The Class E Knowledge Exam trips up many first-time applicants. Here's exactly what to study and how to walk in prepared.
The Florida FLHSMV Class E Knowledge Exam is 50 multiple-choice questions on Florida traffic laws, safe driving practices, and traffic controls. You must score at least 80% to pass — meaning you need 40 of 50 correct and can miss up to 10.
Retakes: The written re-test fee is $10, and the driving-skills re-test fee is $20. If you fail, you can study and return to retest (contact your service center for scheduling).
Where you can take it: At a driver license service center, at an approved Driver Education Licensing Assistance Program (DELAP) school, or through an authorized third-party provider. Applicants under 18 may take the knowledge exam online through an approved third-party provider.
Prerequisite course: If you have never held a driver license in any state, country, or jurisdiction, you must first complete the Traffic Law & Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course. Driver-ed courses from some county school boards may substitute — contact your local school board.
Florida BAL is .08 for drivers 21+ and .02 under 21 (Zero Tolerance, automatic 6-month suspension). BAL .05+ for under-21 requires a substance-abuse course. Know that impairment starts with the first drink — judgment is affected first.
1st DUI: $500–$1,000 fine (up to $2,000 if BAL .15+/minor), up to 6 months jail, 50 community-service hrs, min 180-day license revocation, 12 hrs DUI school. Refusing a breath/urine/blood test = 1-year suspension (1st) or 18 months + 1st-degree misdemeanor (2nd). A DUI conviction stays on your record for 75 years.
Learner's at 15 after TLSAE + Vision + Class E Knowledge exam. Daylight only for the first 3 months, then until 10 PM. Licensed driver 21+ must ride in the closest seat. Hold at least 12 months (or until 18). 50 supervised hours (10 at night). Age 16: no driving 11 PM–6 AM. Age 17: no driving 1 AM–5 AM.
Florida recommends a 4-second following distance in favorable conditions — pick a stationary marker and count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four." Increase in rain, fog, night, heavy loads, or when being passed.
School zone 20 mph · Municipal/business/residential 30 mph · Streets/highways 55 mph · Limited access highway 70 mph (maximum). Minimum 50 mph on 70-mph highways. Fines doubled in school and construction zones. No speeding "buffer" — you can be cited at 1 mph over.
Give a turn signal at least 100 feet before making a turn or lane change. Never use directional signals to tell drivers behind you that they can pass. Right on red is legal after a complete stop and yielding — unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted.
Stop in BOTH directions on a two-way street when a bus displays its stop signal. The ONLY exception: a divided highway with a raised barrier OR an unpaved median at least 5 feet wide (painted lines are NOT barriers). Penalty: min $265 fine ($465 if passing on entry side), 4 points, mandatory BDI course.
Florida requires headlights sunset to sunrise, any time you turn on the windshield wipers, and in rain/smoke/fog. Dim high beams within 500 ft of oncoming and within 300 ft when following. Parking lights are NOT a substitute.
No parking within: 15 ft fire hydrant · 20 ft intersection or fire-station entrance · 30 ft stop sign/signal/flashing signal (and rural mailbox on state highway 8 AM–6 PM) · 50 ft railroad crossing. Parallel park with right wheels within 12 inches of curb.
Florida primary enforcement. All drivers, front-seat passengers, and ALL passengers under 18 must be buckled. Children under 4: safety seat. Ages 4–5: safety seat or booster. Children under 13 should ride in the rear (airbag safety). Driver is charged if any under-18 passenger is unrestrained.
You need 80% (40 of 50 correct) to pass Florida's Class E Knowledge Exam. Aim for 90%+ consistently in practice before walking in — that's the buffer that covers test-day nerves.
Memorize BAL limits, parking distances (15/20/30/50 ft), the 4-second following rule, 100 ft signal rule, 500/300 ft dimming distances, and GDL curfews (11 PM / 1 AM). These specific numbers appear on virtually every Florida test.
The Weak Spots mode saves every question you got wrong. Replay it until you're hitting 90%+ before going to the FLHSMV office.
Download the Official Florida Driver License Handbook at flhsmv.gov/resources/handbooks-manuals. Every Class E question comes directly from this manual.
Things people get wrong: 4-second following distance (not 2), max highway speed is 70 mph, school-bus exception requires a raised barrier or unpaved median 5+ ft wide (painted lines don't count), and handheld devices are banned in school zones/crossings and work zones.
Sign questions are visual — shape, color, and meaning all matter. Use the Road Signs Quiz to practice every sign before test day, including regulatory, warning, and guide signs.
Questions based on the Official Florida Driver License Handbook (rev. 08/2023). Free, no signup required.
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