TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With the recent crackdowns on illegal immigration in Florida, it’s a good reminder that some out-of-state licenses are no longer legal in the Sunshine State.
That’s because of a 2023 state law (SB 1718), which prohibits the issuance of driver’s licenses to those who don’t have proof of lawful residence in the U.S.
The legislation also specifies that out-of-state driver’s licenses that are issued exclusively to illegal immigrants are invalid in Florida.
The list of licenses no longer accepted in the state is located on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ website and includes the following classes of license:
- “Not For Federal Identification”
- “Driving Privilege Only”
- “Not Valid for Identification”
- “Limited Purpose Driver’s License”
- “Limited Purpose Instruction Permit”
- “Limited Purpose Provisional Driver’s License”
- “Not Valid for use for official Federal purposes”
- “Not for Federal Identification”
- “Driver Privilege Card”
- “Driver Privilege Permit”
- “Not for REAL ID Purposes Driver’s Privilege Card”
- “Not for REAL ID Purposes Junior Driver’s Privilege Card”
- “Not for REAL ID Purposes Learner’s Privilege Card”
Anyone who presents one of the listed licenses during a traffic stop may be subject to penalties, legislative analysts explained.
That said, the FLHSMV also provided a handy guide to help clear up any confusion about the law.
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| People from Connecticut and Delaware with Real ID-compliant licenses are invalid in Florida. | Out-of-state license classes issued to individuals in Connecticut and Delaware without proof of legal presence in the U.S. are not valid in Florida. |
| Florida is discouraging visitors with proof of legal presence in the U.S. from driving in the state. | EVERYONE with a VALID driver license (according to Florida law) is welcome to operate a vehicle on Florida roads. If a driver does not have a valid driver license, they are subject to penalties outlined here. |
| The list of states’ driver licenses determined by Florida to have license classes that are not valid look no different from licenses issued to legal U.S. citizens. | FLHSMV utilized online resources such as the NCSL and state driver license or motor vehicle department websites to ascertain each state’s process for issuing driver license credentials to individuals without proof of legal presence in the U.S. The determinations were made in accordance with Florida laws, which states: “If a driver license is of a class of licenses issued by another state exclusively to undocumented immigrants who are unable to prove lawful presence in the United States when the licenses are issued, the driver license, or other permit...is invalid in this state and does not authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state.” Indications listed on invalid license classes- |
| Visitors from Connecticut and Delaware traveling on Florida roads will be pulled over so their license can be checked for immigration status/valid driver license. | Visitors from Connecticut and Delaware are welcome in Floridaand will not be pulled over simply for having out-of-state plates. As with anyone driving on Florida roads, traffic laws will be enforced and if a traffic violation or criminal activity is suspected the vehicle will be subject to a traffic stop or law enforcement interaction. |
| The information in this list is final and not subject to change. | The information in this list may change due to the revision of driver license issuance requirements in other states, and will be updated periodically. |