Emergency Contact Information for Drivers

This is a free service that allows you to provide contact information to law enforcement in the event of an emergency. This information may save crucial time if ever it becomes necessary to contact family members, or other loved ones. This service is only available to individuals holding a current Florida Driver License or Florida Identification Card.

Florida Driver's License and Identification Card

The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) website contains information on how to renew your license or ID card. Floridians 79 years of age or under are issued an eight year license which can be renewed by mail or in person. Drivers age 80 or older are issued a six year license.

Florida has documentation requirements to meet state compliance for the Real ID Act. To meet Real ID requirements you must bring original documents that prove your identity, social security number, and residential address. You must visit an office to renew either your license or identification card when:

• You are applying for your first driver license or identification card
• Your current license or identification card expires and you have already used the one-time renewal option
• You have legally changed your name (for example: by marriage or divorce)

To find out what you need to bring with you before you make a trip to your local Driver License or Tax Collector's office, please visit the What To Bring page on the FLHSMV website.

FLHSMV's Frequently Asked Questions can also help answer some of your concerns regarding on licensing, including vision and medical issues.

ID Card

Every identification card shall expire, unless canceled earlier, on the eighth year following the date of original issue.

Any person accepting the Florida driver's license as proof of identification must accept a Florida identification card as proof of identification when the bearer of the identification card does not also have a driver license

Link to the Florida Statute regarding Florida Identification Cards.

ID card holders cannot renew by mail.

Get My Florida License or ID Card:  (choose one)

• I have never had a driver license anywhere before.
• I have had a driver license from another state or country.

Legislation Affecting Traffic and Motor Vehicle Laws

The FLHSMV maintains a new laws website designed to show all the legislation that affects both traffic and motor vehicle laws.

Section 322.0261, F.S., requires any driver who is the at-fault party in three crashes within three years be required to take a behind-the-wheel driver education course. You can find a listing of driving schools that provide behind-the wheel training on the FLHSMV website.

Medical Advisory Board

Florida has a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) that consists of doctors who advise the FLHSMV on medical criteria and vision standards as they relate to the privilege of having a Florida driver license. The board also reviews medical/vision reports and makes recommendations regarding a person's ability to drive safely.

 

After the FLHSMV receive a report regarding an unsafe driver, they will notify the reported driver that they need to take action. Depending on the reported findings, the driver may be required to take a re-examination (vision, written, or driving test) or submit a medical report from their doctor for review by the Medical Advisory Board. The board then considers all available facts including the driver's medical condition(s), driving record, and crash history when making their final recommendation.

Move Over Law

Florida drivers are required to "move over" or "slow down" when approaching an authorized emergency vehicle that is stopped on our roadways. Read more about this law and how you are required to react on the different types of roadways (i.e., interstate, two-lane) by visiting the Florida Highway Patrol - Move Over Law website.

Privacy

Under state law, your motor vehicle and driver license records are subject to public disclosure. The Driver Privacy Protection Act keeps your personal information private by limiting who has access to the information.

Ramp Signals

Ramp Signals are signals that control the rate of vehicles entering a freeway. The signals alternate between red and green indications and the driver must wait for the green signal before he/she may enter the freeway. Some drivers will wait slightly longer at the entrance ramp, however, traffic will flow smoother allowing most people to experience an overall improvement in travel time reliability. Ramp signals are considered traffic control devices and failure to obey ramp signals are subject to the rules of enforcement and fines in accordance with Section 316.074, F.S.

Right Turn on Red

According to Section 316.075(1)(c)(1)(a), F.S, a driver may make a right turn on red only after coming to a full stop after yielding to pedestrians and other road users unless there is a NO TURN ON RED sign posted. This law applies to red arrows as well as red balls.

Sharrow

 A sharrow is a shared-use lane marking. As stated in Florida's Driver Handbook, these markings alert motorists that bicyclists may be on the road, indicate bicyclists where to ride, discourage wrong way riding and encourage safer passing of bicyclists by motorists.

Three Foot Bike Passing

According to Section 316.083, F.S., drivers of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle or other non-motorized vehicle must pass at a safe distance of not less than 3 feet between the vehicle and the bicycle or other non-motorized vehicle.

Vision Requirements

All Florida drivers 80 years of age or older are required to pass a vision test when obtaining or renewing a driver license. The test may be taken at a Florida driver license office at no additional charge. Should you elect to have your vision tested at a driver license office, please schedule an appointment.  Your other option is to have a doctor licensed to practice in Florida administer the vision test.

If you pass this vision test, you may continue the process to obtain or renew your license.  If you do not pass the vision test, you must have an eye specialist licensed in Florida complete the Report of Eye Examination form and submit it to the FLHSMV before you can continue the process to obtain or renew your license.

If your license is revoked as a result of poor vision but improves after treatment, you may apply to get your driver license restored by having your eye specialist complete an updated eye exam report. Take this completed report to your local driver license or tax collector office where you may be re-licensed if your vision meets the minimum requirements. If your license has been taken away for Inadequate Field of Vision, you must mail an updated eye exam report along with charted visual fields to the FLHSMV.

To find out how to get any of these vision forms, please visit the FLHSMV website.

 

 

• The Florida Highway Patrol website has some helpful descriptions of other Florida driving laws.