Can You Take the Class E Knowledge Exam Online? Rules and Steps

You can take the Florida Class E knowledge exam online only if you’re under 18. Applicants 18 and older have to sit the exam in person at a driver license service center or a participating tax collector’s office.¹ The test itself is identical either way: 50 randomly selected multiple-choice questions, a 60-minute limit, and a passing score of 80 percent.²

Who Qualifies for the Online Option

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles states that “any applicant under the age of 18 can take the Class E Knowledge Exam online.”¹ Once you turn 18, remote testing is off the table and you have to book an in-person appointment.

If you already hold a valid license from another state or country, Florida may waive the knowledge and skills tests entirely when you surrender it.³ In that case there’s nothing to take online because there’s nothing to take at all.

What You Have to Do Before Testing

Minors must complete a Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course and be at least 15 years old to qualify for a learner’s license.⁴ Florida Virtual School offers a driver education course that lets students take the learner’s license exam online for free once they finish.⁵ Other state-approved providers charge their own fees for the exam.

Adults 18 and older who have never held a license anywhere must complete a four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course before they can apply.⁶ TLSAE can be taken online, but it’s separate from the knowledge exam and doesn’t change the fact that adults still have to test in person.⁷

How the Online Exam Works

Remote registration goes through one of the third-party providers authorized under FLHSMV’s Third Party Administrator Program. Those providers use the state’s Automated Driver License Testing System, which generates each exam randomly from a bank of roughly 800 questions, and they submit results electronically to FLHSMV.²

Expect to pay around $30 per attempt. Each provider sets its own pricing, and retakes cost the same as the first try. To register, you’ll need your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, an email address, and payment. Most providers open the testing portal immediately after sign-up.

Because the test-taker is a minor, a parent or legal guardian has to complete Form 71144, the Parent/Guardian On-Line Test Proctoring Form, certifying they will supervise the session.⁸ Keep the signed original. You’ll need to bring it to the service center when you finalize the permit.

What’s on the Test

The exam has 50 multiple-choice questions: 45 on traffic laws and 5 on road sign identification. Topics include right-of-way rules, speed limits, pavement markings, impaired driving laws, and how alcohol and controlled substances affect driving.³ Every question is drawn from the Official Florida Driver License Handbook, which FLHSMV publishes for free online.

You need 40 correct answers out of 50 to pass.⁴ The system allows 60 minutes and submits your responses automatically when the timer runs out or you finish the last question.² Security may include identity verification prompts and browser monitoring, and the parent or guardian serves as the in-room proctor to confirm no outside resources are used.

If You Fail

Florida charges a $10 fee for each knowledge exam retake after the first attempt.³ That’s the state’s charge, and it applies whether you retest in person or online. If you’re retaking through a third-party provider, their retake fee stacks on top of the state’s $10.

There is a widely cited rule that after three failed online attempts you lose the remote option and have to retake in person. It’s consistent with how providers operate, but the statutes themselves don’t spell it out. Because questions are pulled from a large pool, each attempt looks different, so time with the handbook between tries is the practical answer.

What You Still Have to Do in Person

Passing the online exam doesn’t put a permit in your hand. You still have to visit an FLHSMV service center or a participating tax collector’s office. Bring the signed Proctoring Form 71144, your identity documents, proof of your Social Security number, and proof of your residential address; for a first-time issuance these have to be originals.⁹

Staff will verify your electronic test results and then administer vision and hearing screenings on-site. Both are required by statute and cannot be done remotely.³ You’ll submit a formal application, have a photograph taken, and pay the $48 original Class E license fee. Tax collector offices may add a $6.25 service fee; veterans with documented status are exempt from that surcharge.¹⁰

1
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test
2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Third Party Administrator Program
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.12 – Examination of Applicants
4
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Licensing Requirements for Teens, Graduated Driver License Laws and Driving Curfews
5
Florida Virtual School. FLVS Driver Education
6
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What is Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) and Find Approved Listing TLSAE Course Providers
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 322.095 – Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education Program for Driver License Applicants
8
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Required Forms for Teens
9
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. What to Bring
10
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees