Florida hardship license — how to get one after a point suspension.
Straight answer first: a hardship license lets a suspended driver keep driving — for employment or business purposes only. For a point suspension, it takes completing the 12-hour ADI course — a different course from any traffic school we sell. Add an application at your local Bureau of Administrative Reviews office, plus FLHSMV’s fees. We don’t offer ADI.
- Hardship = ADI completion + reinstatement fee, via Administrative Reviews.
- DUI-related cases use a Licensed DUI Program school instead of ADI.
- Work-purposes only — it is not your full license back.
How you got here — the suspension tiers
Points come from convictions. Traffic school stops an eligible ticket from becoming one — that is the only part of this page we sell.
Florida’s point-suspension tiers, to scale
Three tiers, one axis. The fourth bar is the ticket that never reaches the chart.
How to get a hardship license after a point suspension
Enroll in — and complete — the 12-hour ADI course
ADI stands for Advanced Driver Improvement. It is the 12-hour course FLHSMV requires after a point suspension. Sign up with any FLHSMV-approved ADI school. We do not sell it. If your case involved drugs or alcohol, a licensed DUI program takes the place of ADI.
Apply at your Bureau of Administrative Reviews office
Take your ADI proof to the Bureau of Administrative Reviews office for your area. That is the FLHSMV office that reviews suspensions. Fill out form HSMV 78306, the Application for Administrative Hearing, and pay the reinstatement fee. FLHSMV’s web page asks for course completion. The form says enrolled in or completed. Ask the office which it needs before you go. Then explain why you need to drive. The office decides, and it can say no.
Drive inside the limits on your license
A hardship license has limits, and your license will say which kind you have. Employment purposes means driving to and from work and for your job. Business purposes adds school, church and medical trips (F.S. 322.271(1)(c)). Driving outside those limits counts as driving while suspended.
Hardship license requirements vs full reinstatement
The hardship license gets you to work during the suspension. Reinstatement gives the license itself back when the suspension ends. Different office, different proof — and neither happens on its own. Until you reinstate, you are still suspended.
| Hardship license — during the suspension | Full reinstatement — after it ends | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof required | Proof you completed the 12-hour ADI course | Proof you enrolled in the ADI course |
| Where you go | Your local Bureau of Administrative Reviews office | Any Florida driver license service center |
| The fees | The reinstatement fee, plus the license fees that apply | The reinstatement fee, plus the license fees that apply |
| Driving allowed | Employment or business purposes only | Anything your license allows |
| Who decides | The Bureau of Administrative Reviews. Approval is not automatic | A counter transaction, once the suspension period has run |
| Drug or alcohol case | A Licensed DUI Program school replaces ADI | A Licensed DUI Program school replaces ADI |
Fees change, so we don’t print them. FLHSMV’s suspension pages and your Bureau of Administrative Reviews office have the current numbers.
How to avoid a suspension next time
Points come from convictions
Elect Florida traffic school for an eligible ticket and adjudication is withheld. No points are assessed, so nothing feeds the suspension tiers. Once per 12 months, 8 per lifetime. The four eligibility checks take a minute.
But it only works before
Elections protect tickets, not records. No election undoes points already assessed or a suspension already running. That is exactly why the 4-hour course beats the 12-hour one: timing.
The 4-hour habit
Next eligible ticket, run the checks and elect within 30 days. Our BDI course is $24.95 all-inclusive, with automatic court notification. Next to a suspension, it is a rounding error.
Hardship, Answered
Florida hardship license FAQ
What is a Florida hardship license?
A restricted license FLHSMV can issue while your regular license is suspended. It limits driving to employment or business purposes only. It exists so a suspension doesn't automatically cost you your job. But it is not your old license back. Drive outside its restrictions and you're driving on a suspended license.
How do I get a hardship license after a point suspension?
Apply through your local Bureau of Administrative Reviews office. For a points-based suspension, FLHSMV requires proof that you've completed an Advanced Driver Improvement (ADI) course. That's the 12-hour one, not regular traffic school. You'll also pay the reinstatement fee and any applicable license fees. The Bureau of Administrative Reviews office decides the application. Approval isn't automatic, so treat the hearing seriously.
How many points suspend a Florida license in the first place?
Three tiers, per FLHSMV. 12 points within 12 months means a 30-day suspension. 18 points within 18 months means 3 months. And 24 points within 36 months means a full year. Every point on that ladder came from a conviction. That's why traffic school — before things get this far — matters so much. It's the election that keeps points off.
Is ADI the same as the traffic school course you sell?
No — and we'd rather tell you plainly than sell you the wrong thing. ADI is Florida's 12-hour Advanced Driver Improvement course for suspended drivers. Our 4-hour BDI course is elected traffic school, for keeping points off after a single ticket. BDI cannot lift a suspension or substitute for ADI. If you're suspended, an ADI provider is what you need — we don't offer one.
My suspension was DUI- or drug-related. Same process?
Different course, same office. For drug- and alcohol-related cases, FLHSMV requires completion of a Licensed DUI Program school rather than ADI. The application still runs through the Bureau of Administrative Reviews office. DUI cases carry their own rules and timelines beyond this page. The office and, honestly, a traffic attorney are the right guides there.
What happens when my suspension period ends?
Full reinstatement — a separate, easier step. Submit proof of ADI school enrollment (enrollment, for this step, rather than completion). Pay the reinstatement fee plus the license fees that apply, at any Florida driver license service center. Until you reinstate, you are still suspended. Don't just wait it out and drive.
What does a hardship license cost?
FLHSMV sets the reinstatement and license fees, and they change. Rather than print a number that goes stale, we'll point you at the source: FLHSMV's own fee schedule. Add whatever your ADI course provider charges for the 12-hour course. Budget for the hearing time too. The office runs on appointments in many areas.
How do I avoid ever needing this page again?
Keep convictions — and therefore points — off your record while the choice still exists. When an eligible ticket comes, electing Florida traffic school withholds adjudication, and no points are assessed. You can elect once per 12 months, 8 in a lifetime. It's a four-hour course against a 30-day-to-12-month suspension. The math only works one way.
Fix today’s suspension with FLHSMV. Keep the next ticket off your record with us.
Handle the suspension through FLHSMV’s process. When the next eligible ticket comes, elect traffic school — and keep the points from ever existing.