By Joshua-Paul Estabalaya
Herald Intern
Florida teens must now complete a new Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course if they want to obtain their learner’s permit and get behind the wheel.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) established the DETS course as Senate Bill 994 (SB 994) took statewide effect July 1, creating new driver’s education requirements for teens. The new six-hour curriculum replaced a former four-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course that learner’s permit applicants previously had to complete.
SB 994 requires the new DETS course, which students can complete through Florida Virtual School, to meet or exceed a driver’s education curriculum created by the Florida Department of Education. The framework includes learning topics such as traffic laws, the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving and interacting with law enforcement.
According to FLHSMV, 2024 saw 82,447 automobile crashes involving teenage drivers. Former state Sen. Jay Collins introduced SB 994 in order to build upon the driver’s education that teens and adults must obtain before getting licensed.
“As a parent… I will also have a driver very, very soon,” Collins told the Senate Committee on Transportation. “And I think ensuring that we get them educated on what is going on on the roadways, [to] understand the complexities and risk factors that are involved… is absolutely in the best interest of my family, our families across the state of Florida and overall driver safety.”
Collins’ bill also requires adult applicants for a driver’s license to complete a traffic law and substance abuse course, unless they were already licensed elsewhere or have completed a Department of Education program for driver’s education.
The Seminole County tax collector’s office, which serves as an agent for FLHSMV, faced little challenge in implementing the changes that SB 994 mandated.
“Our website was updated several weeks before the effective date, and we made sure to clearly outline the new requirements so customers were informed before coming into the office,” Luis Gonzalez, organizational development administrator at the tax collector’s office, told The Sanford Herald by email. “FLHSMV also provided a transition period through August 1, 2025, allowing us to accept both TLSAE and the new DETS course.”
SB 994 received unanimous support from state lawmakers, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation upon receiving it.
But the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association - Florida (ADTSEA-FL), an advocacy and professional organization for driver’s education, opposes FLHSMV’s implementation of the new legislation through its DETS course. Darren Tessitore, a board member of ADTSEA-FL, told The Sanford Herald by email that the curriculum does not align with the legislative intent of SB 994 and goes against how Florida law defines course credits.
“[The Department of Education] indicates that Driver Education/Traffic Safety is a 0.5‑credit course,” Tessitore said. “Florida Statute §1003.436 defines a full credit as 120–135 hours of instruction; therefore, a 0.5 credit course implies roughly 60–67.5 hours of instruction. For that reason, ADTSEA‑FL believes SB 994 envisions a semester‑length course — not a six‑hour short course.”
FLHSMV did not respond to a request for comment on ADTSEA-FL’s criticism of its DETS course.
“ADTSEA‑FL supports the legislature’s intent to strengthen Driver Education, but implementation must reflect educational best practices and the [Department of Education’s] course framework — not a short‑form substitute that undermines hands‑on learning,” Tessitore added.
Collins did not respond to The Sanford Herald’s question on whether he believes his bill is being implemented in line with its legislative intent.
