(1) The department may, by contract, interagency agreement, or interlocal agreement, authorize a person, an entity of the state government, a subdivision of state government, a public or private corporation, a firm, an organization, a school, or an entity of a local government to administer the written and driving skills portions of an examination for all classes and types of driver licenses, the results of which may be accepted in lieu of the results of a written and driving skills examination given by the department.

(2) Any test given by a third-party administrator under contract with the state must be the same as the test that the state would otherwise give.

(3) The contract or agreement between the third-party administrator and the state must, at a minimum, contain provisions that:

(a) Allow the Federal Highway Administration, or its representative, to conduct random examinations, inspections, and audits without prior notice;

(b) Allow the department, or its representative, to conduct random examinations, inspections, and audits without prior notice;

(c) Allow the department to conduct onsite inspections at least annually;

(d) Require that all third-party administrators meet the same qualifications and education and training standards as department examiners, to the extent necessary to conduct the written and driving skills portions of the examination;

(e) Allow the department to test, at least annually, a random sample of the drivers approved by the third party for licensure; and

(f) Reserve to the department the right to take prompt and appropriate action against a third party that fails to comply with state or federal standards for a driver license examination or that fails to comply with any terms of the contract.

(4) The department shall monitor examinations administered under the authority of this section. Such monitoring shall, at a minimum, satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (3)(b), (c), (d), and (e).

(5) An applicant who successfully completes a written and driving skills examination administered by an authorized third-party administrator shall provide evidence of such fact to the department prior to licensure.

(6) To qualify as a third-party administrator, a person, an entity of state government, a subdivision of state government, a public or private corporation, a school, or an entity of a local government must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that it has the necessary qualified personnel, equipment, and facilities to administer the written and driving skills portions of the driver license examination.

(7) This section does not exempt a person from the requirement that he or she successfully complete any other test required for licensure under this chapter.

(8) The department shall contract with providers of approved online traffic law and substance abuse education courses to serve as third-party providers to conduct online, on behalf of the department, examinations required pursuant to ss. 322.12 and 322.1615 to applicants for Class E learner’s driver licenses.

(a) The online testing program shall:

1. Use personal questions before the examination, which the applicant is required to answer during the examination, to strengthen test security to deter fraud;

2. Require, before the start of the examination, the applicant’s parent, guardian, or other responsible adult who meets the requirements of s. 322.09 to provide the third-party administrator with his or her driver license number and to certify that the parent, guardian, or responsible adult will monitor the applicant during the examination; and

3. Require, before issuance by the department of a learner’s driver license to an applicant who has passed an online examination, the applicant’s parent, guardian, or other responsible adult who meets the requirements of s. 322.09 to certify to the department that he or she monitored the applicant during the online examination. This certification shall be similar to the certification required by s. 322.05(3). This subsection does not preclude the department from continuing to provide written examinations at driver license facilities.

(b) All data regarding an applicant’s completion of the examinations required in ss. 322.12 and 322.1615 must be submitted to the department electronically in a format specified by the department. This shall be the official documentation for the completion of the examination. A third-party provider that is found to be in violation of this paragraph is automatically ineligible to provide online testing on behalf of the department for a minimum of 1 year.

(c) The department may adopt rules to administer this subsection.

History.—s. 8, ch. 89-282; s. 428, ch. 95-148; s. 49, ch. 96-413; s. 27, ch. 2011-66; s. 7, ch. 2017-8.