Know the Law

Out-of-state licenses that are part of a class of licenses issued exclusively to undocumented immigrants who cannot prove that they have lawful immigration status in the U.S. are no longer valid in the state of Florida. If you are stopped while driving, and you present an invalid drivers license, you can be criminally cited for driving without a license. Under Florida law, it is a second degree misdemeanor to drive without a valid license, and if convicted, you may face a fine or jail time.

Know your Rights

You are still allowed to possess a driver’s license that is no longer valid in Florida—you just cannot use it to give you legal authorization to drive (i.e. if you are pulled over by law enforcement, an invalid out-of-state license will not show that you can legally drive in Florida, but it will not be unlawful to possess). Depending on the setting, you may still be able to use your driver’s license as a form of identification.

Protect Yourself

If you are undocumented and your drivers license was issued by a different state, confirm whether it is valid under Florida law before driving in Florida.