Crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in Florida. Because of this, Florida has adopted a Graduated Driver License (GDL) law for teen drivers. The purpose of the law is to help teens safely and gradually build their skills and experience behind the wheel. Teens must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of driving safety before advancing through the steps in the program.

Getting a learners license is the first step in becoming a licensed Florida driver. Applicants must be at least 15 years old. If an applicant is under 18 years old, he must be in compliance with school attendance and have the signature of one parent or guardian on the FL DMV consent form. The application must be signed in front of the examiner or a notary public.

All drivers permit applicants, regardless of age, are required to have completed a traffic law and substance abuse education course. Information for this program is listed in local phone book under "Driving Instruction" or you can use an Internet search engine to locate traffic schools in your area.

Before completing the written permit test, applicants must:

• Pass a vision screening
• Pass a hearing test
• Have two forms of identification
• Provide proof of Social Security number
• Provide proof of residential address

The written permit test is made up of two parts: road rules and road signs. The road rules test is a written 20 multiple choice questions about traffic laws, with 15 correct answers required to earn a passing score. The road signs test is a 20 multiple choice question exam covering road signs. This test also requires 15 correct answers to pass. A practice permit test covering both road rules and road signs can be found in the Florida driver manual or from online companies.

Be sure to check to see whether your auto insurance automatically covers new drivers with a valid learners permit, or if you need to get additional coverage before you get behind the wheel.