Learning to Drive in DC: GRAD Stages, Tests and Fees

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In Washington DC you can get a learner permit at 16, a provisional license at 16 and a half after 6 months on the permit and a road skills test, and a full license with conditions at 17. Every DC driver under 21 goes through the GRAD (Gradual Rearing of Adult Drivers) program. This guide is for DC teens, their parents and adult first-time drivers. It covers each stage, the tests, the fees, and what the DC DMV Driver Manual covers.

Key facts (as of November 2026)

Licensing agency: the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV).
Learner permit: from age 16. Pass a vision screening and a knowledge test. Drive only from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a licensed driver aged 21 or older beside you.
Two permit types: REAL ID, or Limited Purpose if you do not have and cannot get a Social Security number.
Provisional license: at least 16 and a half, permit held 6 months, 40 certified practice hours, then pass the road skills test.
Full license with conditions: at least 17, provisional held 6 months, 12 months with no pointable violations, 10 certified night hours.
No hour or passenger limits from 18. The GRAD program ends at 21.
Driver education is not required in DC.

How to get a driver’s license in DC: the GRAD stages

Stage	Minimum age	What you need	Main limits (under 18 where noted)
Learner permit	16	Documents, parental consent if 16 or 17, vision screening, knowledge test	Driving 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. only, with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front passenger seat. No other passengers, and no phone use, not even hands-free.
Provisional license	16 and a half	Permit held 6 months with no pointable violations; 40-hour certification form; road skills test	Curfew; one passenger aged 21 or older with a full license, plus siblings or parents
Full license with conditions	17	Provisional held 6 months; 12 consecutive months with no pointable violations; 10-hour night driving form	Under 18: curfew; no more than 2 passengers under 21 (siblings don’t count)
Full license, no conditions	18	Turn 18 holding a full license with conditions	No GRAD hour or passenger limits

The curfew times, exceptions and penalties are in DC GRAD license program hours and restrictions.

Step by step for a DC teen

Study the DC DMV Driver Manual. DC DMV no longer prints paper copies. The manual is online in English and six other languages.
Get your learner permit at 16. Bring the application form, your documents and a parental consent form, then pass the vision screening and knowledge test. See the DC DMV learner permit and knowledge test guide.
Practice for at least 6 months. Log 40 hours with a tutor aged 21 or older who holds a full license. Avoid pointable violations: any violation extends the time until you can move up.
Take the road skills test. Book it ahead (no walk-ins). Bring the signed 40-hour form, and come with a licensed driver aged 21 or older. See the DC DMV road skills test guide.
Drive on a provisional license for 6 months. Log 10 hours of night driving with a tutor in that time.
Upgrade to a full license with conditions at 17. You can do this online for the $47 license fee. See DC 40-hour and 10-hour night driving certifications.
At 18, the hour and passenger limits end.

If you are 21 or older

GRAD does not apply once you turn 21. A permit holder who turns 21 can book a road test straight away, with no 6-month wait and no certification form. A provisional license holder who turns 21 can get a regular license at a service center, or wait until the provisional license expires.

What it costs (DC DMV fees as of November 2026)

Item	Fee
Knowledge test at a DC DMV service center	$10
Knowledge test at a Test Proctoring Center	$39.95
Virtual knowledge test	$49.95
Learner permit	$20
Road test with DC DMV	$10
Road test cancellation (less than 48 hours’ notice)	$30
Provisional driver license	$20
Driver license (8 years)	$47

A third-party road tester sets its own fee, capped at $100. Since December 15, 2025, DC DMV has added a 2.5% service fee to all debit and credit card payments.

What the DC DMV Driver Manual covers

The current English manual was published in December 2023. The knowledge test is based on it, and you cannot use it during the test. Its chapters:

Chapter	What to focus on	Our guide
Driver License Examination Process	Test languages, sample questions, vision standard, road test rules	Knowledge test
Types of Driver Licenses & Permits	GRAD stages, hours, restrictions, penalties	GRAD rules
Other Services; Important Things to Know	Seat belts, hands-free phones, points, address changes	Points systems
Driver Information	Being fit to drive, defensive driving, sharing the road, alcohol and drugs	DUI and implied consent, sharing the road
Driving Rules	Signaling, passing, lanes, turns, headlights	Right on red
Parking Rules	Parallel parking steps, hills, stopping, no-parking zones	US parking rules
Traffic Rules	Speed limits, U-turns, headsets, seat belts	Speed limits
Signals, Signs and Markings; Identifying Signs by Colors and Shapes; Regulatory Signs; Pavement Markings	Every sign shape and color, lines and markings	Road signs, pavement markings, traffic signals

DC road rules that catch new drivers out

Speed limits. Unless signs say otherwise: 20 mph on DC city streets, 15 mph in alleys and 15 mph in school zones. Posted limits are 30 to 50 mph on ordinary highways, 30 to 55 mph on divided highways and 55 to 75 mph on interstates.
Phones. All DC drivers must be hands-free. Learner permit holders may not use a phone at all, not even hands-free. See hands-free and texting laws.
Headphones. Driving with earplugs, a headset or earphones attached to an audio device is banned. Earphones for a cell phone and hearing aids are allowed.
Left on red is illegal in DC.
Right on red. Obey every NO TURN ON RED sign. DC passed a law in 2022 banning turns on a steady red from January 1, 2025, except where DDOT signs allow them. The official DC Code marks that change “Not Funded” and says it has not been implemented. Treat every DC intersection with caution, follow the signs, and check DDOT for the current rule.
U-turns are banned at intersections with traffic lights, and on a crosswalk next to one. You also may not U-turn on a curve or hill where other drivers can’t see you from at least 500 feet away.
Signals. Signal at least 100 feet before a turn. Signal at least 300 feet before a lane change.
Cyclists. Leave at least 3 feet when passing, and don’t sound your horn as you pass. Yield to cyclists when you turn, and never turn right across a bike’s path. Before opening a door, check your mirrors and open it with your far hand (the “Dutch Reach”), which turns your body so you see bikes coming.
Passing. On one-way roads with more than one lane of traffic, and on highways with four or more lanes, you may pass on either side. On a two-lane road, pass on the left, and never within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing, or near a bridge, viaduct or tunnel where your view is blocked. Never pass on the shoulder, and don’t speed up while someone passes you. Passing a motorcycle within its own lane is illegal.
Parking. Don’t park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, within 5 feet of a driveway or alley, within 25 feet in front of a stop sign or signal at the side of the road, within 20 feet of a fire station driveway, or within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. Double parking is banned. Park within 12 inches of the curb. On a hill, turn your wheels toward the curb facing downhill and away from it facing uphill; with no curb, turn them toward the road edge. Parked on a shoulder at night, switch on your hazard or parking lights.
Headlights. Turn them on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, whenever you can’t see people or vehicles 500 feet ahead, in tunnels, and any time your wipers are on. Dip to low beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic and within 300 feet of a car you are following.
Buses. It is illegal to turn right in front of a bus stopped at an intersection to pick up or drop off passengers; stay or merge behind it (fine of at least $200). Red pavement marked BUS ONLY is a bus lane: don’t drive in it. You may cross one to turn right where a sign allows, or within 40 feet of the intersection if there is no sign, after yielding to buses and bikes in the lane.
Streetcars. Pass a stopped streetcar heading your way only on the left, with great care, because riders may be getting on or off. Never park, stop or stand on the streetcar tracks or next to a platform; you can be fined and towed.
School buses. When a school vehicle shows alternating flashing red lights, stop at least 20 feet from its front or rear and wait until the lights go off. You don’t have to stop if it is on the other side of a divided highway.
Emergency vehicles. When one approaches with a siren or flashing lights, pull to the curb and stop until it passes. Stay at least 500 feet behind a fire engine on a call, and don’t drive into a block where fire engines or emergency vehicles have stopped. If any vehicle is stopped on the shoulder, slow down and move to the left side of your lane or into the next lane.
Pedestrian beacons. At a HAWK signal (pedestrian hybrid beacon), stop on the solid red; on the flashing red, stop, then go only if the crossing is clear. At a crosswalk with flashing yellow rapid beacons, come to a full stop for anyone crossing. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.
Seat belts and car seats. The driver and every passenger, front and back, must be belted. Police can stop you for that alone, and the penalty is a $50 fine and 2 points; the driver answers for every passenger. The manual says a child under 3 must ride in a child safety seat in the back seat. DC’s child seat rules reach older children too, so see seat belt and car seat laws and check the current ages with DDOT.
Offenses to know. Reckless driving means driving with willful disregard for people or property. Negligent driving means driving carelessly in a way that endangers anyone. Drag racing and speed contests are banned. Removing or disabling a car’s safety equipment or emission controls is illegal.
After a crash. Stop, stay as close to the scene as you can, help anyone hurt (usually by calling an ambulance), and give your name, address, registration and insurance details. Show your license if asked. If you damage an unattended vehicle or property and can’t find the owner, leave a written note with those details. If nobody can take the details and no officer is there, report to the nearest police station as soon as possible. If you injure a domestic animal, call the police.
Nothing hanging from the mirror. DC regulations forbid it, and it will get your road test vehicle rejected.
Driving to save fuel. The manual’s tips: accelerate gently, drive smoothly at moderate speeds, anticipate stops so you brake less, and combine trips or carpool.
Everyday duties. Update your address with DC DMV within 60 days of moving. Keep insurance for as long as a vehicle is registered, and don’t cancel it until the plates are surrendered. If police stop you, show your license, registration and proof of insurance.

Points and losing your license in DC

Points stay on your DC record for 2 years. Paying a ticket counts as admitting liability.
10 or 11 points: license suspended for 90 days. 12 or more: license revoked, with no reinstatement for 6 months.
A learner permit holder with 8 or more points, or any GRAD violation, faces a 90-day permit suspension.
A provisional or conditional driver who breaks GRAD rules faces a 30, 60 or 90-day suspension. The suspension time is added to the wait for the next stage.
Points count for moving violations in other states too. A full calendar year with no pointable violations may earn you a Good Point on your record.
Driving while intoxicated or under the influence: minimum revocation of 6 months for a first offense, 1 year for a second and 2 years for a third or later, plus the mandatory ignition interlock (IID) program.
Your license and registration can also be suspended for unpaid child support.

New to DC?

New residents must get a DC license within 60 days of moving to the District. If you hold a valid out-of-state license for the same class, the road skills test is generally waived. Drivers under 21 with a permit from another jurisdiction can get a comparable DC permit, but DC’s restrictions then apply. See moving to a new state and driving in the US on a foreign license. A foreign national with a valid license from another country must pass the knowledge test and eye exam.

Letting a DC license lapse has a cost. Expired more than 365 days: pass the knowledge test or the DC online traffic school course. Expired more than 545 days, or reinstating after a revocation: pass both the knowledge and road skills tests. If you are 70 or older when your license expires, your physician must complete the Mature Driver section of the application.

The application form also handles three sign-ups. From 18 you can register as an organ and tissue donor. DC residents are registered to vote, and men aged 18 to 25 are registered with the Selective Service, unless they opt out.

Common questions

How old do you have to be to drive in DC?

16 for a learner permit, 16 and a half for a provisional license, and 17 for a full license with conditions. The conditions end at 18.

Is driver’s ed required in DC?

No. DC DMV suspended mandatory driver education indefinitely. Courses certified before 2016 are still offered and are encouraged for first-time drivers. Each school sets its own price.

How many practice hours do I need in DC?

40 supervised hours before the road test, then 10 night hours on your provisional license before the full license with conditions.

Can I drive at night with a DC learner permit?

Only until 9 p.m. Permit driving is allowed from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

How long is a DC learner permit valid?

2 years for US citizens, and it cannot be renewed. For non-citizens it depends on the approved length of stay. After it expires, you take the knowledge test again.

Can I get a DC permit without a Social Security number?

Yes, a Limited Purpose learner permit. You must have lived in DC for at least 6 months and prove you are not eligible for a Social Security number.

Every DC guide

Compare DC with the states

Sources

District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “DC DMV Driver Manual (English)” (December 2023, linked from dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Learner Permits and Provisional Licenses” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “GRAD License Program” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Full License with Conditions” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Provisional License” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Obtain a REAL ID Learner Permit” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Obtain a Limited Purpose Learner Permit” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver License Fees” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver Education” (dmv.dc.gov)
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Road Skills Tests” (dmv.dc.gov)
Council of the District of Columbia, “§ 50-1401.01. Fee; examination; age requirements; … restrictions for minors” (code.dccouncil.gov)
Council of the District of Columbia, “§ 50-2201.04e. Traffic control at intersections. [Not Funded]” (code.dccouncil.gov)
Council of the District of Columbia, “D.C. Law 24-214. Safer Streets Amendment Act of 2022” (code.dccouncil.gov)

Learning to Drive in Washington DC: Permit to Full License