Florida lawmakers are working toward the goal of making the driver’s education standards more effective in the hopes of fostering the next generation of drivers who are responsible for their actions.
On July 1, students will be expected to finish the driver’s education course in order to acquire their learner’s permit. This requirement will take effect immediately.
Officials from the state have stated that the new requirement will increase both education and safety on the highways of Florida.
“It was basically that July 1 cutoff that was really confusing,” said Sarah Taylor, a parent working in the Leon school district.
Parental involvement is brought to the forefront of this process as a result of this. “In order to guarantee that we are putting the very best drivers on the road, it is a partnership between the school system and the parents,” said Benny Bolden, who is the director of interdivisional support services and secondary schools for Leon County Schools.
What constitutes the new prerequisite?
Under the new rule in Florida, in order for teenagers to be eligible for a learner’s permit, they will first be required to finish a driver’s education course that lasts for six hours. The only requirement that was necessary to obtain a learner’s permit in the past was to successfully complete a traffic law and substance abuse education (TLSAE) course that lasted for four hours.
During the month of February, Senator Jay Collins, a Republican from Hillsborough County, submitted the bill, which was subsequently signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 30.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that as of the 21st of June, there have been more than 166,000 car accidents that have occurred in the state of Florida in the year 2025.
Following the acquisition of a learner’s permit, adolescents are required to complete fifty hours of on-road practice with adults who are at least 21 years old and to maintain the permit for a period of one year before they are eligible to take the driver’s license exam.
Who is eligible to get the course?
All students who are between the ages of 15 and 18 and are interested in obtaining a driver’s license in the state of Florida will be required to adhere to the new requirement.
Even if a student were to obtain a learner’s permit prior to the deadline of July 1, they would still be required to finish the driver’s education course and complete fifty hours of supervised behind-the-wheel training.
Where can one take the class on offer?
The Leon County Virtual School provides students in Leon County with the opportunity to take the course during the whole academic year as an alternative elective possibility.
Students who are enrolled full-time in regular public schools have the opportunity to enroll in virtual courses, provided that they receive permission from both a parent and the guidance counselor at the school, who will manage the enrollment process.
What is the cost of the class?
All students in Leon County are eligible to take the course at no cost if they enroll in it through Leon County Virtual School or Florida Virtual School.
The offerings of the virtual school will include both the driver’s education course that lasts for six hours and the TLSAE course that lasts for four hours.
