Photo: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This guide is for Nebraska teens, their parents and adult first-time drivers. It sets out every Nebraska permit (LPE, SCP, LPD and POP), the order you get them in, the tests, and when you can move up to a full Class O license.
Key facts (Nebraska DMV, as of November 2026)
- Earliest permit: the School Learner’s Permit (LPE), from your 14th birthday.
- Learner’s Permit (LPD): from your 15th birthday.
- Provisional Operator’s Permit (POP): from 16, after holding a permit for at least 6 months.
- Full Class O license: after 12 months on a POP with fewer than 3 points in the last 12 months.
- Written test: 25 questions, pass mark 80% (miss no more than 5).
- A DMV-approved driver safety course waives the written and drive tests for the POP.
Nebraska permits and licenses at a glance
| Credential | Age | What it lets you do |
|---|---|---|
| School Learner’s Permit (LPE) | 14 to under 16 | Practice driving toward a School Permit, with a licensed driver aged 21 or over in the seat beside you |
| School Permit (SCP) | 14 years 2 months to under 16 years 3 months | Drive alone to and from school and school activities by the most direct route, if you live or go to school outside a larger city |
| Learner’s Permit (LPD) | 15 and over | Drive with a licensed driver aged 21 or over in the seat beside you |
| Provisional Operator’s Permit (POP) | 16 to under 18 | Drive alone 6 a.m. to midnight, with passenger and phone limits |
| Operator’s License (Class O) | After 12 months on a POP, or 18 and over | Full, unrestricted license |
The usual route for a Nebraska teen
- Get an LPD at 15 (or an LPE at 14 if you will apply for a school permit). You can apply up to 60 days before your 15th birthday, but the LPD is issued on or after the birthday. You pass a vision test and the written test. See the Nebraska permit test guide.
- Practice for at least 6 months. You must hold an LPE, SCP or LPD for 6 months, with fewer than 3 points in the 6 months before you apply for a POP.
- Choose a route to the POP. Either complete a DMV-approved driver safety course, or log 50 hours of supervised driving (10 between sunset and sunrise) on the 50-hour certification form.
- Get your POP at 16. Course route: written and drive tests waived. 50-hour route: vision and drive tests. See when the Nebraska driving test is waived.
- Drive on the POP for 12 months under its limits. See Nebraska POP rules.
- Move up to Class O. With 12 months on a POP and fewer than 3 points in the last 12 months, the written and drive tests are waived, and you can get the license online or at any driver licensing office.
School permits for rural students
Nebraska is one of the few states with a school permit. If you live or go to school outside a larger city (the Nebraska Driver’s Manual says a city of 5,000 or more), you can get an SCP from 14 years 2 months. You must first hold an LPE or LPD for 2 months. Full details are in the Nebraska school permit and LPE guide.
Driver safety course or 50 hours?
| DMV-approved driver safety course | 50-hour certification | |
|---|---|---|
| Who teaches | An approved driver training school | Parent, guardian or licensed driver aged 21 or over |
| Tests at the POP stage | Written and drive tests waived | Vision and drive tests (written waived if your LPD is valid or expired under 1 year) |
| Paperwork | The school sends your result to the DMV electronically | You hand in the signed form |
Applying at 18 or over without a POP
If you are 18 or older and have never held a POP, you take the vision, written and drive tests for a Class O license. The written test is waived if you hold an LPD that is valid or expired less than 1 year.
After you pass, take the issuance certificate to a county treasurer (or, in Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy counties, the state driver licensing office) within 90 days and pay the fee. You get a 30-day receipt, and the card arrives by mail in about 20 days. The TSA does not accept the receipt as ID.
Moving to Nebraska
New residents with a valid license from another state must get a Nebraska license within 30 days. At 18 or over you surrender your old license and take a vision test; the drive test is at the examiner’s discretion. If you cannot surrender the license, or it has expired, you also take the written test. Under 18, you must meet the POP rules.
Nebraska’s point system
Points count from the date of the violation, not the court date.
- 12 points in 2 years: your license is revoked. A first point revocation lasts 6 months; a second within 5 years lasts 3 years.
- Examples from the DMV point table: careless driving 4, reckless driving 5, DUI (first or second offense) 6.
- Under 21: 6 or more points within 12 months means you must complete a driver improvement course.
- Teen permits: 3 or more points stops you moving from a permit to a POP, or from a POP to a Class O.
- Point reduction: with fewer than 12 points, a DMV-approved course of at least 4 hours takes off 2 points, once every 5 years.
- Speeding: 1 to 4 points, depending on how far over the limit you were and whether you were inside city limits. Since November 14, 2020, 1 to 5 mph over carries no points.
- Chemical tests: an officer takes your license if you fail or refuse an alcohol test and gives you a 15-day temporary license. A first failed test means a 180-day administrative revocation; a refusal means 1 year.
- Other teen risks: a minor in possession conviction impounds your permit or license for 30 days (90 days for a second, 12 months for a third). Leaving the scene of a crash can cost your license for up to a year. Using nitrous oxide in a vehicle on a public road is illegal.
How points work across states: points systems and license suspensions in the US.
Phones
Under Nebraska law, LPE, SCP, LPD and POP holders may not use any interactive wireless communication device while the vehicle is moving. A first offense carries a $200 fine, and 1 point goes on your record. Breaking the POP passenger or midnight rule also costs 1 point, and anyone riding with a permit holder must be belted ($25 fine). Under 21, Nebraska has zero tolerance: a first .02 conviction means the court impounds your permit or license for 30 days.
For the general rules for all drivers, see hands-free and texting laws for US drivers.
What to study: the Nebraska Driver’s Manual
All written test answers come from the Nebraska Driver’s Manual. The newest Class O manual listed on the DMV site is the English edition dated January 2025. The DMV also publishes a Spanish edition and an audio version. The manual covers:
- licensing
- signs, signals and pavement markings
- rules of the road
- safe driving
- alcohol and drugs
Most rules match national practice. These guides cover them in depth:
- US road signs by shape and color
- Traffic signals and pavement markings
- Four-way stops, right on red and roundabouts
- School bus stopping laws and move over laws
- Railroad crossings, speed limits and parking
- Implied consent and DUI and zero tolerance for under-21s
- Driving in snow, fog and rain
Fees
The Nebraska DMV fee table lists these totals, including the $5 security fee:
- original LPD: $13
- original POP: $20
- 5-year Class O license: $29
Check the current figures with the Nebraska DMV before you go. A license issued under 21 expires on your 21st birthday; from 21 it runs to your birthday in the fifth year. Report a change of name or address within 60 days.
Common questions
What is the difference between LPE, LPD, SCP and POP in Nebraska?
The LPE and LPD are supervised learner’s permits: the LPE is for students working toward a school permit, from 14, and the LPD is the standard permit, from 15. The SCP lets eligible rural students drive alone to school. The POP is the provisional license for 16 and 17 year olds.
Can I get my license at 16 in Nebraska?
You can get a POP at 16, which lets you drive alone between 6 a.m. and midnight. The full Class O comes after 12 months on the POP.
Do I need driver’s ed in Nebraska?
No. You can use the 50-hour certification instead. The driver safety course does save you the written and drive tests at the POP stage.
Do I need an appointment for the drive test?
Yes. The Nebraska DMV requires appointments for car and motorcycle drive tests.
Can I drive in another state on a Nebraska permit?
That depends on the other state’s rules. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
I am moving to Nebraska with a license. What do I do?
Get a Nebraska license within 30 days (see Moving to Nebraska above). See moving to a new state and REAL ID documents, then check the Nebraska DMV’s requirements.
For how Nebraska compares with other states, see learning to drive in the USA and US graduated licensing compared.
Sources
- Nebraska DMV, “Provisional Operator’s Permit (POP)” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “Learner’s Permit (LPD)” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “School Permit (SCP)” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “School Learner’s Permit (LPE)” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “Driver’s License (Class O)” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “Nebraska Point System” and “Point Revocations” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “New Edition of Nebraska Driver’s Manual Released” and “Nebraska Driver’s Manual” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, Driver Licensing Examiners Manual (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “Nebraska Driver’s Manual” (January 2025), Sections 1 to 7 (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- Nebraska Legislature, Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-4,120.01, 60-4,123, 60-4,124 and 60-4,183 (nebraskalegislature.gov)