TAMPA, Fla. — A new law will soon go into effect that modifies Florida’s current driver’s license education requirement.

Currently in the state of Florida to get a learner’s permit, a written test plus a traffic law and substance abuse course is required.

Starting July 1, there will be an additional requirement.

All learner’s permit applicants, regardless of age, will also have to complete the state-approved driver’s education course as well. Then after a year, they can apply for their driver’s license.

Driving instructor Billy York with Auto Safety Driving School, says, surprisingly, there are more people that can benefit from the changes.

“One lady, she was 45. Her husband’s company transferred them down here. She never had her license,” York said. “But now that they’ve moved down here, she found out we don’t have the transportation systems like she had in New York city. So, people like that will contact us.”

The changes don’t only apply to learner’s permits. Adults applying for a Florida driver’s license must also complete the state-approved driver education course. That means both teenagers and adults have to take ‘two courses’ to apply for either a permit or license.

“I think anytime you can have a classroom setting like that where people can be hands on, I think the learning environment is better,” York said. “So we are in agreement with whatever the state feels. We want to support that.”

The only exemptions to the additional testing requirement are drivers with prior out-of-state licenses or driver who have completed a driver’s education course.