The Florida permit test is officially the Class E knowledge exam. You need to pass it, along with a drug and alcohol course, to get a learner's license. This guide explains how it works and how to prepare.
What is on the test
- 50 multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving practices and road signs and signals.
- Pass mark: 40 out of 50 (80%). You can miss up to 10.
- English only. Since 6 February 2026, FLHSMV gives all knowledge and skills exams in English only, including oral exams, and no translation is allowed. If English is not your first language, practice in English.
- Where you take it depends on your age: see taking the Florida permit test online or in person.
The TLSAE course
Before you get your first Florida license you must complete the Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course, also called the drug and alcohol course. It applies to first-time drivers of any age. You can take it online or in a classroom with an approved provider, and the provider reports your completion to FLHSMV.
A study plan that works
- Read the official Florida Driver License Handbook. The questions are based on it. It is free on flhsmv.gov.
- Learn the signs and signals by shape and colour, then each sign on the Florida road signs tab.
- Take a full 50-question mock test early. The free Florida mock tests on PassDriveTest use the same length and pass mark.
- Review every wrong answer and find the rule in the handbook.
- Learn Florida's numbers: speed limits in school zones and residential areas, following distances, blood alcohol limits (0.02 under 21), and the distances for parking near hydrants and crosswalks.
- Aim for 45 or more on several different mock tests before you go.
Topics that catch people out
- School buses: when traffic in both directions must stop, and when only traffic behind the bus stops (a raised barrier or unpaved median of at least 5 feet).
- Move Over law: moving over or slowing down for stopped emergency, service and tow vehicles, and disabled vehicles.
- Right of way at four-way stops, roundabouts and when turning left.
- Learner's license rules: daylight driving only for the first 3 months, then until 10 p.m., always with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front passenger seat.
After you pass
With the knowledge exam and TLSAE done, you get your learner's license at a driver license office or tax collector office (bring your identity documents). If you are under 18, you must hold it for 12 months, or until you turn 18, before the driving test.
Take a free Florida mock test to see where you stand.
Checked against official sources on 17 October 2026.