Florida Law Increases Driver's License, Learner's Permit Requirements

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Friday that will increase requirements to receive a Florida driver's license and a state learner's permit.

The new law, under SB 994, requires a person 18 or older to complete a traffic law and substance abuse education course to obtain a Florida driver's license and pass a driver's education safety course for a learner's permit.

Sen. Jay Collins sponsored the bill in the Senate. Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia County) carried a similar version in the House.

"The bill aims to improve the educational requirements for obtaining both a standard driver's license and a learner's driver's license in Florida by enhancing the focus on comprehensive driver education," Collins said during the bill's progression.

The legislation was passed 33-0 in the Senate in May. It also passed 112-0 in the House in late April.

Knowing Florida drivers, the law could be welcome.

According to a recent USA Today report, Florida has three cities in the top 20 for driving fatalities per 100,000 people over five years. The cities are Jacksonville at No. 5 (16.23 people per 100,000), Tampa at No. 9 (15.42 people per 100,000), and Miami (13.21 people per 100,000).

Even more specifically, another study found a one-mile stretch of road in Broward County, I-95 between the I-595 interchange and Marina Mile Boulevard, to be the deadliest mile in the United States.

Over 19 years from 2000-2019, the study found 24 deaths along the mile. The stretch is often contentious, with a series of off-ramps and frequent congestion, a common norm in South Florida.

To put that into further context, the stretch is 50X more dangerous than the average highway mile when it comes to fatalities. Therefore, any brush-up before getting behind the wheel can't hurt.

The law takes effect on July 1.