Are you finally 15? Are you thinking about getting a driving license? After all, why not? You would be able to go to school on your own. No more buses or your parents driving you. A driving license is the perfect first step into the world of responsibility.
However, the requirements can be a little confusing. How do you even start your journey to a driving license? Do you need driver’s education in Georgia? How many hours does it last? In this article, you will find the answers to these questions and more.
Age Requirements for a Class D License in Georgia
Let us start by explaining the age requirements for a driving license in Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, you have to be at least 15 years old to apply for a learner’s permit.
The learner’s permit is enabling you to drive a vehicle under a few restrictions. For example, in the beginning, you have to drive with an adult present, plus there are limits to how many people can be in the vehicle.
Next, come 16 and 17-year-olds. When you reach 16, you are eligible for a Class D license, but only if you have had the learner’s permit for one year and one day.
If you have held the learner’s permit for at least one year and one day, you need to meet the following to apply for a Class D license:
- 30 hours of Driver’s Ed Georgia, in the classroom or online
- 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training
- 40 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian. Keep in mind that six hours of these 40 have to be done at nighttime.
There is also an option to combine 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training and all the hours of supervised driving into 40 hours of parent-taught behind-the-wheel training.
Lastly, 17-year-olds don’t have to do the driver’s education. If you are 17 and you held the learner’s permit for the required time, you only need 40 hours of supervised driving, six of which need to be at night.
Finally, we can introduce the Class C driving license. This is a full driving license that doesn’t hold any restrictions, but you have to be at least 18 to receive it and you need to hold the Class D license for one year without any traffic violations.
What is Driver’s Ed Georgia and Where to Find It
Driver’s education is also called driver’s training. They both refer to the same thing, and that is a classroom course that will teach you all the traffic rules and regulations specific to Georgia.
The cool thing is that you don’t have to take the traditional route and go to the classroom. You can also get an online Georgia driver’s ed and complete the course from the comfort of your home.
There is another article outlining the required hours for Georgia driver’s ed if you are interested in knowing more about the time you need to invest to get your Class D license.
Probably the best thing about this course is that it is structured to fit anyone’s needs. There are modules and quizzes after each module. This allows you to study at your own pace and pass the final exam more easily.
What is more, the course is centered around Georgia’s defensive driving course. This is especially important because when you finish the course, you will not only know the traffic rules and regulations, you will also know how to drive safely
In 2018, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety counted almost 300 000 crashes, just for that year! Defensive driving courses can generally help anyone, but young drivers can benefit tremendously from a driver’s ed that includes safe driving techniques.
Once you understand that driver’s education is more than just a requirement, you will be much more motivated to learn all it offers, and you can reap all the benefits.
Since Joshua’s Law, Georgia’s government is trying to slowly introduce driving to teens.
Driver’s ed is here to teach you how to drive safely and do that early. So by the time you are eligible for a full driving license, you are already aware of all the safe driving techniques and you can drive safely and responsibly.
