Florida Driver’s License Renewal Guide
Updated July 11, 2021
Did you know, a parent can cancel a minor’s driver’s license if they see fit? With more than 815,000 licensed teen drivers, the Sunshine State is ranked 38th on the safety scale for teen drivers in the U.S. The total number of licensed drivers in FL though is much higher…at about16 million. Not to mention the huge number of yearly tourists adding to those sharing the road….about 131 million a year.
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Teen drivers in Florida are three times more likely to be involved in car accidents than those 20 years and older. That said, Florida started a statewide program for drivers ages 15 to 19 to provide driving safety tips for both licensed and not yet licensed teens in the state. Continue reading for more details on driver’s licenses in Florida.
How to Renew A FL Driver’s License
How do I renew my Florida driver’s license and what do I need to renew my driver’s license in Florida? Good questions.
The first thing to know about how to renew a Florida driver’s license is that you must do so every eight years. Florida license renewal is fairly easy and straightforward for most people.
Online Driver’s License Renewal in Florida
You may renew in person at a DMV office, or you may renew your license online in most conditions. Only military people who are stationed out of state may renew their license by mail.
You may also renew your license up to 18 months before the expiration date. There is no grace period in Florida, so you can get a ticket and have to pay a fine if it has expired by only one day.
Florida Driver’s License Renewal Documents
To renew you license you must prove your identity and your residence. A Passport or birth certificate are good things to use to prove your citizenship. Naturalization papers may also be used.
If you are a foreign national you will have to show you are in the country legally. A permanent resident card, or an immigration judge’s order will also be adequate for a foreign national.
You must also prove your social security number is valid, and a valid drivers license from any state will suffice. If you are coming to Florida and have a license from another state, getting a Florida license is considered a a renewal.
To prove your social security number is valid, you can also show school records or a marriage certificate.
You will also need to prove your Florida residency and your address. You will need two documents to establish your residence for a Florida license renewal.
A voter registration card for Florida or a pay stub with your address on it will work. Your vehicle registration form will also have your address and will work as a secondary proof of your address.
If you change your address you are required to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days. If this happens, you will get a new license and will renew a Florida driver’s license, so you will not have to do so again for eight years.
If there is a name change, you must show a marriage certificate or a court order that shows the name change, and follow the same procedure as you would for an address change.
Florida License Renewal Fees
Florida driver’s license renewal may also be completed online, and there is an extra $2 processing fee. You may only renew your license one time online, and the DMV must be able to verify your social security number. You will get your license in the mail within 10 days if you do it online.
In in the process of a Florida license renewal you need to make any changes such as name or address, or if you have already renewed once online, you will have to go in person to the DMV office.
The fee for license renewal is $48 for most drivers. Commercial drivers have a different rate. If you are late in paying, you will have to pay $63 to get a Florida drivers license renewal.
Replacing a Lost License
A replacement license cost $25, but there is no cost to replace a stolen license if you have a police report to show it was stolen.
Renewing an Expired FL Driver’s License
If you license has been expired for more than a year, you will have to pay the late fee and retake the written and driving test. There are also fees for taking those tests if you are renewing.
There is always a vision screening when you renew your license if you are 80 years old or older.
Remember you may also register to vote when you renew your driver’s license in person at the DMV.