Which Immigration Documents FLHSMV Accepts for a Florida Driver License or ID

Florida issues driver licenses and ID cards to non-citizens under two separate document checklists, not one. Which checklist applies to you determines which USCIS forms pass at the counter, how long your credential lasts, and whether it gets stamped TEMPORARY. A rule change that took effect in late April 2025 made these distinctions more consequential than they have ever been, introducing a one-year validity cap that now forces annual in-person renewals for H-1B workers, L-1 transferees, F-1 students, and every other non-immigrant in South Florida. This guide covers every immigration category with the exact form numbers FLHSMV staff check at the window - permanent residents, visa holders, EAD and DACA recipients, TPS, parolees, and pending-case applicants - plus the supporting documents every non-citizen must bring regardless of category.

Two Tracks at FLHSMV: Why the Immigrant vs. Non-Immigrant Distinction Matters

FLHSMV maintains two official document checklists side by side on its website. One is labeled Immigrant. The other is labeled Non-Immigrant. Which one applies to you is not a question of how long you intend to stay in the United States - it is a question of your current legal status.

The Immigrant checklist covers lawful permanent residents, asylees, and refugees. The Non-Immigrant checklist covers everyone holding temporary status: work visa holders, F-1 and J-1 visa holders, EAD recipients, TPS grantees, parolees, and pending-case applicants. The split matters for two reasons. First, the acceptable primary identity documents differ between the two lists - forms that satisfy one checklist may not appear on the other. Second, credentials issued under the Immigrant checklist are not capped at one year and are not stamped TEMPORARY. Those issued under the Non-Immigrant checklist are both.

Before scheduling any appointment at a Miami-Dade tax collector office or FLHSMV service center, confirm which checklist governs your status. The checklists are maintained at flhsmv.gov and reflect current federal policy; verify them before your visit because they change when immigration rules shift.

Permanent Residents: Form I-551 and the Standard License Term

Lawful permanent residents use the Immigrant checklist and present Form I-551 - the Green Card - as their primary identity document. The credential FLHSMV issues runs for the standard Florida term rather than being cut to one year, and it carries no TEMPORARY designation. These two differences from the Non-Immigrant path are significant for anyone who recently received a green card after years of holding a TEMPORARY credential.

The I-551 can be the standard plastic card or a temporary I-551 stamp affixed in a valid passport (also called an ADIT stamp). Both satisfy the primary ID requirement. Conditional permanent residents holding a two-year I-551 also qualify under the Immigrant checklist; the license follows the standard term regardless of the two-year condition on the card.

Green card holders still need SSN proof and two Florida address proofs - the same supporting documents required of every non-citizen applicant. The checklist you fall under changes the primary ID and the credential term; it does not eliminate the universal supporting document requirements covered at the end of this guide.

Employment-Based and Professional Visas: H-1B, L-1, E-Series, O-1, TN, and Dependents

Work visa holders fall under the Non-Immigrant checklist. The document combination is consistent across most employment categories: an unexpired passport plus an unexpired I-94 that shows your visa category and the authorized admission period. The I-94 carries the weight here - it must reflect your current status, not an earlier entry or a prior visa period.

The following visa categories qualify under this passport-plus-I-94 combination:

• H-1B (specialty occupation workers) and H-4 (H-1B dependents)
• L-1A and L-1B (intracompany transferees) and L-2 (L-1 dependents)
• E-1, E-2, and E-3 (treaty traders, investors, and Australian specialty-occupation workers)
• O-1 (extraordinary ability or achievement)
• H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers)
• TN (Trade NAFTA - Canadian and Mexican professionals)

Category	Passport required	I-94 required	EAD works as stand-alone ID	Annual renewal since April 2025
H-1B / L-1 / O-1 / TN	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
H-4 / L-2 / E-series dependents	Yes (unless EAD issued)	Yes (unless EAD issued)	Only if EAD issued to the dependent	Yes
F-1 / J-1 students and visitors	Yes	Yes	Only if I-766 EAD issued	Yes
EAD holder (any category)	Not required	Not required	Yes - I-766 or I-688B	Yes
LPR (I-551 Green Card)	Not required	Not required	N/A	No

H-4 and L-2 dependents follow the same passport-plus-I-94 formula as the primary visa holder. If a dependent has been issued their own Form I-766 EAD - which H-4 holders with certain petition approvals can receive - they can use that card alone as primary ID. That avoids any complication if the dependent's passport is nearing expiration at a different time from the primary holder's.

Student and Exchange-Visitor Visas: F-1 with I-20 and J-1 with DS-2019

F-1 and J-1 holders share the same basic document structure with one substitution based on program type.

F-1 students must present three documents together:

• An unexpired passport
• An unexpired I-94 showing F-1 status
• Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility issued by the enrolling school - it must be current and signed

J-1 exchange visitors substitute Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status) for the I-20. The passport and I-94 requirements are identical.

F-1 students who have been issued Form I-766 - typically through OPT (Optional Practical Training) authorization or another program that results in EAD issuance - have a simpler option: the EAD functions as stand-alone primary identity, eliminating the need to coordinate a current I-20 and unexpired I-94 at the same appointment. This is useful when a passport is close to expiration or when the I-94 shows D/S rather than a fixed date.

When the I-94 shows D/S - Duration of Status - FLHSMV cannot calculate an expiration date from it. Under the April 2025 rule, D/S credentials receive the one-year cap from the application date. F-1 and J-1 holders in D/S status should plan to return each year with a current I-20 or DS-2019 confirming active enrollment or program participation.

EAD Holders Including DACA: Form I-766 as Stand-Alone Primary ID

An Employment Authorization Document is the one Non-Immigrant document that functions as stand-alone primary identity at FLHSMV - no passport required, no I-94 required. Both the current Form I-766 and the older laminated Form I-688B are accepted in this role. If you hold an unexpired EAD in either format, the rest of the primary ID requirement is satisfied by that card alone.

DACA recipients present Form I-766 as their primary identity document. The credential FLHSMV issues is stamped TEMPORARY and valid for up to one year. When USCIS issues a renewed EAD at each DACA renewal cycle, the holder returns to a service center, presents the new card, and receives a fresh credential. This cycle repeats indefinitely unless the holder's immigration status changes to lawful permanent residence - the only event that removes the TEMPORARY designation.

An expired EAD does not satisfy the stand-alone primary ID requirement. A holder with an expired I-766 falls into a different documentary situation and may need to rely on the combinations described below under TPS or pending-adjustment categories if those apply.

Complex Categories: TPS, Parolees, Pending Adjustment, and Pending Asylum

Temporary Protected Status

TPS is the most document-intensive category at the FLHSMV window. Holders generally arrive with one of two combinations:

• A valid passport plus an expired EAD carrying category code A12 or C19 - the two employment authorization codes specific to TPS grants
• An I-797 Approval Notice for Form I-821 (the TPS registration form), used when no valid passport is available or when the passport requirement cannot otherwise be met

Country-specific expiration dates create extra complexity for TPS holders in South Florida. For Haitian TPS, FLHSMV has issued successive technical advisories adjusting credential-issuance deadlines in response to ongoing federal court orders; the most recently documented FLHSMV deadline for Haitian TPS credentials was July 1, 2026, but the underlying federal TPS situation has continued to evolve through further litigation and executive action beyond that date - check flhsmv.gov and the USCIS TPS page for Haiti for the current applicable deadline before your appointment. Honduran and Nicaraguan TPS terminated on September 8, 2025. These dates are set by federal litigation and executive action - not by FLHSMV - and can shift before a scheduled appointment. Check the USCIS TPS page for your country's current designation status before any visit.

The Venezuelan Passport Exception

Pending Adjustment of Status - Married to a U.S. Citizen

A non-immigrant with a pending I-485 who is married to a U.S. citizen faces the most layered document set of any category at FLHSMV. The required combination is:

• A valid passport - or, for Venezuelan nationals, a passport within the allowable expiration window
• An I-94 - and an expired I-94 is acceptable in this specific pending-adjustment category
• An I-797 receipt notice for Form I-130 (petition for alien relative)
• An I-797 receipt notice for Form I-485 (application to adjust status)
• The original marriage certificate
• Proof of the U.S. spouse's citizenship: a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate

The expired I-94 is accepted here because a pending adjustment creates a period of authorized stay even after the underlying visa period lapses. The I-797 receipt notices must not be stale - FLHSMV places an age limit on how old a receipt date can be; check flhsmv.gov for the current requirement before your appointment.

Pending Asylum - Form I-589 Receipt

Applicants with a pending Form I-589 (Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal) and no EAD present a valid passport plus the I-797 receipt notice for the I-589. The same age restriction on receipt notices applies here as in the pending-adjustment category. Once USCIS issues an EAD to the asylum applicant, the EAD can serve as stand-alone primary ID at the next visit, simplifying the document set considerably.

The TEMPORARY Stamp and the April 2025 One-Year Validity Cap

Every Florida driver license and ID card issued to a non-immigrant is printed with the word TEMPORARY. This is not an error and it is not unusual - it is a required designation for any credential issued under the Non-Immigrant checklist. The stamp remains through every renewal until the holder becomes a lawful permanent resident and applies for a new credential. No administrative request removes it earlier.

A TEMPORARY credential is fully valid for driving and as government-issued ID. What it communicates to employers, banks, and TSA is that the credential is tied to immigration status and has a time limit - not that it is provisional or unreliable.

The rule change that took effect April 30, 2025 reshaped how expiration dates are calculated for every Non-Immigrant credential. The rule: the license expires on the USCIS document's expiration date or one year from the date of issuance, whichever comes first. Before that date, credentials tracked the visa validity period - meaning an H-1B approval for three years produced a three-year Florida license.

That era is over. The practical consequence for longer-status visas is now:

1. An H-1B holder approved for a multi-year petition schedules a renewal appointment roughly every twelve months rather than at the end of the petition period.
2. Each renewal requires an in-person visit to a tax collector office or driver license service center - online renewal and mail-in renewal are not available for TEMPORARY credentials.
3. The holder brings updated immigration documents at each visit - current I-94, unexpired passport - to reset the one-year clock.

L-1 transferees, F-1 and J-1 holders, TN professionals, O-1 holders, and all other non-immigrant categories face the same annual cycle. The one-year cap applies across the board. Plan appointments accordingly and build renewal lead time into your calendar before the current credential expires.

SSN Proof, Florida Address Proof, and the 30-Day Status-Change Update Rule

Social Security Number Documents

Every non-citizen applicant must present one document proving their Social Security number. This requirement does not vary by visa category. Accepted SSN documents include:

• Original Social Security card
• W-2 (must be printed - handwritten is not accepted)
• Pay stub showing the full SSN
• 1099 or SSA-1099 form

If you have never been assigned a Social Security number - common for newly arrived visa holders and certain EAD categories - you must bring a letter from the Social Security Administration confirming you are ineligible for an SSN. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is not an SSN and FLHSMV does not accept it as a substitute. There is no workaround; the SSA ineligibility letter is the only document that satisfies the SSN requirement for someone who has never been assigned one.

Florida Residential Address

Two separate documents proving a Florida residential address are required. Each must show the applicant's full name and a Florida street address - not a P.O. box. Acceptable sources include a lease or mortgage document, a utility bill dated within the past sixty days, or a Florida vehicle registration. Documents in a spouse's name alone do not satisfy the requirement for the applicant.

The 30-Day Update Rule

When your immigration status changes - your EAD expires and is renewed, you receive a new visa, your green card arrives, your adjustment of status case resolves - you have 30 days to update your FLHSMV records in person at a tax collector office or driver license service center. Driving on a credential tied to a lapsed or changed status creates legal exposure. Bring the new USCIS document, your current Florida credential, and the standard supporting documents. This update obligation applies every time your status changes, not just when you get a new credential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I renew my Florida driver license online if it was issued as TEMPORARY?

No. TEMPORARY credentials require in-person renewal at a tax collector office or FLHSMV service center each cycle. You must present current immigration documents at each renewal so FLHSMV can verify ongoing status. Online and mail-in renewal options are not available for any credential issued under the Non-Immigrant checklist.

My I-94 shows D/S instead of a specific expiration date - how does FLHSMV handle that?

D/S means Duration of Status; FLHSMV cannot calculate an expiration date from that field. Under the April 2025 rule, a D/S I-94 produces a credential issued for one year from the application date. Return annually with a current I-20 or DS-2019 confirming active enrollment or program status.

Does the Venezuelan expired-passport exception also apply to Venezuelan TPS holders?

Yes. The exception is tied to nationality, not to the immigration status category. A Venezuelan TPS holder can present a passport expired within the allowable window alongside their TPS documentation. For current TPS designation details specific to Venezuelan nationals, check the USCIS TPS page directly, as program dates change through litigation and executive action.

What do I bring to FLHSMV if I have never been assigned a Social Security number?

You need a letter from the Social Security Administration stating that you are ineligible for an SSN. That letter is the only substitute FLHSMV accepts. An ITIN does not work. Go to your local SSA office first if you do not have this letter, and bring documentation of your visa status when you request it.

Can my H-4 dependent use my H-1B approval notice as part of their FLHSMV document set?

No. Each applicant presents documents reflecting their own status. Your H-4 dependent presents their own unexpired passport and their own I-94 showing H-4 status. If the dependent has been issued their own EAD, they can use that as stand-alone primary ID instead.

I just got my green card - do I need to go to FLHSMV right away or can I wait?

You have 30 days from the status change to update your FLHSMV records. Beyond the update obligation, going sooner is practically useful: a new credential issued on your I-551 will not be stamped TEMPORARY and will run for the standard Florida term rather than expiring in one year. Bring your I-551, your current credential, SSN proof, and two Florida address documents.