Will I need to wait another year to get my license if I got a traffic ticket while holding a Florida learner's permit?
This information applies to Florida learner's permit holders who are under 18.
In Florida, a teen driver can have a moving violation on their record and still get their license if the adjudication was withheld.
- If you elect to attend a Basic Driver Improvement Course at the time that you pay your traffic ticket and complete the course within the required time, your moving violation will be marked as "adjudication withheld."
- You will not have to wait another year to upgrade your permit into a license. Register for the BDI Course now.
FLHSMV Rule: If a teen receives a moving violation conviction with a Learner’s License, they have one more year until they can get an Operator’s License.
If a teen receives a moving traffic conviction with a Learner’s License, the one-year period required to hold the Learner’s License will be extended for one year from the date of the conviction, or until 18 years old, whichever happens first. (Section 322.161, Florida Statutes)
Note: This means that you must have NO moving violation convictions for one year from learner’s license date of issuance (OR may have one moving violation as long as adjudication was withheld). (See this page for reference.)
If you pay the ticket without taking a Basic Driver Improvement Course, then the violation will appear on your record as a conviction. You WILL have to wait another year to upgrade your permit into a license.