Florida drivers should be aware of a new law that changes who can be designated a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO). CS/HB 35, also known as "Isaiah’s Law," took effect July 1, 2026. The law adds driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license to the list of offenses that can lead to an HTO designation. In this post, we’ll explain what changed, why the law was passed, and what an HTO designation could mean for Florida drivers.
What changed?
In Florida, a person can be designated a Habitual Traffic Offender if they accumulate certain convictions within a five-year period. For some serious offenses, three or more convictions can result in an HTO designation. There’s a separate category that applies to certain moving violations, where 15 convictions carrying points can lead to the HTO designation.
Isaiah’s Law adds another offense to the list: driving without a valid driver’s license. Three or more convictions for driving without a valid license, coming from separate occasions within five years, can now result in an HTO designation.
This is different from driving with a suspended or revoked license. Florida’s HTO law already included certain offenses involving suspended or revoked driving privileges, and this hasn’t changed. The new law simply addresses drivers who repeatedly operate a vehicle without having a valid license.
Why is it called Isaiah’s Law?
The law was named in memory of Isaiah Raposa, an 18-year-old motorcycle rider who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run collision in December 2024. According to reporting on the new legislation, the other driver involved didn’t have a valid license and had previously been cited for driving without a license.
What happens if you become a Habitual Traffic Offender in Florida?
An HTO designation has serious consequences in Florida. Once a person is designated a Habitual Traffic Offender, their driving privilege is revoked for five years. If they continue driving and are convicted of certain driving offenses during that period, they can face prosecution for a third-degree felony.
For a person who doesn’t have a driver’s license, the five-year revocation also means they can’t apply for a restricted driver’s license during that period.
The best way to avoid these consequences is simple: If you don’t have a valid driver’s license, don’t drive. Repeated convictions for driving without a valid license can now have consequences that go beyond the individual traffic violations.
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Florida drivers should be aware of a new law that changes who can be designated a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO). CS/HB 35, also known as "Isaiah’s Law," took effect July 1, 2026. The law adds driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license to the list of offenses that can lead to an HTO designation. In this post, we’ll explain what changed, why the law was passed, and what an HTO designation could mean for Florida drivers.