Getting your Nebraska learner permit

By the end of this topic you can

• You can choose between an LPE and an LPD.
• You can gather the three kinds of documents Nebraska asks for.
• You can describe the tests you take for a permit.
• You can explain what happens between passing and receiving the permit card.
• You can state the original permit fee.

What you need to know and understand

• An LPE can be issued from age 14 but only to someone eligible for a School Permit.
• You may apply for an LPD 60 days before turning 15, but it is issued on or after your 15th birthday.
• Both permits need a vision test and a written test.
• You must show proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful status and identity, two proofs of your Nebraska address, and your Social Security number or proof of exemption.
• Applicants under 21 can use a parent's or guardian's address documents if they have none of their own.
• An original LPE or LPD costs $13 ($8 plus a $5 security fee).
• The LPE expires after six months and the LPD after one year.

Your document checklist

Nebraska DMV only accepts original or certified documents. Photocopies and faxes are refused, and some documents may need extra review, so allow time.

• One document proving U.S. citizenship or lawful status and identity, such as a certified state-issued birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport. Hospital birth certificates are not accepted.
• Two documents from different sources showing your Nebraska principal address. A P.O. Box does not count.
• Your Social Security number, which the DMV verifies, or a valid I-94 in a foreign passport as proof of exemption.
• A completed data form, available from the DMV, unless you booked online in Bellevue, Lincoln or Omaha, where it is done electronically.

At the driver licensing office

1. Hand over your documents and data form to driver licensing staff.
2. Take the vision test. It checks sharpness of sight and side vision. If you need glasses or contacts to pass, you must wear them whenever you drive.
3. Take the written test on the Nebraska Driver's Manual.
4. If you pass, you receive an Issuance Certificate. Take it to a county treasurer within 90 days and pay the fee. In Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy Counties you pay at the state driver licensing office instead.
5. You get a 30 day receipt, and the permit card arrives by mail in about 20 days.

Handy things to know

Some county treasurers and the state offices in Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy Counties do not take checks, so carry cash if unsure. Teens under 16 applying for a permit are given the Parent's Supervised Driving Program, a lesson-by-lesson guide for the adult who will teach them.

If you fail any test, you cannot retake it the same day. Our free Nebraska practice test and permit test guide can help you prepare before you go.

Common mistakes

• Bringing a photocopied birth certificate. Only certified documents with a raised seal or stamp are accepted.
• Bringing two address proofs from the same source. They must come from two different issuers.
• Applying for an LPE without qualifying for a School Permit. If you live and study in a larger city, start with the LPD at 15.
• Forgetting to take the Issuance Certificate to the county treasurer within 90 days, which means another trip to the licensing office.

Test yourself: Getting your Nebraska learner permit

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

Go deeper

• Nebraska Permit Practice Test
• Nebraska Permit Test
• Nebraska POP Rules