Florida GDL Rules Explained
Last updated 2026-07-29
Getting the learner's license
You can apply for a learner's license at 15, after completing the required course (DETS or TLSAE, depending on your age) and passing the vision and Class E knowledge exams.
If you're under 18 and unmarried, a parent or legal guardian has to sign your application in person, in front of a driver license agent or notary — not by mail or online. That signer is agreeing to take responsibility for your driving, and can later rescind that consent in writing, which cancels the license.
Practicing on the learner's license comes with its own restrictions
The learner's license doesn't grant unrestricted practice hours. For the first 3 months, you may only drive during daylight hours. After that first 3 months, the curfew loosens to 10 p.m. — still well short of unrestricted driving.
These first-3-months and post-3-months windows apply regardless of how quickly you're otherwise progressing — completing your supervised hours faster than expected doesn't let you skip ahead to a looser curfew; the 3-month mark is a fixed calendar point, not a hours-logged milestone.
Logging your supervised hours
Before you can move up to a driver license, you need 50 hours of supervised driving experience, including at least 10 hours at night. A parent, guardian, or adult at least 21 years old has to certify that you completed them.
There's no minimum number of separate sessions or a maximum number of hours per day specified in the handbook — what matters is the total (50 hours, 10 of them after dark) and having a qualifying adult certify it, not the specific pace at which you log it.
Curfews get more specific once you're actually licensed
Florida's nighttime driving restrictions for newly licensed teens are age-specific, not a single blanket rule:
- 16-year-old licensed drivers: no driving between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- 17-year-old licensed drivers: no driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Both curfews have real exceptions — driving to or from work, or with a licensed adult in the vehicle, is generally allowed even during the restricted hours.
Applying for your driver license
You're eligible at 16, once you've held your learner's license for 12 months (or turned 18, whichever comes first) with no more than one moving-violation conviction during that window. Meet those conditions and you move from the learner's license into a full Class E driver license, still carrying the age-based curfews above until you age out of them.
Meeting the eligibility conditions doesn't happen automatically — you still need to actively apply and pass the required exams for the driver license itself; hitting the 12-month mark with a clean record makes you eligible to apply, not automatically licensed.
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More Florida Guides
- How Long Is a Florida Learner License Valid?
- What to Bring to Your Florida Permit Test
- What Happens If You Fail Your Florida Exam
- Do You Need Driver's Ed in Florida?
Rules and requirements change — always confirm current details with FLHSMV before your exam. Check the full guides index or the Florida cheat sheet and FAQ, or take a free Florida practice test.