Need help preparing for your Florida permit test? Let this handy guide walk you through each step from permit to license.  Becoming a fully licensed driver in Florida means not only passing the Florida permit test but also understanding the state’s Graduated Driver’s License Program (GDL). The GDL was designed to help you become comfortable with your time behind the wheel as well as ensure you have a solid understanding of the rules of the road before you earn your unrestricted driving privileges.In the state of Florida, the GDL process means obtaining:

  • A Learner’s License.
  • An Operator’s License (restricted).
  • An unrestricted Operator’s License.

In this guide, we will help you understand how to pass the Florida permit test and go on to receive your full, unrestricted Operator’s License.

Learner’s License

When you are 15 years old, you can enroll in a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course, which is a requirement in the state of Florida. Once you take this class, you can apply for your Learner’s License(or learner’s permit), which will allow you to practice driving during daylight hours with a licensed driver age 21 or above in the passenger seat.

To receive your permit, you must pass a knowledge test (also known as the permit test) that will show how well you know the rules of the road as well as different traffic signs and signals.

The Florida DMV Test — What You Need to Know

Obtaining your Florida learner’s license is an important achievement. Not only does it takes you one-step closer to actually getting your driver’s license but it also provides a new level of freedom, mobility, and independence. But before you can get your learner’s license, you will need to pass the Florida permit test.

Florida’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is responsible for administering the test and issuing both permit and licenses. The Florida permit test contains questions on the rules of the road, various road signs, rules for safety, and state specific traffic laws.

Make Time to Study

Study as often as you can. We offer a free copy of the Florida Driver’s Handbook, and you can get a physical copy at your local Florida DMV office.

Pass Your Written Test With FL DMV Practice Permit Tests

Most people don’t prepare properly for the permit test. And perhaps that’s why statistics reveal the majority of people fail to pass it. Passing the test is simply the result of preparing with the right tools.

With the study-resources we’ve put together on this page, you can confidently begin preparing for a passing score. Here, you’ll find powerful tools, including our free Florida practice permit test as well as a copy of the official Florida Driver Handbook. Interested in getting a motorcycle permit? You’ll find valuable resources to help you tackle that exam too.

Do Your Testing

Check That You Have the Required Materials and Do Your Testing

In Florida, you have the option of taking your knowledge test online. There is only one authorized provider: the American Safety Council. To take your test online, your parent or guardian must agree to supervise you and sign a notarize document attesting to it.

If you choose to do your testing in person, head for your local DMV office, bringing along:

  • Your parent or guardian.
  • Proof that you passed your required courses.
  • Proof of Residency.
  • Your Social Security card.
  • Your certified birth certificate and one secondary identification.

Try to relax as you take your exam. You’ve studied hard for this, and now is your moment to shine. After you pass, you will need to take a simple vision and hearing test. In the state of Florida, 20/40 or better vision is required to drive.

Begin Your Practice

While holding your Learner’s License, you must practice 50 hours with your parent or guardian supervising you. Of those hours, 10 must take place at night. You don’t have to take a driver’s education course during this time, but if you do, you will not have to take a behind-the-wheel test later.

Operator’s License (limited)

After you have your Learner’s License for one year, you can apply for your Operator’s License.

When you are ready, visit the DMV, bringing along:

  • A certification signed by your parent or guardian stating that you completed your practice hours.
  • Proof that you passed your driver’s education course if you took one.

If you didn’t take a course, you will need to pass a behind-the-wheel test before you can receive your license. The fees you already paid cover this test, but if you fail, there is a $10 fee for retesting.

When you get your Operator’s license, be aware that it comes with some limitations that change as time goes on.

  • At age 16, you may only drive between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
  • At age 17, you may only drive between the hours of 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.

Note: There is an exception for driving to and from employment, and you can always drive with a licensed driver age 21 or above in the passenger seat.

Unrestricted Florida Operator’s License

When you are 18 years old, all of the restrictions are automatically removed and you can carry on as a fully licensed driver.

Additional Information

If you’re moving to Florida from another state, you will still have to go through the GDL process, regardless of whether or not you have a current driver’s license. However, if you have held that license for at least one year, and you take the required Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course, you will be able to skip the Learner’s License and go straight to the Operator’s License after passing all of the required tests.