Teen driver hours — licensed driver under 17
Florida Statute § 322.16(2), (6)
Summary verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes: October 7, 2026.
Quick Summary
A licensed driver under 17 may not operate a motor vehicle after 11 p.m. and before 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a driver at least 21 who holds a valid license for the vehicle type OR driving directly to or from work. Establish age, operation, time, accompaniment, and any work exception together before citing. This is a civil moving violation, not an automatic curfew arrest or no-valid-license charge. A learner’s license has separate accompaniment and daylight/10 p.m. rules under §322.1615; do not substitute these full-license hours.
Classification, Points & Penalties
Classification, Points & Penalties
- Category
- Driver License
- Type
- Moving
- Civil / Criminal
- Civil
- Offense Classification
- Moving infraction
- Points
- 3; 6 if resulting in a crash; disposition may affect assessment
- Fine / Penalty
- $60 base moving penalty under §318.18(3)(a); costs and qualifying crash penalties may apply
Base fines are not the total payable amount. Costs, enforcement method, crash consequences, prior history, and court disposition can change penalties or points. A reported zero does not rule out license suspension or revocation.
Court & Enforcement
Court & Enforcement
- Mandatory Court
- No, generally; qualifying death/SBI crash requires hearing under §318.19
- NTA Eligible
- N/A — civil citation
- Custodial Arrest
- No — civil infraction (absent separate lawful basis)
NTA means notice to appear. Eligibility is conditional; these fields do not independently authorize arrest. Confirm the exact statutory track, lawful arrest authority, traffic procedure, and agency policy.
Arrest authority guideCivil infractions resulting in death or serious bodily injury require a hearing under §318.19.