Florida DMV Cheat Sheet

A condensed study guide for the FLHSMV written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the Florida-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for theofficial Florida driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions.

50Questions

80%To Pass

$48Fee

Test length varies: 50 questions on the Class E Knowledge Exam — Florida's own official name for the written knowledge test.
Fee: Initial license fee (also the fee for an original learner's license, a Class E renewal, or a learner's license renewal). A replacement license or ID card is $25.
Documents required:
- Primary identification
- Proof of Social Security number
- Two proofs of residential address
- Proof of a completed TLSAE (Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education) course
If you don't pass: No cap on attempts found in the handbook — each written re-test costs $10, and each driving-skills re-test costs $20, well below the $48 original application fee.
Online testing: Original and learner's license applications must be done in person. Eligible renewals (U.S. citizens/permanent residents, no suspension) can be completed online at MyDMVPortal.flhsmv.gov.

Florida-Specific Rules

Minor & Provisional Licensing

Learner's license: minimum age 15, after completing a TLSAE (Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education) course.
The TLSAE course is required before a first-time applicant can get a learner's license.
Driver license (beyond the learner's stage): minimum age 16.
A learner's license must generally be held 12 months, or until the 18th birthday, whichever comes first.
No moving-violation convictions for 12 months from the learner's license issue date — one violation is allowed if adjudication was withheld.
Required supervised driving: at least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night.
The supervised-driving hours must be certified by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult 21 or older.
First 3 months of a learner's license: daylight-hours driving only.
After the first 3 months, a learner's license holder may drive until 10 p.m.
16-year-old licensed drivers: no driving 11 p.m.–6 a.m., unless working or accompanied by a licensed adult.
17-year-old licensed drivers: a shorter curfew, 1 a.m.–5 a.m., same exceptions.
The Class E Knowledge Exam requires 80% correct to pass.

DUI Laws & Penalties

Standard adult (21+) BAC threshold: 0.08%.
A driver under 21 with a BAC of 0.05% or higher (a separate threshold from the 0.02% zero-tolerance suspension trigger) must attend a substance abuse course.
First DUI conviction: standard fine $500-$1,000 (rising to $1,000-$2,000 if BAC ≥0.15 or a minor was in the vehicle).
First DUI conviction: 50 hours of community service.
First DUI conviction: license revocation of at least 180 days.
First DUI conviction: 12 hours of DUI school (a second conviction requires 21).
An ignition interlock device becomes mandatory on a first conviction only if BAC was 0.15+ or a minor was in the vehicle.

Speed, Right-of-Way & Legal Rules

School zone: 20 mph.
Municipal, business, or residential area: 30 mph.
Streets and highways (not limited access): 55 mph.
Limited access highways: 70 mph.
Where the posted limit is 70 mph, the minimum speed is 50 mph.
The "basic speed law": never drive faster than is safe for current conditions, even below the posted limit.
FLHSMV issues both driver licenses and vehicle registrations — one agency, not split like some states.
As a no-fault insurance state, drivers must carry at least $10,000 PIP and $10,000 PDL coverage.
A crash needs a law-enforcement report if it involves DUI, death, injury, or a vehicle that must be towed.
Otherwise, the driver must self-report in writing to FLHSMV within 10 days.

Defensive Driving

Safety belts are required for the driver, front-seat passengers (any age), and all passengers under 18 — an adult in the rear seat isn't covered by this specific law.
A child under 4 must be in a safety seat specifically.
Children ages 4 and 5 may use either a safety seat or a booster seat.
The driver is charged with a child-restraint violation for any unrestrained passenger under 18.
Texting while driving is banned for all drivers, as a primary offense.
Hands-free-only wireless device use is required in posted school crossings and active work zones.
Outside those zones, adults may still hold a phone for calls — only texting is banned everywhere.

Emergency Vehicles, School Buses & Work Zones

Move Over law: move over a lane if safe, or slow down significantly if you can't.
Move Over covers more than police/fire/EMS — sanitation and utility vehicles with flashing lights too.
Stop for a school bus with flashing red lights from either direction, unless separated by a physical median.
A painted center turn lane doesn't count as a median — you must still stop.
Standard minimum fine for illegally passing a stopped school bus: $265.
Passing on the side where children enter/exit: a higher $465 minimum fine.
Causing serious injury or death while passing a stopped bus requires, among other penalties, 120 community service hours in a trauma center.

Parking Rules & Technique

Parallel parking: stay within about 12 inches of the curb.
Curbs near fire hydrants are often painted yellow to mark the no-parking zone.
A valid disabled parking permit waives parking fees on any public street, highway, or metered space.

Universal Driving Rules

These apply everywhere, not just Florida — a general refresher, secondary to the Florida-specific rules above.

Traffic Signs & Signals

A single broken white or yellow line means you may pass or change lanes when it's safe and won't interfere with traffic.
A red-and-white triangular YIELD sign means slow down and be ready to stop for traffic and pedestrians already in or approaching the intersection.
The standard hand signal for stopping is your left arm and hand extended straight down.
White arrows painted in a lane show which direction that lane must go — for example, straight-only or right-turn-only.

Road Hazards & Construction

A drawbridge is a mechanical bridge that raises or turns to let boat traffic pass, then lowers again for vehicles.
Orange signs and cones on the road mean a work zone is ahead — slow down and be ready for workers, equipment, or a lane shift.

Defensive Driving

Mirrors alone can't cover your blind spots — turn your head and glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
If a crash is unavoidable, steer toward something that will give way (like bushes) rather than a rigid object like a tree or pole.
Look 10-15 seconds ahead of your vehicle so you can react smoothly instead of making sudden last-second moves.
Large trucks have bigger blind spots than passenger vehicles — give them extra space.

Intersections and Turns

It's illegal to enter an intersection, even on green, unless there's enough space on the other side to get all the way through.
Signal continuously for at least 100 feet before making a turn.
Entering traffic from a stop, you need a gap large enough to accelerate up to the speed of traffic before merging in.
Waiting in an intersection to turn left, keep your wheels straight until you actually turn — angled wheels can push you into oncoming traffic if hit from behind.

Passing

On most two-lane roads, passing means briefly using the oncoming lane — only when you can see it's clear far enough ahead.
When passing a bicyclist, move as far left within your lane (or into the next lane, if legal) as you safely can.
Don't assume a driver you're passing will slow down for you — wait until you can see their whole vehicle in your mirror before pulling back in.
You may pass on the right if the vehicle ahead is waiting to turn left.

Highway & Freeway Driving

Merge onto a freeway at or near the same speed as the traffic already on it, not slower.
The four-second rule: pick a fixed point the car ahead passes, and count at least four seconds before you reach the same point.
If you miss your exit, continue to the next one — never back up or cut across the median.
A U-turn in a residential district is legal if you can complete it safely, with no vehicles approaching close enough to be a hazard.

Pedestrians, Bicyclists & Children

A white cane or guide dog means the pedestrian is blind or low-vision — slow down and be ready to stop, since they may not see you.
Where there's no sidewalk, pedestrians should walk facing traffic, as far to the edge of the road as possible.
Approach bicyclists, in-line skaters, and non-motorized scooters with extreme caution — give them room and slow down as you pass.

Vehicle Emergencies & Highway Maneuvers

If an entrance lane is too short to reach highway speed, stop and wait for a large gap in traffic rather than merging too slow.
If a tire blows out, hold the steering wheel firmly and ease off the gas — don't brake hard.
Use an acceleration lane to reach highway speed before blending with traffic, unless a stop/yield sign or signal says otherwise.

Fog, Glare & Night Driving

To reduce glare from oncoming high beams at night, shift your eyes toward the right edge of your lane instead of looking at the lights.
In fog, use low beam headlights — high beams reflect off the fog and reduce visibility further.

Weather & Road Surface Conditions

If your car starts to skid, steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go.
Driving slower reduces hydroplaning risk by giving your tires more chance to channel water away.
Roads are most slippery in the first 10-15 minutes of a rainstorm, before rain washes oil and grime off the pavement.

Trucks, Motorcycles & Slow-Moving Vehicles

The extra space in front of a large truck is there because trucks need much more distance to stop — don't cut into that gap.
If you see an animal on or near the road, slow down and be ready to yield rather than swerving suddenly.
Leave at least 4 seconds of following distance behind a motorcycle — more than the usual car-following gap.
An orange-and-red triangular emblem on the back of a vehicle marks a slow-moving vehicle, like farm equipment.

Vehicle Handling & Road Conditions

Reduce your speed before and during a turn — taking a turn too fast makes the vehicle harder to control.
On slick roads, take turns more slowly than you would on dry pavement.
Signal early — well before you actually change lanes or pass — so other drivers have time to react.
Turn your headlights on in poor visibility, and as routine about a half hour after sunset and before sunrise.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Your BAC doesn't depend on what kind of alcohol you drink, your body type, or how well you can "hold your liquor."
Combining drugs — including many over-the-counter or prescription medications — with alcohol multiplies impairment and crash risk.
As alcohol builds up in your bloodstream, it slows your reaction time, judgment, and coordination.
Chemical tests (blood, breath, urine, or saliva) are used to measure blood alcohol content.