Georgia graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name Georgia's three license stages and the minimum age for each.
• You can explain how long you must hold a Class CP permit before applying for a Class D.
• You can describe who may supervise a permit driver.
• You can list the main limits that apply to a Class D provisional license.
• You can explain what is needed to move from a Class D to a Class C at 18.

What you need to know and understand

• The Class CP instructional permit is available from age 15.
• A permit driver must have a licensed Class C driver aged 21 or older in the seat beside them.
• You must be at least 16 and have held the permit for one year and one day to get a Class D.
• A Class D driver may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m., with no exceptions.
• Passenger limits apply to Class D drivers and loosen after 6 and 12 months.
• A Class D becomes a Class C at 18 if you have had no major traffic convictions in the previous 12 months.
• The adult who signed your application can ask the Department of Driver Services (DDS) to revoke your permit or license until you turn 18.

Stage one: the Class CP instructional permit

From your 15th birthday you can apply for a Class CP permit at a DDS Customer Service Center. You pass a vision screening and the knowledge exam, and a parent, guardian or other responsible adult signs for you if you are under 18.

With a permit you may drive any Class C vehicle, but only with a supervisor in the front seat beside you. That person must be at least 21, hold a license for Class C vehicles, and be fit and able to take control. The DDS Drivers Manual says the permit is valid for up to two years.

Stage two: the Class D provisional license

At 16 or 17, after holding your permit for one year and one day, you can take the road test for a Class D. Before that you also need approved driver education under Joshua's Law, the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP), 40 hours of supervised driving including 6 at night, and proof of school enrollment.

A Class D lets you drive alone, but with limits:

• No driving from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. at any time.
• First 6 months: only immediate family members as passengers.
• Months 7 to 12: no more than one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family.
• After 12 months: no more than three passengers under 21 who are not immediate family.

Stage three: the full Class C license

When you turn 18 you can exchange your Class D for a Class C. You must have held the Class D until 18 and stayed free of major traffic convictions, the kind that bring a mandatory suspension, for the 12 months before you apply. The upgrade can be done through DDS Online Services, and U.S. citizens need no further testing.

Georgia handles adults differently. If you are 18 or older and have never been licensed, there is no Class D stage and no required holding period: you pass the knowledge and road tests and sign an affidavit that you have done 40 hours of supervised driving, 6 at night. The current DDS road test page says drivers 18 and over must hold a valid Georgia learner permit when they take the road test, so plan to get a permit first and use it to practice.

Common mistakes

• Counting the holding period from your birthday instead of the permit issue date. The one year and one day runs from when your permit was issued.
• Driving with an 18 or 19 year old sibling as supervisor. Your supervisor must be at least 21 and licensed for Class C vehicles.
• Thinking the midnight to 5 a.m. limit has exceptions for work or school. DDS says there are none.
• Giving a friend a lift in the first 6 months of a Class D. Only immediate family, or people who live in your home, may ride with you then.

Test yourself: Georgia graduated driver licence stages

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Georgia Permit Test
• Georgia Learner’s Permit at 15
• Georgia Learner Permit Documents Checklist