Florida driver license and ID for new residents

Step 1 — Know when your 30 days start

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) says you may be considered a Florida resident when you (FLHSMV — New Resident):

• start a job, or work in a trade, profession or occupation in Florida;
• enroll your children in a Florida public school;
• register to vote in Florida;
• file for a homestead tax exemption on Florida property;
• live in Florida for more than six months in a row.

From then on, you have 30 days to get a Florida license if you drive (FLHSMV — Visiting Florida FAQs). Unsure when your residency began? Ask FLHSMV.

Visitors from another country must carry a valid driver license issued in their name by their country of residence (FLHSMV — Visiting Florida FAQs).

Arriving from another U.S. state? Under Florida law, a license that another state issues only to people who can’t prove lawful presence is not valid in Florida; FLHSMV publishes a list of these license classes and says it may change (FLHSMV — Out-of-state license classes). For status questions, see free immigration legal help.

Step 2 — Choose a license or an ID card

• Driver license: the license for ordinary cars is called Class E (FLHSMV — General Information).
• ID card: it needs the same proof of identity, and of lawful presence for non-citizens, as a license (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ).
• One REAL ID card, not two: you can hold a REAL ID driver license or a REAL ID ID card, but not both at the same time (FLHSMV — REAL ID).
• The star: since September 30, 2026, new Florida cards show the Florida gator inside the REAL ID star in the top right corner (FLHSMV — REAL ID). Your first REAL ID requires an office visit (FLHSMV — REAL ID).

How long it lasts. For citizens and immigrants, a Class E license is valid for eight years if you’re under 80 (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ). For non-immigrants, the card lasts for the period on your USCIS document, but not more than one year (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant).

Step 3 — Gather your documents

FLHSMV has separate checklists for U.S. citizens, immigrants, non-immigrants and Canadians on its What to Bring page (FLHSMV — What to Bring). Its immigrant list starts with the green card and also covers people granted asylum or refugee status (FLHSMV — Immigrant). For your identity and Social Security number, bring originals (FLHSMV — Immigrant).

1. Primary identification.

• Immigrant list: a valid green card (Form I-551), or an I-551 stamp in your passport or on your I-94 (FLHSMV — Immigrant). It also accepts, with a valid passport, an immigration judge’s order granting asylum, or a USCIS Form I-797 showing asylum granted or refugee status approved, with your A-number (FLHSMV — Immigrant).
• Non-immigrant list: a valid Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766 or I-688B), or a valid I-94 with its required attachments and a valid passport with an entry stamp (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). F-1 and M-1 students add their I-20, and J-1 and J-2 visitors their DS-2019 (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). Your documents must be valid for more than 60 days from the date of issuance, and if you’re unsure what to bring, FLHSMV says to bring all your USCIS documents (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant).
• A license from another state isn’t primary identification (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ).

2. Proof of your Social Security number (SSN). An original Social Security card, a pay stub, an SSA-1099, or a W-2 or 1099 that isn’t handwritten, showing your full name and full SSN (FLHSMV — Immigrant). The name on your SSN must match the name that will go on your card (FLHSMV — Immigrant). If your non-immigrant status doesn’t allow you to work, you don’t need proof of an SSN, though in some cases FLHSMV asks for a letter from the Social Security Administration saying you’re not eligible (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ). See getting a Social Security number.

3. Two proofs of your Florida home address. You need two different documents with your Florida residential address; printouts are accepted, but your current license is not (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). Examples include (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant):

• a rental or lease agreement, a deed or a mortgage;
• a utility bill, including a cell phone or cable bill;
• a bank or credit card statement, a pay stub, W-2 or 1099;
• a medical bill, or a home or car insurance policy or bill;
• mail from a federal, state, county or city government agency.

Many must be dated within the last 60 days (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). Nothing in your name yet? The person you live with can complete a Certification of Address form with two of their own proofs, and must come with you or sign it before a notary (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). See also: renting your first apartment, opening a bank account and phone and internet setup.

4. Name changes. If your name changed by marriage, divorce or court order, bring original or certified documents linking your birth name to your current name (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ); the change must also appear on your USCIS documents (FLHSMV — Immigrant).

Step 4 — Take the TLSAE course, if it applies

If you’re over 18 and have never held a license from any state, country or jurisdiction — or don’t have it with you — you must complete a 4-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course before you apply (FLHSMV — TLSAE). FLHSMV lists the approved providers, online and in classrooms, and some offer other languages (FLHSMV — TLSAE). When you finish with a registered provider, your completion is sent to FLHSMV automatically, so you don’t need a paper certificate (FLHSMV — Handbooks).

With a license from another country, FLHSMV says you may need to complete certain Florida requirements, including the TLSAE course, a written exam or a driving test (FLHSMV — General Information FAQ). The course rule also covers people who don’t have their license with them (FLHSMV — TLSAE), so keep your foreign license with your other documents.

Step 5 — Find an office and book your visit

You apply in person (FLHSMV — New Resident), at a driver license service center or a county tax collector office (FLHSMV — REAL ID). Find both by county on the Locations page (FLHSMV — Locations).

Many offices require appointments; for a tax collector office, check its own website or call (FLHSMV — Locations).

Step 6 — Pass your tests

Your tests can include (FLHSMV — General Information):

• Vision: required for every first Florida license (FLHSMV — General Information FAQ); a hearing test is also part of the Class E requirements (FLHSMV — General Information).
• Knowledge exam: 50 multiple-choice questions about traffic laws and road signs, available in English only (FLHSMV — General Information). Study the free Florida Driver’s Handbook, published in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole (FLHSMV — Handbooks).
• Driving test: you provide the car, which must have a valid tag (license plate), proof of insurance and pass an inspection (FLHSMV — General Information).

If you’ve never had a license anywhere, you take all of them (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ). A valid license from another U.S. state replaces the written and driving tests, but not the vision test (FLHSMV — What to Bring FAQ). Car and insurance: see buying and insuring a car.

Step 7 — Get your card and keep it current

• Paper first. Non-U.S. citizens applying for a first license get a 60-day temporary paper permit without a photo, plus a receipt; ID card applicants get a receipt (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant). Once your identity and status are verified, the card is mailed to the address on your driver record within 60 days; if they can’t be verified, you get a denial letter by mail (FLHSMV — Non-Immigrant).
• New address or name? Florida law requires you to get a replacement license within 30 days (FLHSMV — General Information). FLHSMV lists online address changes for U.S. citizens and points non-citizens to its What to Bring requirements (FLHSMV — General Information). USCIS has its own rule: see change of address for USCIS and USPS.
• Bringing a car? New residents must get insurance from an agent licensed in Florida to title and register their vehicles, within 10 days of establishing residency (FLHSMV — New Resident).