Photo: Ciar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Washington is extending mandatory driver training to young adults. Under RCW 46.20.1191, added by a 2025 law, first-time license applicants aged 18 must complete a driver training course from January 1, 2027, and the age band widens each year to cover everyone 18 to 21 by 2030. Applicants under 25 already need a free online work zone safety course. This page explains who is covered, when, and the exemptions.
Key facts (Washington, as of November 2026)
- Driver training becomes mandatory for first-time applicants aged 18 from January 1, 2027.
- Phase-in reaches ages 18 to 21 (under 22) from January 1, 2030.
- Work zone and first responder safety course: required for first-time applicants under 25 from May 1, 2026 to January 1, 2031.
- Safe driving course after two moving violations, for new license holders under 25, from January 1, 2027.
- DOL may pause or delay a phase if there are not enough courses or instructors.
Who needs driver training, and from when?
| From | First-time applicants who must complete a course |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | Age 18 (under 19) |
| January 1, 2028 | Age 18 to 19 (under 20) |
| January 1, 2029 | Age 18 to 20 (under 21) |
| January 1, 2030 | Age 18 to 21 (under 22) |
Drivers under 18 already have to take driver training (see the teen course and 50-hour guide). The statute’s stated aim is for young adults under 25 to complete training before a first license. The course requirement written into law, however, stops at under 22.
If you are 18 now: getting licensed before January 1, 2027 avoids the course requirement under the current schedule. Check DOL first, because the department can change phase timing by rule.
What course counts?
- A driver training education course from a DOL-licensed driver training school, meeting DOL standards; or
- A traffic safety education course run by a school district or approved private school. These are only open to students enrolled in a public or approved private school, or in home-based instruction.
Schools may offer up to four hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in one day in hardship cases. The law also encourages DOL-certified self-paced online components for the classroom part. DOL sets the course standards for adults, so ask the school what its adult course includes.
Exemptions and waivers
- Licensed elsewhere: if you held a license from a reciprocal jurisdiction outside Washington, you are exempt.
- Equivalent training: DOL may waive the course if you show equivalent education from a reciprocal jurisdiction.
- Hardship: DOL may waive it if you could not take or complete a course, you need to drive, and you can drive safely.
- System capacity: DOL may pause or delay a phase by rule if there are not enough courses or instructors for that age group.
Work zone and first responder safety course (under 25)
Since May 1, 2026, anyone under 25 applying for a first Washington license must pass an online course on driver work zone and first responder safety. State law requires it to be free for these applicants. DOL can waive it if the course is unavailable when you apply. The requirement ends January 1, 2031.
Related reading: move over laws in the US, pulling over for emergency vehicles.
After you are licensed: the two-violation rule
From January 1, 2027, if you got your first Washington license and you are 18 to 21, two moving violations mean you must complete a safe driving course. If you do not finish within 180 days of DOL’s notice, your license is suspended until you do.
Drivers 22 to 24 face the same rule from 2027 until 2031. From January 1, 2031, they must complete a condensed traffic safety education course instead. Several tickets from one traffic stop count as one occasion.
Coming in 2031: shorter first licenses under 21
From January 1, 2031, a first license issued to someone under 21 expires on the later of their 21st birthday or their second birthday after issue. To renew it, they must complete a driver training refresher course set by DOL.
Common questions
Do I need driver’s ed at 18 in Washington?
Not if you are licensed before January 1, 2027. From that date, first-time applicants aged 18 need an approved course.
Does the course rule apply to 24-year-olds?
The course requirement in law covers ages 18 to 21 by 2030. Under-25s do need the online work zone and first responder safety course, and new license holders under 25 face the two-violation safe driving course rule.
I have a license from another state. Do I need the course?
No, if it was issued by a reciprocal jurisdiction. You are exempt.
Can I take the course at my high school after I turn 18?
School district courses are limited to students enrolled in a public or approved private school, or in home-based instruction. Otherwise use a licensed driver training school.
Could the dates change?
Yes. DOL may pause or delay a phase by rule if training capacity is short. Check DOL before you plan around a date.
Back to the Washington learning to drive guide. See also the knowledge test and the drive test.
Sources
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.1191 Driver training education course, motorcycle safety education course, driver work zone and first responder safety, exemption, waiver, report, safe driving course” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.100 Persons under 18” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 28A.220.020 Definitions” (app.leg.wa.gov)