Teenagers in Florida are eligible to get a restricted drivers license when they turn 15 years old. The restricted license, also known as a learner permit, has specific restrictions (known as Graduated Licensing) and tougher penalties for speeding tickets or any traffic citation that results in points.
All drivers ages 15 to 17 years old must keep their Learners Permit free of points for 12 consecutive months before applying for a full driver's license. If a Learners Permit driver receives a ticket and wants to avoid the points, a State of Florida authorized Traffic School must be completed. The course is commonly called the four-hour Basic Driver Improvement course.
If the Learner Permit driver does not complete a Florida Traffic School course and accumulates points then a full driver's license cannot be obtained until the age of 18 years or 12 consecutive months are completed with no additional points. And, once a Learners Permit has six (6) points restrictions start applying such as driving for business purposes only. One speeding ticket going 15 mph or faster can result in four (4) points on a Learners Permit.
In addition to the penalties described above new drivers that incur points on their learner permit may find it very difficult to obtain car insurance. And if car insurance can be found it will be extremely expensive. Parents should be aware of these penalties and costs as they teach their teenager to drive.
Getting your learners permit - restricted license summary:
A Florida learners permit is also known as a restricted license. This is because it has specific restrictions and requirements as follows:
All Florida drivers 15 or older and under 18 years old must hold their learners license for at least 12 months with no convictions to get their class E drivers license. Additional requirements include:
