Why your Florida license might be suspended
The FL HSMV can suspend a Florida driver license for accumulated points, a DUI conviction, an at-fault crash with no insurance, failure to appear in court for a traffic citation, unpaid child support, failure to pay a moving-violation fine, or refusal to submit to a chemical test. Each cause triggers its own set of reinstatement requirements; doing only some of them keeps the license suspended even if the suspension period has technically ended.
Step 1 — find out exactly why
Before paying anything, request a current driving record from the FL HSMV. The record will list every active suspension, hold, and revocation along with the case numbers and the conditions that must be cleared. Do not rely on what you remember from court — there are often holds you did not know about, like a parking-fine hold from a different county.
For a deeper read on this topic across all 50 states, see our right-of-way, speed limits, and alcohol and drugs articles.
Step 2 — clear every hold
Pay all outstanding fines and court costs, complete any required alcohol or drug-education program, file SR-22 insurance if your suspension was alcohol- or insurance-related, and obtain proof of completion for any community service or jail time. Bring printed receipts and certificates with you — Florida clerks will not reinstate from a phone screenshot.
Step 3 — pay the reinstatement fee
In Florida, the standard reinstatement fee is $45. DUI-related reinstatements typically run several hundred dollars more, plus an ignition-interlock installation fee that must be paid to the device vendor, not the FL HSMV. Pay the reinstatement fee online whenever possible; counter payments still take effect immediately but online creates a clearer paper trail.
Step 4 — re-test if required
A short suspension usually does not require re-testing. A revocation, a long suspension, or a DUI suspension typically requires you to retake both the Florida permit knowledge test and the road test. In Florida, SR-22 is required after a DUI, suspension for at-fault crash without insurance, or accumulated point suspension. After reinstatement, drive carefully — most states impose a probationary period during which a single moving violation re-triggers the suspension.
Quick facts about Florida
- Capital: Tallahassee
- Minimum permit age: 15
- Current permit fee: $54.25
- Supervised hold period: 12 months
- Adult BAC limit: 0.08% · Under-21 BAC: 0.02%
- Default speed limits: 70 mph rural Interstate, 65 mph urban Interstate, 25 mph residential, 20 mph school zone
- Handheld phone use: banned
- Vision standard: 20/40 acuity in at least one eye, corrected or uncorrected
- Reinstatement fee after suspension: $45
- Official source: FL HSMV
Other Florida guides on PermitPrep
Each link below opens a dedicated Florida page. Every guide is built from the same official FL HSMV handbook so the rules stay consistent across topics.
- Florida Permit Practice Test — Practice test for Florida drivers.
- Florida Driving Permit Guide — Permit guide for Florida drivers.
- Florida Road Signs Test — Signs test for Florida drivers.
- Florida Traffic Laws Summary — Traffic laws for Florida drivers.
- Florida Right-of-Way Rules — Right of way for Florida drivers.
- Florida Speed Limits Explained — Speed limits for Florida drivers.
- Florida DUI Laws — DUI laws for Florida drivers.
- Florida Cell Phone Laws — Cell phone laws for Florida drivers.
Ready to test what you have learned? Take the free Florida permit practice test — 20 randomized questions, instant grading, full explanations.