How to Get a Florida Learner's Permit
If you've just turned 15 years old, you've hit your first big (legal!) birthday. That means that you are on the threshold of being recognized as an adult, and that begins with being eligible for your Florida learners permit.
There are a few things you have to do, aside from turn 15, before you can head to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and apply for your Florida learners permit, but none of them are difficult and you can take care of the whole thing in a day if you like.
Drug & Alcohol Awareness Course
First, all new drivers are required by law to take a four hour course dedicated to understanding the effects of drugs and alcohol, especially as it affects your driving ability. The DHSMV requires that you provide a certificate of completion for this course before your can apply for your permit. Luckily this course is offered 100% online, so you can take it using your home computer when it fits in your schedule!
DMV Permit Exam
Once you have completed the Drug & Alcohol Awareness course, you'll need to pass the DHSMV written exam. This test, too, can be taken online. The topics are road rules or traffic laws and road signs, two separate sections. Each has 20 multiple choice questions and you have to get 15 questions from each section right in order to pass the exam.
The Florida DMV Handbook provides everything you need to know to pass the test. You can also take a practice permit test online - it's like having the answers before you take the DMV Written Exam.
Take a trip to the DMV Office
Once you've passed the test and have proof of this as well as proof of your four hour drug and alcohol course, you're ready to go to the Florida DHSMV office. To save yourself and your parents a whole lot of time, we recommend using the Florida DHSMV OASIS (Online Appointment Service and Information System) to schedule an appointment and reduce waiting in line.
At the DHSMV office, if you've completed the required coursework online, you'll only need to take a vision and hearing tests. Once those are complete, you'll get your thumbprint taken, and then a picture for your permit.
Required Documents at the DMV
The following documentation is required to get your Florida learners permit:
- Two forms of identification - a passport, a birth certificate, and/or a Florida ID
- Your original Social Security card
- Certificate showing that you successfully completed your four hours of drug and alcohol abuse education course
- Certificate showing that you've taken and passed your DMV written exam, IF you've already taken it online
- A parent or a notarized signed consent form if your parent or guardian won't be coming with you to the DMV. You can download the form from: http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/html/forms.html
That's all it takes to get your learner's permit! Just remember that in Florida, you can only drive while the sun is up for the first three months that you have your permit. After that, you can drive until 10:00 PM, but always with a licensed driver over the age of 21 who must be sitting in the front passenger seat at all times.
Have fun and come back when you're 16 to get the real thing!
