Getting your Pennsylvania learner permit

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the forms you need for a permit application.
• You can explain when your physical exam can be done.
• You can gather the right ID documents for your situation.
• You can say what happens at the Driver License Center on test day.

What you need to know and understand

• You must be at least 16 to apply.
• The DL-180 physical can be done no earlier than six months before your 16th birthday, and the form is valid for one year from the exam date.
• Applicants under 18 also need the Parent or Guardian Consent Form (DL-180TD).
• Documents must be originals. Photocopies are refused.
• PennDOT Driver License Centers do not take cash.
• The permit is valid for one year after it is issued.

Step by step to your permit

1. Download and complete the Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Application (DL-180). Do not mail it.
2. Have a health care provider complete the medical section on the back. This can be done no more than six months before your 16th birthday.
3. If you are under 18, a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse aged 18 or older completes form DL-180TD. If they cannot come with you, they must sign it in front of a notary.
4. Study the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual.
5. Go to a Driver License Center with your forms, original ID and proof of date of birth, your Social Security card and payment.
6. Pass the vision screening (unless your provider already tested it) and the knowledge test. The examiner then issues your permit.

Documents to bring

US citizens need an original Social Security card plus one proof of identity and date of birth, such as a US birth certificate with a raised seal, a valid US passport or a certificate of citizenship or naturalization. Non-US citizens bring immigration documents and other items listed on the form. Names and dates of birth must match across documents, or you must bring papers that link them, such as a marriage certificate.

If you are 18 or older you must also show two proofs of Pennsylvania residency, such as a utility bill, lease, W-2 or tax record. Our permit documents checklist goes through each item.

Fees, vision and medical checks

PennDOT's fee page lists the initial permit with a four-year license at $45.50. Centers accept credit or debit cards, checks and money orders. Fees change from time to time, so check the current figure before you go.

Vision standards are flexible: you can have poor sight in one eye and still qualify, though you may need glasses, a daylight-only limit or side mirrors. If you fail the screening, you get an eye report form (DL-102) for an eye doctor to complete. If a medical condition could affect your driving, your permit may be delayed for more checks, or you may need a dual-control permit and lessons with a certified instructor. Pennsylvania also has a bioptic telescope permit for some low-vision drivers.

Common mistakes

• Getting the physical too early. More than six months before your 16th birthday is not accepted.
• Bringing photocopies of birth certificates or Social Security cards. Only originals are accepted.
• Turning up with cash. Driver License Centers take cards, checks and money orders only.
• Leaving the consent form unsigned when a parent cannot come along. It must then be notarized.

Test yourself: Getting your Pennsylvania learner permit

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

Go deeper

• Pennsylvania Learner Permit Documents Checklist
• Getting a Regular Pennsylvania License Before 18
• Pennsylvania Bioptic Driving