State service guide

Florida teen license: 12-month permit hold, 50-hour log, and age-based curfew rules

Florida's teen-license path is a graduated-license transition, not just a driving test appointment. The practical Florida rules are the 12-month learner hold or age-18 exception, the 50 supervised hours with 10 at night, the no-moving-violation rule, the Class E Driving Skills Test, and the age-based curfew limits that continue after the Class E license is issued.

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Minimum age 16 for a teen Class E license
Permit hold 12 months or until age 18, whichever comes first
Supervised driving 50 hours total, including 10 at night
Curfew rules Age 16: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; age 17: 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., unless work or adult-supervised

Overview

What this page helps you verify

Florida's teen-license rules are built around graduated licensing. A teen cannot move from learner's license to a Class E license just by turning 16 and passing a road test. Florida requires a 12-month learner period unless the teen reaches 18 first, supervised driving logged and certified by an adult, a clean enough violation history, and a passed Class E Driving Skills Test. After licensing, Florida still restricts unsupervised driving hours for 16- and 17-year-olds.

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

  • Your Florida learner's license
  • A signed and notarized Certification of Minor Driving Experience Form (HSMV 71143), completed by a parent, legal guardian, or other responsible adult age 21 or older
  • A vehicle with valid registration and proof of insurance for the Class E Driving Skills Test
  • 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
  • If the Class E Driving Skills Test was completed through DELAP or a third-party provider, the results are transmitted electronically, but you should still be ready for office issuance requirements
  • Proof of identity, Social Security number, and residential address if FLHSMV does not already have the required documents on file

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Hold the learner's license for at least 12 months, unless you reach age 18 first.
  2. Avoid moving-violation convictions while on the learner's license, because Florida uses a strict violation screen before issuing a teen Class E license.
  3. Complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night, and have the Certification of Minor Driving Experience Form signed and notarized or signed in front of an examiner.
  4. Pass the Class E Driving Skills Test at a service center, through a participating DELAP school program, or with an approved third-party provider.
  5. Go to a Florida service center or tax collector office to surrender the learner's license and receive the Class E license.
  6. After issuance, follow Florida's age-based curfew rules until you turn 18.

Graduated transition

Florida does not let teens jump straight from learner status to full unsupervised driving

The main Florida teen page is explicit that a teen driver license is a graduated next step. The teen must be at least 16 and must have held the learner's license for at least one year, unless the teen has already reached 18.

  • Florida says the minimum age for a teen driver license is 16.
  • Florida says the learner's license must be held for at least one year, or until the 18th birthday, whichever comes first.
  • Passing the driving test alone does not override the learner-hold rule for an under-18 applicant.

Driving experience

The supervised-hours certification is a real issuance requirement, not just a practice recommendation

Florida requires verified driving experience before a teen can receive a Class E license. The certifying adult is not limited to a parent or guardian, but the form still must be properly executed.

  • A parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult age 21 or older must certify that the minor has 50 hours of driving experience.
  • Of those 50 hours, 10 must be at night.
  • The Certification of Minor Driving Experience Form must be signed in front of a driver license examiner or notarized if the signer will not be present.

Violations and testing

Florida screens teen licensing for both test completion and moving-violation history

The teen Class E path is not just about skills. Florida also conditions issuance on the teen's record while holding the learner's license.

  • Florida says the teen must have no moving-violation convictions for one year from the learner's-license issuance date.
  • Florida also says one moving violation may still be acceptable if adjudication was withheld.
  • The teen must pass the Class E Driving Skills Test.
  • The test can be taken at a service center, through a participating DELAP school program, or with an approved third-party provider.
  • Florida warns that some customers who pass through an authorized third party may still be randomly selected for a no-fee mandatory retest before issuance.

Curfews after licensing

A Florida teen Class E license still carries age-based limits after issuance

Florida's graduated licensing system does not end when the Class E license is issued. The state keeps time-of-day restrictions in place until age 18 unless an exception applies.

  • At age 16, driving is allowed between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. without a licensed adult.
  • At age 17, driving is allowed between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. without a licensed adult.
  • Outside those hours, the teen must either be traveling to or from work or be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old.
  • Florida's teen FAQ states that the adult must occupy the closest seat to the right of the driver during those supervised exception periods.

Issuance details

The final office transaction is simpler if the learner's license is surrendered cleanly

Florida's teen FAQ adds a practical detail that many competitor pages skip: the cost changes depending on whether the learner's license is surrendered and whether any information on the credential must be changed.

  • Florida says there is no fee for customers who surrender their learner's license and do not require a name or address change.
  • Customers who do not surrender the learner's license, or who need a name or address change, are assessed a replacement-license fee.
  • A tax collector office also applies the stated service fee to driver-license transactions completed there.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Florida's teen-license sources are generally consistent on the 12-month hold, 50-hour requirement, and curfew rules, but the moving-violation language is split between the main teen page and the teen FAQ. The article should keep that section conservative.
  • This page should stay focused on the under-18 graduated-license path, not the adult first-license path, because the office and testing pages also discuss broader Class E rules that do not all apply the same way to teens.
  • The adult-accompaniment details are more specific on the teen FAQ than on the main teen page. Using the FAQ's 'closest seat to the right' phrasing is reasonable because it is official FLHSMV guidance.
  • Fee details are operational rather than core eligibility rules, so they are best framed as transaction guidance rather than as headline legal requirements.

FAQ

Common questions

  • Can I get a Florida teen driver's license as soon as I turn 16?

    Not automatically. Florida says you must be at least 16 and must have held the learner's license for at least 12 months, unless you reach age 18 first.

  • How many supervised driving hours does Florida require before a teen can get a Class E license?

    Florida requires 50 hours of driving experience, including 10 hours at night, certified by a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult age 21 or older.

  • What happens if I get a moving violation while I have a Florida learner's license?

    Florida treats that seriously. The main teen page says a teen must have no moving-violation convictions for the required year, although one moving violation may still be acceptable if adjudication was withheld.

  • What are Florida's curfew rules after a teen gets a driver's license?

    Florida says a 16-year-old may drive between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., and a 17-year-old may drive between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m., unless traveling to or from work or accompanied by a licensed driver age 21 or older.

  • Is there a fee when moving from a Florida learner's license to a teen Class E license?

    FLHSMV's teen FAQ says there is no fee if the learner's license is surrendered and no name or address change is needed. If the learner's license is not surrendered, or a name or address change is required, Florida charges a replacement-license fee.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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