Florida Driving Licence
 

Hi guys, first post here but I have a few questions regarding acquiring a driving licence and I am sure someone here may be able to help me out!

I'm trying to work out what I need to do to get hold of a Florida drivers licence. I am 28, and have 10 years driving experience. I have now got my Social Security number.

What is my next step, should I take the DATA test, or just head down to the DMV to see what they say I have to do?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

You could google Florida DMV and see what they suggest:

http://www.dmvflorida.org/drivers-license-nc.shtml

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

I know that all sounds really obvious, and I thank you for your help. But I have been to these websites in my research, I find they are really unclear on what to actually do. I was looking for a personal opinion from someone who has been through the same process.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

I believe that Florida is like most states. You're going to do the theory test, and then take a road "test", which is embarrassingly easy.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Look up new driver info, that's you. Except for the part where you might need to do classes before doing the tests.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

There are loads of threads on here if you do a search. Basically, the Florida driver's test is a joke. You don't even go on the road, they just make you drive around the parking lot.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Our Dmv moved about 6 months ago to the tax collector building and now anyone that does a driving test goes on the road and no more car park.:)

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Hi and welcome to BE.

The best thing is to read the FL DMV info on their website and take all the documentation they ask and more (the more the better, you can never be too sure). I would also pick the DMV that has the least queue .... you could be in there a few hours. Whereabouts in Orlando are you?

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

We got our Florida license earlier this year.

You do not need to do the drug and alcohol course unless you are a first time driver. Given you have driven overseas you dont need to do it.

You technically have 30 days to get your license if you have entered the country. We waited about 45 days, and no questions were asked.

You dont need to book in most places to sit your theory test, but as we found out, it is worth doing, as otherwise if you are in a busy city, you wait in line. We waited close to 2 hours (even though only one other person in that time did the test, they rely upon the same staff serving others to turn it on for you and check your papers).

The test is pretty easy, 20 questions on signs and 20 questions on road rules. Read the hand book a few times, there are few different rules here (e.g. school buses, move over rule, 20 mile slower rule, and also make sure you know the insurance requirements, penalties and last but not least the stopping distances). The rest you will either already know or are common sense. One word of advice, read the questions properly, they do write them to trick you if not paying attention (this caught me out).

Once you pass you can then book in your driving test. What you dont want to do here if possible is have them give you your learners permit, this will render your international license invalid. As long as you are taking your practical in a few days, they generally advise this to you (or at least they did for us).

The driving test is pretty easy here (and you can see this by all the crap drivers on the roads). Ours was in a car park.Drive up here, and stop. Turn left. Now park between the cones. reverse out. Speed up to 20 miles and then do a hard break. Now reverse in a straight line. And so on. Again nothing hard, ours lasted about 5 minutes each. Only things to make sure is when reversing always look out the back window. When coming to a stop, make sure yo stop for a few seconds.

Also they will generally only give you a license for as long as you visa is valid in full yearly increments. So for us, we have a two year visa. because We had used up 1.5 months on it, they only gave us a 12 month license.

Hope that helps.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

In California, I noticed when my children were learning they were told to get hold of the passenger seat and pull the whole upper body around when reversing. It's not something I've ever done myself.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Yes, here you are allowed to put your arm behind the passenger seat and as you say, pull yourself around. They say when you are reversing you should always be looking out the back window. But when you are reversing out of a parallel park, at some stage you need to look at the front of the car before turning... but they didn't test for anything like that.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

I passed the California test all right without doing the arm thing, but as I say it did seem to be stressed for them.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

I am just need something sorted. I have a learners permit and on a temp visa. I was stopped by a cop for a small speeding infraction and he happily said that if I got a citation I would be banned from obtaining a full US driving license anywhere and banned for life from driving anywhere in America. I just was let off with a warning but still worried about driving since that day. I am scared if I lose my license I cant drive anymore

Is it true that if I get a citation that I will lose the ability to drive and not able to get a U.S driving license anywhere

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

yep, Its easy, I nearly passed exact for that parking test. I never been on a test with a parking space that are marked with cones. In my UK driving test it was on road parking and I passed that first time.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

If you passed your UK driving test, why did you get a learner's permit in FL? You only need the learner's permit if you didn't hold a full license in your country of origin.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

It is true that if you lose your licence you can't drive anymore.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

This. End of story. :nod:
He was yanking your chain. Even habitual drunks rarely get there license suspended for more than a few months, and even then "suspended" means they can still drive to work, to college, to church, to the doctor, to get their hair cut, to take their hamster for therapy, etc. :rolleyes:

Now go get rid of the learners permit, which you should never have been given, and book whatever tests are required in Florida to obtain a full license.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

I received a learners permit in MA. AFAIAA it was the only way I could take my theory and practical road test. Totally broken system though.

I worried about it at the time, but looking back I realise no one else (not least the cops) gives a flying monkeys about such things. No wonder there's so many unlicensed drivers on the road when it's hardly enforced.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Although, I have a full uk license, the DMV lady said I needed a learners permit despite my UK license. I did have to do the road signs /theory test and driving test

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Same in Georgia. I went to the DDS (apparently is was called the DMV before) and even tho I have a full UK license I had to be given an Instructional (learners) Permit. I did the theory test on the PCs and then got that. Then have to book a test to get the full license.

The police in Atlanta do that too... In a rental vehicle I had parked up and a young lady in a clapped out Volvo found parking behind me a challenge (the space was only about 3 times the size of her car). She drove into the back of the rental vehicle. I had to get a police report for the rental company. Two weeks into working in the USA and I had to call 911. The officer said he was going to have to take us both to jail, then he must have seen my face and told us he was only joking. Very funny, these police chaps.

Re: Florida Driving Licence
 

Yep that what I did, I when to our FL Tax collector's office(DMV is now in tax collecters office). They gave me a learners permit after i passed the road rules signs test I got the license and then I did the road driving test. The advantage over UK is that the appointments are free to book and then I can take the tests both on the same day.
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