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Does my teen need drivers ed to get a license in Nebraska?

Not 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.

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The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
A permit held for at least six months before a Provisional Operator's PermitThe teen also must not have three or more points on the driving record in that period.
Verified. dmv.nebraska.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Course hours
A driver safety course, or a 50 hour certification formA parent, guardian or licensed driver who is at least 21 signs the form.
Same source and date as above
Minimum age
The minimum age is 16, and you may apply 60 days before the birthdayThat is for the Provisional Operator's Permit, which is not issued until on or after the 16th birthday.
Same source and date as above
Cost
$20.00 for an original permit ($15.00 fee plus $5.00 security fee)That is the state fee for the Provisional Operator's Permit itself.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check where your teen stands. A Provisional Operator's Permit needs a School Learner's Permit, School Permit or Learner's Permit held for at least six months. The minimum age is 16, and you may apply 60 days before the 16th birthday.

  2. Step 2. Choose how your teen qualifies: complete a Department of Motor Vehicles approved driver safety course, or complete a 50 hour certification form that a parent, guardian or licensed driver who is at least 21 signs. A driver safety school typically teaches individuals between the ages of 14-16 to drive, and its instructors are authorized to administer the Department of Motor Vehicles drive test. See the state's approved driver safety schools.

  3. Step 3. If you use the certification form, at least 10 hours of the driving must be between sunset and sunrise. If you take the course instead, the written and drive tests are waived when your teen completes an approved driver safety course, and schools send the completion results electronically.

Before you pay

Check that the school is on the state's list of approved driver safety schools before you pay.

Ask what the price covers, and whether the instructor gives the drive test.

We haven't confirmed what a Nebraska course costs.

If your teen takes the course, ask how the school sends the completion results to the state.

Questions

What tests does a teen take with the 50 hour form?

Vision and drive tests are required. The written test is waived if your teen has been issued a Learner's Permit (LPD) that is valid or expired for no more than one year.

When can a teen with a Provisional Operator's Permit drive alone?

Your teen can drive unsupervised from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight. Between 12 midnight and 6 a.m., only when driving to or from home to work or a school activity. Your teen can drive anytime with a parent, guardian or licensed driver who is at least 21.

Can a new Provisional Operator's Permit holder carry friends?

During the first six months of the Provisional Operator's Permit, the holder can have no more than one passenger who is not an immediate family member and who is under nineteen years of age.

When does a teen get a standard license?

A teen under 18 who has held the Provisional Operator's Permit for at least 12 months, with fewer than three points on the driving record in that period, is eligible for an operator's license.

What to do next

Start with Nebraska's Provisional Operator's Permit page, then pick the way your teen will qualify.

dmv.nebraska.gov

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