Florida Driving Law

Information on Florida driving law and Florida traffic laws...

Every driver who gets a license must drive safely to keep it. If you violate Florida traffic laws or become an unsafe driver, your license can be taken away. It can be suspended, revoked, or canceled.

In accordance with Florida driving law, your license can be suspended if you:

Make a fraudulent driver license application.
Are not able to drive safely.
Allow your license to be used for a purpose that is against the law.
Are convicted of a violation of Florida driving law in a traffic court and the court orders that your license be suspended.
Misuse a restricted license.
Earn a certain number of points for traffic offenses on the point system.
Break a traffic law and fail to pay your fine or appear in court as directed.

In accordance with Florida traffic laws, your license must be revoked if you are found guilty of, or department records show:

A felony in which a motor vehicle is used.
Not stopping to give help when the vehicle you are driving is involved in a crash causing personal injury.
Lying about the ownership or operation of motor vehicles.
Three cases of reckless driving within one year. Forfeiting bail and not going to court to avoid being convicted of reckless driving counts the same as a conviction.
Three major Florida traffic law offenses or 15 offenses for which you receive points within a 5-year period.
Vision worse than the standard minimum requirements.

A court may also order that your license be revoked for certain other violations of Florida driving law.

Under Florida traffic laws, your license will be revoked for at least three years if you take the life of someone because of reckless driving.

Point System

In accordance with Florida driving law, the following points will be assessed against your driving record for violation of the Florida traffic laws shown below:

Violation / Points

Reckless driving / 4
Any moving violation resulting in an accident / 4
Passing a stopped school bus / 4
Driving During Restricted Hours / 3
Unlawful speed - 16 MPH or more over lawful or posted speed / 4
Unlawful speed - 15 MPH or less over lawful or posted speed / 3
All other moving violations (including parking on highway outside the limits of municipalities) / 3
Improper equipment or vehicle in an unsafe condition / 0
(Operator corrects defects within 10 days from the date the traffic citation was issued) / 0
Violation of curfew / 3
Open Container as an operator / 3
Child Restraint Violation / 3

Length of Suspension

12 points within a 12-month period - 30 days
18 points within an 18-month period, including points which cause suspension under line 1 above - 3 months
24 points within a 36-month period, including points which cause suspension under line 2 above - 1 year

In computing points and suspensions, Florida driving law requires that the offense dates of all convictions will be used.

Three points will be deducted from the driver record of any person whose driving privilege has been suspended only once under the point system and has been reinstated, if such person has complied with all other requirements.

NOTE: In accordance with Florida driving law, serving a point suspension does not prohibit these convictions from being used to accumulate additional suspensions or revocations.

For More Information

Click here to learn more about Florida driving law and Florida traffic laws.

Update: New driving laws and traffic laws for Florida in 2011.

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