. The state requires more than just a teen showing up with a certificate and a school ID.

  • A signed and notarized Parental Consent Form is required for a minor to obtain a learner's license.
  • Step-parents may not sign unless they have legally adopted the minor child.
  • Customers under 18 who are not married must also have a parent or legal guardian sign the application in front of the examiner or a notary.
  • The signer takes legal responsibility for the minor's driving and can later withdraw consent, which cancels the minor's license.

Permit restrictions

Florida's learner's-license restrictions are strict and should be written as operating limits, not advice

The learner's license is not broad teen driving authority. Florida's graduated-driver rules limit when and with whom the teen may drive.

  • For the first 3 months after issuance, a learner's-license holder may drive only during daylight hours.
  • After the first 3 months, driving is allowed until 10 p.m.
  • At all times, the learner must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old.
  • Florida's teen FAQ is even more specific: the licensed adult must occupy the front passenger seat at all times.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Florida's current public pages are split between the newer under-18 DETS rule and older TLSAE-first language on some broader licensing pages. For teen permit content, DETS should be treated as the current rule and TLSAE as an older or exception-based path.
  • The safest learner article should stay focused on first-time Florida teen applicants, not out-of-state transfers, because FLHSMV explicitly says the DETS change does not affect under-18 applicants already holding a valid out-of-state license.
  • The supervision rule is stated at two levels of detail: the main teen page says 'accompanied by a licensed driver 21+,' while the teen FAQ adds that the adult must occupy the front passenger seat. Using the more specific FAQ language is reasonable because it is still official FLHSMV guidance.
  • Fee lines belong in FAQ-style guidance, not the core legal rule set, because tax collector offices add a stated service fee.

FAQ

Common questions

  • What is the current Florida course requirement for a first-time learner's permit applicant under 18?

    Florida's current DETS pages say that, as of August 1, 2025, most first-time applicants under 18 who have never held a license from another state, country, or jurisdiction must complete a 6-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course before applying.

  • Can a Florida teen take the learner's-permit knowledge test online?

    Yes. Florida says applicants under 18 may take the Class E Knowledge Exam online through an approved third-party administrator, but a signed Parent Proctoring Form is required.

  • Can I drive to school alone with a Florida learner's license?

    No. Florida says a learner's-license holder must always drive with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old, and the teen FAQ says that adult must occupy the front passenger seat.

  • What hours can I drive with a Florida learner's license?

    Florida says learner's-license driving is limited to daylight hours for the first 3 months after issuance and then until 10 p.m. after that.

  • How much does a Florida learner's license cost?

    FLHSMV's teen FAQ lists the learner's-license fee as $48, and notes that a $6.25 service fee applies to driver-license transactions completed in a tax collector office.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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