United States, Florida

The Florida DMV test, and how to pass it

Which FL test do you needFL

EExam simulatorFull FLHSMV format: 50 questions, 40 to pass, every answer keyed to a statute.1Warm up runA shorter 20 question run pulled from across the FL bank, for a first look before the full sitting.SSigns and lane markingsSigns, signals and lane markings on their own: 61 questions, the group that costs the most points.LState statute questionsThe 30 rules that belong to Florida alone, each carrying the statute number it was drafted against.

Every Florida paper, 9 in totalNo account needed

The Florida Class E knowledge exam is 50 multiple-choice questions and you need 40 correct to pass, which is 80 percent. Both figures are published by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and were last checked in September 2026.

Source: FLHSMV, Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test, checked September 9, 2026. FLHSMV.

What the format is, and who says so

Questions asked	50FLHSMV, Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test, checked September 9, 2026
Right answers needed	40FLHSMV, Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test, checked September 9, 2026
Pass mark as a percentage	80%FLHSMV, Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test, checked September 9, 202640 out of 50 is exactly 80 percent, so the two figures agree. That is not true in every state.
Learner permit age	15 for a Class E learner license; 16 for a full Class E licenseFlorida Statutes s. 322.1615(1) and s. 322.05(1), checked September 9, 2026
Supervised hours	50 hours, of which at least 10 must be at nightFLHSMV graduated licensing requirements; Florida Statutes s. 322.05(3); form HSMV 71143, checked September 25, 2026A parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult 21 or older signs form HSMV 71143 for the hours. That adult need not hold a license, but whoever rode along must have been a licensed driver 21 or older.
Retakes	No published waiting period and no statewide cap on knowledge exam attempts, but failing the driving skills test five times within a year brings a one-year suspensionFlorida Statutes s. 322.12(1); Florida Administrative Code rule 15A-1.015(3); FLHSMV Class E Knowledge Exam page; FLHSMV Third-Party Administrator Knowledge Agreement, section IV.D.4, checked September 25, 2026Rule 15A-1.015(3) suspends the driving privilege for one year when an applicant fails to pass the driving test within five attempts in a one-year period. For the knowledge exam, third-party administrators may give an applicant three tests in total (agreement section IV.D.4), after which the next one is at a driver license service center or tax collector office. Otherwise a fail costs money rather than time: s. 322.12(1) charges $10 for each later knowledge test and $20 for each later skills test.

Where Florida goes its own way

Florida writes a subject quota into law: at least 25 questions in the Class E bank must address bicycle and pedestrian safety, which no other state does. Around that sit rules that are genuinely local. A helmet is optional over 21, but only with at least $10,000 in medical benefits, and the eye protection rule for the operator has no over-21 or insurance exception. Drivers under 21 face a 0.02 alcohol limit and a six month suspension rather than the 0.08 that applies to adults. Curfews are set by exact age, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 16 and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. at 17. The minimum insurance is $10,000 of personal injury protection plus $10,000 of property damage, with no bodily injury liability required at all, which surprises drivers arriving from other states.

Alcohol limit under 21	0.02, six month suspension
Helmet	Optional over 21 with at least $10,000 in medical benefits; eye protection still required
Passing a bicycle	At least 3 feet
Minimum insurance	$10,000 PIP plus $10,000 property damage
Points	12 in 12 months brings a 30 day suspension

The Florida paper here carries 30 questions on rules of that kind, alongside 98 drawn from the material that reads the same in every state, federal sign shapes and right of way included.

What is the path from a Florida learner's license to an unrestricted Class E?

FLHSMV's graduated licensing table has two license types, the learner's license and the driver license, with no intermediate step between them. You get the learner's license at 15 and the Class E driver license at 16 once the learner's license is 12 months old. The under-18 night limits in s. 322.16 then ride on that ordinary license by age and stop on your 18th birthday. No law asks for a new test when they do.

Florida Class E path for a first-time teen driver

15
Learner's license
s. 322.1615(1): pass the vision and hearing tests and the written exam for a learner's license (FLHSMV calls it the Class E Knowledge Exam), and complete a department-approved driver education course that meets or exceeds FDOE course 1900300. Unless you are married, a parent or guardian signs your application in front of an examiner or a notary (s. 322.09). You must be enrolled in school and meeting attendance rules, or hold a diploma, exemption or hardship waiver (s. 322.091).
First 3 months
Daylight only
You drive in daylight only, with a licensed driver 21 or older in the closest seat to your right every time (s. 322.1615(2) and (3)).
After 3 months
Until 10 p.m.
The supervisor rule stays and the limit moves to 10 p.m. Breaking either rule carries the chapter 318 civil penalty for a moving violation (s. 322.1615(4)).
16, after 12 months
Class E driver license
s. 322.05(2) and (3): the learner's license held at least 12 months with no moving conviction, or with one where you elect traffic school and adjudication is withheld under s. 318.14. A parent, guardian or responsible adult certifies 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night. Then pass the Class E Driving Skills Test. If you turn 18 before the 12 months are up, the hold ends at 18.
Under 17
11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
s. 322.16(2): in those hours a licensed driver 21 or older must be with you, unless you are driving directly to or from work.
17
1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
s. 322.16(3): the window narrows, with the same adult and work exceptions.
18
Hour limits end
Neither subsection of s. 322.16 covers an 18-year-old, so the limits stop on your birthday. There is no second skills test.

Ages and holding periods from Florida Statutes ss. 322.05, 322.09, 322.091, 322.1615 and 322.16 (checked September 2026) and FLHSMV's teen licensing and Class E exam pages (captured July 7, 2026).

What the Florida Class E path costs in state fees

Item	Fee	Where it is set
Original Class E, learner's license included	$48	FLHSMV fee schedule; s. 322.21(1)(b)
Driving skills exam for a learner's license holder	No fee	s. 322.12(2)
Class E card issued when you surrender the learner's license	No replacement fee if your name and address are unchanged; otherwise $25	s. 322.12(2), referring to s. 322.17(2); FLHSMV teen FAQ
Each knowledge exam after a failed first attempt	$10	s. 322.12(1); fee schedule
Each skills exam after a failed first attempt	$20	s. 322.12(1); fee schedule
Tax collector office service fee	$6.25, once per visit; veterans with proof exempt	s. 322.135(1)(c)
DETS course tuition	Not published by FLHSMV	Set by each approved provider

FLHSMV fee schedule as captured September 2, 2026; Florida Statutes checked September 2026.

Which driver education course does Florida want in 2026?

Chapter 2025-104 (SB 994), effective July 1, 2025, rewrote s. 322.1615(1)(c): a learner's license applicant must complete a department-approved driver education course that meets or exceeds FDOE Traffic Safety-Classroom 1900300. FLHSMV calls the qualifying course Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS), runs it at 6 hours, and has required it since August 1, 2025 of applicants under 18 who have never held a driver license from any other state, country or jurisdiction.

Routes that satisfy the Florida driver education requirement

Route	Who it is for	What FLHSMV publishes
6-hour DETS with an approved provider	Under-18s never licensed anywhere	Internet or classroom. FLHSMV lists the approved providers but not what they charge.
FDOE 1900300 or 1900310	Students whose school offers the state course	Substitutes for DETS. FLHSMV lists no schools and sends you to the local school board.
DELAP high school driver education	Students at a participating public or private school	Offered by some county school boards and substitutes for DETS. Many DELAP classes can also give the knowledge exam and the skills test.
TLSAE finished before August 1, 2025	Under-18s who completed the old 4-hour course	Counts for 1 year from the completion date. With no Florida license issued in that year, DETS is required.

FLHSMV DETS page, captured September 9, 2026, and Class E exam page, captured July 7, 2026.

FLHSMV pages still disagree about the course

The Class E Knowledge Exam page, as captured July 7, 2026, still told first-time applicants to complete TLSAE. For under-18s, s. 322.1615(1)(c), the DETS page and the teen licensing page are the current rule. TLSAE has not disappeared: s. 322.095(1) still requires it of driver license applicants 18 and over, unless they have been licensed in another jurisdiction or have completed a Department of Education driver education course. Anyone who obtained a Florida learner's license before August 1, 2025, and under-18s transferring a valid out-of-state license, are outside the DETS change.

How is the Class E driving skills test booked, and what does it check?

You take it at a driver license service center, with an FLHSMV-approved third-party provider, or through DELAP if your high school takes part. FLHSMV publishes no statewide wait time. Its Miami-Dade and Broward FAQ says anyone never licensed in Florida must book an appointment for an original license there through the Locations tab on flhsmv.gov, and that in high-demand areas those appointments may need booking 3 to 5 weeks ahead. The same FAQ points to private third-party testers, who charge an additional fee that FLHSMV does not list.

Bring a vehicle with a valid registration and proof of insurance. The examiner inspects it before the drive, and no other passengers may ride along. If you passed the knowledge exam or the skills test with a third-party administrator, FLHSMV, citing s. 322.56(3)(b) and (e), says it may also, without prior notice, call you in for a mandatory re-test at no charge, at either a driver license office or a tax collector office. Fail that re-test and a re-exam fee is collected at your next attempt.

What happens on skills-test day

1
The vehicle is inspected first
Any defect on the list below means the test is not given in that vehicle. FLHSMV's fee schedule lists no charge for a refused vehicle; its $20 skills retest fee applies after a test taken and failed (s. 322.12(1)).
2
You drive the 14 published maneuvers
A three-point turn in a 20 to 40 foot space; approaching a crossing in the proper lane and looking both ways; yielding the right of way; a straight-in park centered in the space; parking on a grade, uphill and downhill; a quick stop on command; backing 50 feet slowly while looking to the rear, with no mirror or camera; stop signs; traffic signals; signaling for the last 100 feet before a turn; passing; staying in the proper lane; a following gap of at least four seconds; and both hands on the wheel.
3
Mistakes are explained after the drive
The examiner goes over errors once the test ends, and a failed candidate is asked to study or practice before returning. The Class E page prints no point sheet, but Florida Administrative Code rule 15A-1.015 does the scoring: 31 or more penalty points on the Record of Driver Examination (form HSMV-71110) is a fail, and the test is stopped for a crash, a dangerous driving action, a traffic law violation, lack of cooperation or refusal to follow directions. Under the same rule, failing to pass within five attempts in a one-year period suspends the driving privilege for one year.
4
Surrender the learner's license
After a pass you surrender the learner's license and receive the Class E driver license. Under 18, you also need the Certification of Minor Driving Experience (form 71143), signed in front of the examiner or notarized. Bring identity, Social Security and residential address documents if you have not already provided them.

Defects that stop the Florida skills test before you drive

Horn, rear-view mirror, turn signals, steering wheel, brakes, tires, brake lights or taillights defective or inoperable
No windshield wipers on the driver's side
No operable headlights
Cracked or broken glass that hinders visibility
Expired tag
No doors, or front doors that do not open from the inside and the outside
No stationary seats, or a vehicle that will not let you give hand signals
Jeep-type vehicles without framed canvas or metal doors on hinges with a latch
Does not meet bumper height requirements
A low-speed vehicle with a top speed of 20 to 25 mph

From FLHSMV's Class E Driving Skills Test page. Any one item means the test is not given.

A School Bus Stop Ahead warning sign beside eastbound County Road 225 in Bradford County, Florida, seen from a carPhoto: Mjrmtg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What passenger, phone and points rules apply to a new Florida driver?

Does Florida limit teen passengers?

No. The rules that touch passengers are about who sits beside a learner and who wears a belt. On a learner's license the closest seat to your right belongs to a licensed driver 21 or older (s. 322.1615(2)). Once licensed, you may carry friends, but as the driver you commit an offense if any passenger under 18 is not belted or in a child restraint (s. 316.614(4)(a)). For passengers 18 and over, the belt rule covers the front seat (s. 316.614(5)).

What is the phone rule?

Neither Florida phone statute sets a different rule by age. s. 316.305 bars typing, sending or reading texts, email or instant messages on a handheld device while driving; a stopped vehicle is not being operated for this rule. A first violation is a nonmoving infraction and a second within 5 years of a prior conviction is a moving one. s. 316.306 bans any handheld use in a school crossing, a school zone, or a work zone while workers are present or equipment is running: a moving violation and 3 points. For a first offense you may instead complete an FLHSMV-approved wireless device driving safety program, which waives the points. Hands-free and Bluetooth use are exempt.

Six or more points in 12 months, parking tickets excluded, at ages 15 through 17: s. 322.161 restricts the license to business purposes only for at least 1 year. Each extra point adds 90 days. The restriction also lifts on the 18th birthday if no other ground remains, but you must appear to have it removed and a duplicate issued.
School attendance: s. 322.091. Once FLHSMV is notified that a minor is out of compliance, it may not issue a learner's or driver license to that minor, and it suspends one already issued after a written notice with 15 days to respond.

Worked example

Maya, 15, Tampa: learner's license in March 2026, Class E in March 2027

1Maya turns 15 on March 4, 2026. She is enrolled at, and attending, a Hillsborough County high school, which meets s. 322.091. She has never held a license anywhere, so DETS applies to her.
2On March 8 she completes a 6-hour DETS course with a provider on FLHSMV's approved list.
3On March 10, at a tax collector office, she passes the vision and hearing tests and the 50-question knowledge exam with at least 40 right. Her mother signs the parental consent in front of the examiner. Cost: $48 plus the $6.25 service fee, $54.25.
4Through June 10 she drives in daylight only, with her licensed mother, who is over 21, in the closest seat to her right. From June 11 she may drive until 10 p.m., which is when she logs her 10 night hours toward the 50.
5She turns 16 on March 4, 2027, but the 12 month hold runs to March 10. With no moving convictions, she tests on March 12. Her mother signs form 71143 in front of the examiner, the family car passes inspection, and Maya passes the drive. She surrenders the learner's license, her name and address have not changed, and she pays no exam or card fee (s. 322.12(2)), only another $6.25 service fee.
6Until her 17th birthday on March 4, 2028, she needs a licensed driver 21 or older with her between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless she is driving directly to or from work. From then the window is 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. On March 4, 2029 the hour limits end.

Outcome. Class E driver license issued March 12, 2027, 2 days after the earliest date the hold allowed. Hour limits end March 4, 2029. Passing everything first time at a tax collector office costs $54.25 at the learner visit and $6.25 at the upgrade visit, $60.50 in all, plus the DETS tuition, which FLHSMV does not publish. Each failed knowledge exam would add $10 and each failed skills exam $20.

Which handbook sections the exam draws on

These are the sections of the Official Florida Driver License Handbook, revision 08/2023 that the knowledge exam is drawn from, in the handbook’s own order.

Your driving privilege. License classes, permit rules, points, suspensions and what Florida can take away.
Before you drive: you. Alcohol and drugs, implied consent, zero tolerance under 21, tiredness and distraction.
Before you drive: your vehicle. Insurance minimums, equipment the law requires, bumper heights and vehicle condition.
Traffic controls. Signs, signals and markings, including turning on red and what each color means.
Driving safety. Speed limits, following distance, lights, phones, and the belt and child seat rules.
Special driving situations. Parking rules, school zones, curfews, golf carts and Florida weather.
Handling emergencies. Crashes, breakdowns, the Move Over law and what the law requires you to do.
Sharing the road. Cyclists, pedestrians, motorcycles, mopeds, school buses and large vehicles.

Source: Official Florida Driver License Handbook, revision 08/2023. Read the official handbook.

Common questions

How many questions does the Florida permit test have?

The Florida Class E knowledge exam runs to 50 questions, and 40 of them have to be right.

How old do you have to be to get a learner permit in Florida?

15 for a Class E learner license; 16 for a full Class E license.

How many supervised driving hours does Florida require?

50 hours, of which at least 10 must be at night. A parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult 21 or older signs form HSMV 71143 for the hours. That adult need not hold a license, but whoever rode along must have been a licensed driver 21 or older.

How many times can you retake the Florida permit test?

No published waiting period and no statewide cap on knowledge exam attempts, but failing the driving skills test five times within a year brings a one-year suspension. Rule 15A-1.015(3) suspends the driving privilege for one year when an applicant fails to pass the driving test within five attempts in a one-year period. For the knowledge exam, third-party administrators may give an applicant three tests in total (agreement section IV.D.4), after which the next one is at a driver license service center or tax collector office. Otherwise a fail costs money rather than time: s. 322.12(1) charges $10 for each later knowledge test and $20 for each later skills test.

Does Florida limit how many friends a newly licensed teen can carry?

No. FLHSMV's graduated licensing table for drivers 15 through 17 lists hour limits and the learner's supervisor, and no passenger limit, and s. 322.16 restricts hours only. The passenger rules that do apply are the licensed driver 21 or older in the closest seat to a learner's right (s. 322.1615(2)) and the driver's duty to have every passenger under 18 belted or in a child restraint (s. 316.614(4)(a)).

How do I book the Florida Class E driving skills test?

Through the Locations tab on flhsmv.gov for a driver license office, with an FLHSMV-approved third-party provider (which charges its own fee), or through DELAP at a participating high school. FLHSMV publishes no statewide wait. For Miami-Dade and Broward it tells first-time applicants to expect to book 3 to 5 weeks ahead when demand is high. Bring a registered, insured vehicle that will pass the examiner's inspection.

Do I still take the old 4-hour TLSAE course for a Florida learner's license?

Not if you are under 18 and have never held a license anywhere. Since August 1, 2025 FLHSMV requires the 6-hour DETS course, or a school 1900300, 1900310 or DELAP class in its place. A TLSAE certificate finished before that date works for 1 year from completion. TLSAE still applies to applicants 18 and over, unless they have been licensed in another jurisdiction or completed a Department of Education driver education course (s. 322.095(1)).

When do Florida teen driving curfews end?

On your 18th birthday. s. 322.16(2) covers drivers under 17 (11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and s. 322.16(3) covers 17-year-olds (1 a.m. to 5 a.m.). Both allow driving in those hours with a licensed driver 21 or older, or directly to or from work. The statute lists no exception for school, church or an emergency. You do not take another test when the limits end.

What happens if a Florida teen collects 6 points in 12 months?

s. 322.161 restricts a Class E licensee aged 15 through 17 with 6 or more points in 12 months, parking tickets excluded, to business purposes only for at least 1 year. You must appear within 10 days of the notice so the restriction can be applied. Each extra point adds 90 days. The restriction also ends on the 18th birthday if no other ground remains, but you still appear for a duplicate license. There is no administrative hearing on this action.

Do I pay the $48 Class E fee again when I upgrade from a learner's license?

No. The $48 original Class E fee on FLHSMV's schedule includes the learner's license. When you upgrade, s. 322.12(2) waives the fee for the driving exam and the s. 322.17(2) replacement-license fee for the new card. FLHSMV's teen FAQ adds a condition: no fee only when the learner's license is handed in and your name and address stay the same; if not, the $25 replacement fee is charged. A tax collector office still adds its $6.25 service fee to that visit (s. 322.135(1)(c)). Retakes are $10 for the knowledge exam and $20 for the skills test.

What else do people ask about the Florida permit test?

No page on moving from another state. FLHSMV does answer the headline question. Its What to Bring FAQ says a driver with a valid out-of-state license does not retake the written or driving test: the license is accepted in exchange for both exams, though every out-of-state driver takes the vision test, and other testing may apply where issues suggest the driver may not be able to drive safely. Florida Statutes s. 322.12(1) is the law behind it, letting the department waive the knowledge and skills tests for an applicant who surrenders a valid license from another state, a Canadian province or the U.S. Armed Forces for an equal or lower class. Neither source says which issues bring the extra testing, so the short answer sits here rather than on a page of its own.

Sources

Other states: all US permit practice tests.

Sources: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; Official Florida Driver License Handbook, revision 08/2023. Checked September 9, 2026. Original practice questions, never the examination questions themselves. FLHSMV does not run this site and does not endorse it.