Drivers Education in North Carolina

Driver’s education in North Carolina is a process. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles deals with the progression and evaluation of driving skills very strictly. For this purpose the state has employed a graduated driver licensing system. Those above 18 years of age are not obligated by law to complete a driver education course before applying for a driver’s license. But applicants under the age of 18 must undertake driver’s education and acquire a Driving Eligibility Certificate.

This certificate is awarded only to those who are enrolled in high school and have completed the driver’s education course. The DMV also requires the applicants to make significant progress towards diploma in high school. The alternative is to show that you and your family would have to face hardship in the absence of a driver license.

To obtain this certificate you must enroll yourself in state approved driver education classes that are often offered at the local high schools. You must be at least fourteen and a half years old to do so. The course consists of thirty hours of classroom training, a vision test and behind-the-wheel instruction. The classroom instruction involves the knowledge of North Carolina driving rules and regulations, the penalties for traffic violations, and a comprehension of traffic signs, signals and rules of the road.

Once you are fifteen years old and have earned the Driving Eligibility Certificate and the Driver Education Certificate, you can apply for a Limited Learner Permit and take the written and driving tests. You can visit the driver license office and submit the application for the permit. Also you must take along your birth certificate and social security card. Your parents will be required to sign the application and submit a fifteen dollars permit fee. If you hold the learner’s permit for twelve months without any accidents and traffic violations, you can apply for the provisional license once you turn sixteen years old. Both the learner’s permit and the provisional license come with restrictions in terms of time allowed on the road unsupervised and the passengers you are permitted to have with you in the car. You will be required to keep a clean driving record for a further six months with the provisional license before you can obtain the unrestricted license.