There are few milestones in a teenager’s life that carry quite as much anticipation, excitement, and accomplishment as acquiring a driver’s license. From the time we are small, many of us dream of sliding in behind the wheel, fitting the key into the ignition, and lighting a driving machine into life. Driving can mean freedom, autonomy, and marks the turn in many teens’ lives from childhood into the cusp of adulthood. Driving is not just a task or responsibility (even if it is both of these things); it is a rite of passage. So it’s helpful to know when you can look forward to the licensing process for either yourself or your child.
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Across the United States, the legal driving age varies depending on the territory.
Because each state is sovereign it its lawmaking, there is no one federal mandate that determines the exact time a person can start the process of becoming a license driver. What all states do have in common, however, is that there is not a single state that allows for a license to be obtained without a significant amount of training, time span, and graduated license requirements.
Graduated license programs, popular across the country, determine that while a teen may obtain a learning permit at one age, they are never immediately granted a full license. Rather, their permissions increase with time. For example, if you were to get your learner’s permit in Alaska – a state that grants the first permit at the tender age of fourteen – you would only be allowed to drive supervised by licensed driver (who is at least twenty-one years old) for the next two years. This primary allowance is the result of: parental consent, the passing of a written knowledge test, the passing of a road test, near-perfect vision (or the use of corrective lenses), positive identification, a full application, and of course, any DMV fees.
After two years of supervised practice driving, at sixteen years old, you’d be upgraded to a provisional license. A provisional license offers more freedom than its preceding permit, allowing the young driver to navigate on their own or to carry passengers with them. However, the freedom to move about the state is still limited. Provisional licenses in Alaska prohibit drivers to operate between the hours of 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM, for example. Furthermore, any passenger in the vehicle must be at least twenty-one years of age, excluding siblings.
It is not until you reach the age of eighteen that you will be granted a full, unrestricted license in the state of Alaska. But by then, you’ll have had four whole years of careful practice under your belt, and are more likely to have become a responsible, alert driver who can shoulder the accountability of caring for passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and the other cars sharing the road.
Research conducted regarding graduated driving programs has shown that the implementation of this step-by-step permitting and licensing has been integral in lowering the number of car crashes involving teen drivers.
In fact, the notable 50% decrease in accidents has inspired every single state in the country to adopt at least some form of the program to ease young drivers into the new world of sitting behind the wheel. And considering the fresh age of permitting someone at fourteen, it seems like the smart way to go about things.
There are currently nine states that allow an initial learner’s permit at fourteen years old: two of them requiring the driver reach fourteen and a half, one of them waiting until fourteen and nine months. At fifteen, fifteen and half, and fifteen and nine months, there are thirty-three state who will grant a permit. And the last eight territories require that the person be sixteen years old before obtaining the initial driving permit.
Here are a few examples of the driving ages and stages (first permit, provisional license, and full license, respectively) across several states:
- California: 15.5, 16, 17
- Connecticut: 16, 16 and four months, 17
- Florida: 15, 16, 18
- Maryland: 15 and nine months, 16.5, 18
- New York: 16, 16.5, 18
- Ohio: 15.5, 16, 18
During the time between the first permit and the full driver’s license, many states require that the teen go through a series of driver’s education courses. The courses, which can be taken in school, online, or privately, include all the basic essentials for what it takes to become a safe driver. Teens are taught how to operate a vehicle, traffic laws, road safety, sign and signal meanings, vehicle maintenance, and some key emergency responses. In addition, the programs will teach drug and alcohol safety, bike, motorcycle and pedestrian awareness, and the dire threat of distracted driving.
It is also recommended that while the teen is driving under supervision, that he or she be guided to learn careful, defensive driving practices.
More than just the theory of the classroom, it is incumbent upon the supervisor to demonstrate the right attitude and execution while on the road, to set a prime example for the student to aspire to. Whatever your child (or you) can learn on paper or with a paid instructor, there is no greater teacher than a parent or role model. And if the accompanying licensed driver is a sibling or friend, he or she too should take into account the great responsibility it is to impart the correct methods to someone who is learning.
No matter the age of the first learner’s permit, no matter the specific stages of licensing, and no matter the particular laws of driving in your state, the principles of safety and courtesy remain steadfast across the country.
A good driver is taught rather than born.
And good driving can not only lower car insurance rates, heart rates, and accident rates, but it can also help to avoid any serious injury, damage, and catastrophe. So while obtaining a license to drive is a massively exciting time in a teen’s life, it also is a leap into the accountability of adulthood.
And in case we forgot to mention it, once you’ve got that license in hand, here at eTags we are ready to help with all your title, tag, registration needs!
