Can you drive in Florida with a Cuban license?

Yes. Visitors aged 16+ can drive in Florida on a valid Cuban licence while they remain nonresidents, with no fixed day limit.

Florida recognizes valid foreign licences for nonresident visitors under section 322.04 of the Florida Statutes. The limit is residency, not days: accepting employment, engaging in a trade, or enrolling a child in public school starts a 30-day clock to get a Florida licence, and living in Florida for six consecutive months is itself a residency trigger.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)

No. Florida repealed its short-lived IDP mandate back in 2013; an IDP is recommended but not required.

Florida briefly required IDPs of all foreign visitors in early 2013, then declared the law unenforceable and repealed it; no IDP requirement exists today. An IDP from Cuba still helps with traffic stops and rental counters since it translates your licence. The IDP is never valid alone: carry the original licence.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)

30 days. Accepting a job, starting a trade, or enrolling a child in a Florida public school gives you 30 days to get a Florida licence.

Florida's residency triggers under section 322.031 are behavioral: employment, trade or profession, enrolling a child in public school, plus classic markers like a homestead exemption or six consecutive months in the state. The 30-day window is short; gather documents in advance because non-citizen applications are verified through the federal SAVE system and the physical card arrives by mail within about 30 days.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)Exchange out-of-state driver license (Palm Beach County Tax Collector)

No. Florida does not exchange Cuban licences: you pass the Class E knowledge exam and the driving skills exam.

One thing your Cuban licence does buy you: exemption from the 4-hour Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education course that first-time drivers must take, because you were previously licensed in a foreign jurisdiction. The knowledge exam is 50 questions with an 80% pass mark; the skills exam requires you to supply a registered, insured vehicle that passes inspection.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)Exchange out-of-state driver license (Palm Beach County Tax Collector)

Yes: vision and hearing screenings, the 50-question Class E knowledge exam, and the driving skills exam in your own insured vehicle.

FLHSMV currently says Class E knowledge exams are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, Haitian Creole, Russian and Spanish. Applicants still need the vision and hearing screenings and the Class E skills exam. For the skills exam, the applicant provides a vehicle with a valid tag, proof of insurance and a vehicle inspection. Booking an appointment is still required for driver license testing.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)

No formal licence-translation requirement: Florida qualifies foreign drivers through testing, not licence exchange.

Because your Cuban licence is not being exchanged (Canada excepted), FLHSMV does not demand a certified translation of it. Identity and lawful presence documents are what get scrutinized, through the federal SAVE verification system.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)

Bring lawful-presence documents, your SSN or ineligibility letter, two Florida address proofs, your licence, and roughly $48. Non-citizen cards arrive by mail after verification.

Non-citizens receive a temporary permit while the card is produced; the physical licence arrives within 30 to 60 days once SAVE verification clears. Most counties handle licensing through Tax Collector offices, and appointments are required for testing.

Driver licenses general information (FLHSMV)Exchange out-of-state driver license (Palm Beach County Tax Collector)