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Teen drivers ed requirements by state

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State Cert Guide

Last checked Nov 13, 2026

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Verified states

Verified so far: 18 of 51 states

Teen drivers ed: rules by state
StateWhat the state saysLast checked
CaliforniaYes, a teen aged 15 and a half to 17 and a half needs a drivers ed certificate at the permit visit. Enrollment counts only in a program with both class and driving lessons. The class is 30 hours or two and a half semester periods, and driver training adds six hours behind the wheel. A teen over 17 and a half but under 18 can skip the certificates. That teen can't take the driving test until 18.
ColoradoIt depends on your teen's age and the date. From Jan. 1, 2027, ages 15 through 17 must finish a 30-hour course before getting a permit. Until then, ages 15 through 15 and 6 months must take a 30-hour course, ages 15 and 6 months through 16 must take it or a 4-hour driver awareness program, and ages 16 through 17 have no course rule.
FloridaYes. Florida law says a teen who is at least 15 must finish a department-approved drivers ed course to get a learner's license. TLSAE is a different course, for applicants 18 or older.
GeorgiaYes, if your teen is 16 or 17 and wants a Georgia driver's license. Joshua's Law asks for a driver education course and driving practice. Approved classes are offered online. Your teen must also hold a learner's permit for 1 year and 1 day first. A 17 year old enlisted in the military is exempt from that wait.
IdahoIf your teen is under 17 and has no license from another state, yes. Idaho says a driver under 17 must complete and pass a driver-training program to get a license. It has 30 hours of classroom time, six of in-car observation and six behind the wheel. After the course, your teen needs at least six months of supervised driving before the tests.
IndianaNo. The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) lists a way to get a license without a course. Your teen must be 16 years and 270 days old, hold a valid learner's permit for 180 days and log 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night. To be eligible for a license at 16, the state FAQ says your teen must finish both parts of drivers ed.
IowaIowa requires satisfactory completion of driver education before it issues an intermediate license. An approved course has at least thirty classroom hours and six or more laboratory hours. Every public school district must offer or make available an approved course.
KentuckyYes, for a driver under 18 who wants an unrestricted license. Kentucky requires an approved Graduated Driver Licensing course: the 4-hour driver education course. The state's course list includes an online option. Before that, your teen needs a permit and 60 hours of supervised driving practice.
NebraskaNot necessarily. To apply for a Nebraska Provisional Operator's Permit, your teen completes either a Department of Motor Vehicles approved driver safety course or a 50 hour certification form that a parent, guardian or licensed driver signs. Your teen also needs a permit held for at least six months.
NevadaMost first-time drivers under 18 in Nevada must complete a driver education course. It is required for a full driver license, but not for an instruction permit. Your teen also needs at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 at night.
OhioYes, if your teen is a beginning driver under 21. Ohio's law asks for a minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in driver training. Your teen also logs at least 50 hours of practice, 10 at night.
OklahomaIt depends on your teen's age. At 15, your teen must be enrolled in an approved drivers ed course to get a learner permit from Service Oklahoma. At 16, drivers ed is optional, but the written exam is still required. A teen who skips it can get the next license at 16 and a half at the earliest, after 180 days on the permit.
PennsylvaniaAn unrestricted license before age 18 needs an approved drivers ed course and 12 months with no crash or conviction. Before the junior license road test, PennDOT asks for six months of practice and 65 hours of driving with an adult.
TennesseeWe found no driver education course among the steps on Tennessee's teen license page for drivers under 18. Those steps are built on driving experience. Before the Intermediate Restricted License, your teen needs, among other things, a learner permit held for 180 days and 50 hours of behind the wheel driving, 10 of them at night.
TexasYes, unless your teen already has a valid, unexpired license from another state. Anyone under 25 needs a drivers ed course. Your teen can take it at your public high school, if offered, or with a provider. You can teach it, if you qualify and apply to teach it. At 15, with enough classroom hours, your teen can apply for a learner license at the DPS office.
UtahIf you are 15 to 18 and applying for a Utah driver license, you must finish a driver education course. You can take it through a school or through an online home study school. An online school takes 30 classroom hours, and the course adds 6 hours behind the wheel.
VirginiaYes, if your teen is a Virginia resident under 18 and wants a driver's license. Virginia requires an approved driver education program, and its classroom part can be taken online through a driver training school. Anyone 18 or older follows different rules.
WisconsinIf your teen is under 18, yes. Wisconsin asks for proof that your teen finished an approved driver ed course before a probationary license. To get the permit first, a teen under 18 must, among other things, be at least 15 and enrolled in a certified course. Your teen also logs at least 50 hours of driving, 10 at night.

Coverage by state

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States without a page yet

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Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

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