Graduated Driver Licensing

What is Graduated Driver Licensing?
In Nevada, the state law requires a program that covers new drivers under age 18, allowing them to gain experience gradually by limiting their exposure to driving situations proven to be particularly dangerous.

How does it work?
Because teens are more at risk in traffic crashes, young drivers must spend more time behind the wheel to gain experience. They must hold an instruction permit for six months before applying for a Minor License. During this time, they must log 50 hours of adult-supervised driving practice.

Night driving poses a greater risk for teens, so 10 of the 50 hours of practice must occur during darkness. Drivers under 18 may not drive between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they are traveling to or from a scheduled event such as school events or work. Law enforcement may ask for satisfactory evidence of the event. Because the risk for teen passengers is greater with teen drivers, the law restricts passengers under age 18 for the first three months of a minor license. (Immediate family members are the exception.)

Stage 1: The Instruction (or Learner's) Permit
To get an Instruction Permit you must:

•	Be at least 15½ years old.
•	Complete a DMV application form and have it signed by your parent or guardian.
•	Pass the DMV traffic law, road sign, written, and vision tests.
•	Pay the $21.25 application fee.

When you have a permit you must:

•	Hold it for at least six months.
•	Drive with a parent guardian, spouse, or adult age 21 or older who has had a valid license for at least one year, or with a licensed professional instructor.
•	Complete classroom driver education and supervised behind-the-wheel training. A driver education class isn't required if a course is not offered within 30 miles of the beginning driver's residence.
•	Complete 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 10 nighttime hours. Keep a log of dates and times on the DMV Beginning Driver Experience Log (Form DLD-130). Your parent or guardian must sign it to certify completion. Teens who do not take driver education must log 100 hours of experience.
•	Not drink and drive. Even a .02 percent concentration of alcohol in your blood (less than one drink) can result in your arrest on charges of driving under the influence. This applies to all drivers under age 21 in Nevada.

Stage 2: Minor License
To get a Minor License you must:

•	Be at least 16 years old and have held and Instruction Permit for six months.
•	Submit a driver education Certificate of Completion (if required) and a completed Beginning Driver Experience Log.
•	Have a parent or guardian sign a license application and other forms.
•	Have no at-fault accidents, moving violation convictions, or any type of alcohol or drug conviction in the six months before application.
•	Pass a behind-the-wheel driving test.

Once your Minor License is issued, these conditions apply:

•	No passengers under age 18 are allowed, except immediate family members, for the first six months.
•	You may not drive after curfew hours as stated under county ordinance between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless you are traveling to or from a scheduled event such as work or school. This remains in effect until you turn 18.
•	A teen driver must be stopped for another violation, such as speeding, before a ticket can be written for violations of the passenger or nighttime driving restrictions. Law enforcement officers cannot write a ticket for a nighttime driving violation if the driver presents satisfactory evidence of the scheduled event.
•	The parent or guardian who signed the Financial Responsibility Statement on the teen's driver license application may cancel the license at any time. If a license is canceled, the teen is required to surrender it to the DMV.

Stage 3: Driving Privileges
You receive full driving privileges when you become 18 years old and you have no outstanding DMV or court-ordered restrictions, suspensions, or revocations, and the nighttime driving restriction no longer applies.

When you have full privileges, your parent or guardian is no longer financially responsible for you as a driver and may not cancel your license. However, any suspension or revocation or any extended passenger restriction remains in effect even though you turned 18. Drivers under 21 are still subject to arrest and a 90-day license suspension if their blood-alcohol level exceeds .02 percent when driving.

Supervised driving
Practice is the key to learning and developing skills. Driving practice may start in an empty parking lot so the learner can get the feel of steering, stopping, backing up, and parking. As the new driver gains competence, practice can move to roads with light traffic to allow development of scanning skills, following traffic signs and lights, entering traffic, changing lanes, and making turns. Roads with moderate traffic provide opportunities to learn to adjust speed and position, maintain space margins, and meet and follow other traffic. Then it's time to learn advanced skills such as freeway driving; passing on a two-lane road; and driving in snow, fog, and rain.

How parents can make the most of practice sessions:

•	Choose an appropriate route for each session and drive it before the session.
•	Before each session, review skills and explain the session's objective.
•	Be calm, patient, and alert. Avoid eating, reading and listening to music. Limit passengers.
•	Sit where you can put your left hand on the steering wheel to help guide the new driver if necessary.
•	Monitor traffic and the new driver's behavior.
•	Before giving directions, check mirrors. Give directions at least a block in advance.
•	Give directions by saying where the action will take place, and then describe the action ("At the next intersection, turn left").
•	Use the word "right" to mean a direction only.
•	Remember that a good demonstration of what to do can save time.

The Beginning Driver Experience Log
This log must be completed on the official Nevada DMV form. If your insurance company requires a different log, it must be kept separately. For a copy of the DMV Beginning Driver Experience Log, visit your local DMV office or go to www.dmvnv.com/nvdlteens.htm and click on Beginning Driver Experience Log.

A guide for teens and their parents

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