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Nevada Teen Driving

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Beginning Driver Training Guide

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Use our new Online Drive Test Scheduling System if you have an instruction permit and have met all of the requirements to take a skills test.

The DMV is transitioning to a Central Issuance Licensing System. Our web site has been updated to reflect the new fees and new system, which is currently in place in the Carson City and Reno-area offices only. You will be charged 75 cents less than the listed fees and receive your license over the counter in the Las Vegas and rural offices.


Blue Dot  Classroom Driver Education

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Nearly all Nevada beginning drivers under 18 must complete a driver education course. You can enroll at age 15. Exceptions are not made for home-schooled students.

You must complete a course if one is offered within a 30-mile radius of your residential address or if you can complete a course online. The course is not a requirement to obtain an instruction permit. It is a requirement for a driver license.

You have the choice of courses offered through your public school district or those offered by private Nevada professional driving schools. The course consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction. Some private schools also offer a course consisting of 15 hours of classroom instruction and 5 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Schools must be specifically approved for this by the DMV.

See Professional Drive Schools for a list of licensed schools. The Department of Motor Vehicles licenses and monitors professional driving schools but does not regulate schedules or pricing. 

Any professional driving school offering courses by television, Internet or other means must be specifically licensed for this by the Nevada DMV for the course to be accepted. Your local school district may or may not offer 'distance learning' courses by television, Internet or other means.

All schools issue a Certificate of Completion which must be presented to the DMV when you apply for your full license.


Blue Dot  Your Instruction Permit

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Young drivers can obtain an instruction (learner's) permit at age 15½.  You must present Proof of Identity (Name and Date of Birth) and Social Security Number if a number has been issued for you. This is typically a certified, U.S.-issued Birth Certificate and your Social Security Card.

You must pass the vision and written tests and have a parent/guardian sign the financial responsibility section on the application. The fee is $22. You will receive an interim paper document that allows you to drive. The actual instruction permit will be mailed within 10 business days. You may drive only with a licensed driver, 21 years or older, with at least one year of driving experience seated next to you at all times.

Application
You may complete these forms in advance, but they must be notarized or signed in person at a DMV office.

PDF Format - Click for Help Driver License Application (DLD1)
A parent/guardian must sign the Financial Responsibility Statement.

PDF Format - Click for Help Minor Affidavit and Information Sheet (DLD-38)
This ensures that the beginning driver and the parent/guardian understand certain laws regarding minor drivers.
It is also used to request cancellation of the minor's permit or license.

Documents - Proof of Identity

Certified U.S. Issued Birth Certificate
 or Certified Abstract (hospital copies are not accepted)
U.S. Passport (current or expired less than one year)
U.S. Military Identification or Military Report of Separation
Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization
Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood
Consular Report of Birth Abroad
Permanent or Temporary Resident Card
Resident Alien Card or I-551 Receipt
Valid Foreign Passport stamped “Processed for I-551”
Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) with Visa or Passport
Permit to Reenter the U.S.
Refugee Travel Documents

Documents - Social Security Number

State License or ID with number listed
Social Security Card
U.S. Military Identification
Original DD-214 Military Separation Form
Social Security Benefits Documentation

Maiden Names/Name Changes - You must present documentation of any name change(s) if you will be presenting a proof of identity document that does not contain your current legal name. This may include a Marriage Certificate, divorce decree, adoption records or court order.

Documents must be originals or certified copies. In a case of multiple name changes, you may be asked for records of each change.

We do not accept other states’ licenses, instruction permits or ID cards as proof of identity. Please bring one of the documents listed in addition to your license, permit or ID card. Residents of all U.S. territories and foreign countries must meet the Proof of Identity requirements above and take vision, knowledge and skills tests.

Vision Test

The minimum level of acceptable vision is 20/40 in one eye.  If a driver must wear glasses or contact lenses to meet this standard, Restriction A will be placed on his license or permit. 

Knowledge (Written) Test

The knowledge test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions based on the Nevada Drivers Handbook. Passing score is 80%.

Knowledge Test Sample Quiz!!
Interactive JavaScript version
  -  Lite version


Blue Dot  Expiration, Renewal and Cancellation

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Instruction Permits are valid for one year. If your permit has expired, you must apply for renewal in person at a DMV office and a parent/guardian must sign another Financial Responsibility Statement. If the permit is expired more than 30 days, you will have to take the written test again. If the permit is expired more than one year, you will have to show Proof of Identity.

The parent/guardian who signed the Financial Responsibility Statement when the minor applied for the permit can request its cancellation at any time by completing the Minor Affidavit (DLD-38) form and presenting it in person at a DMV office. Nevada law requires the permit itself to be surrendered to the DMV. 

The department can require testing, cancel a permit or deny the renewal if the applicant has been convicted of traffic violations or other offenses listed under License Suspensions and Revocations.


Blue Dot  Behind The Wheel Experience

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Young drivers are required to complete 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience. You must have a licensed driver, who is 21 or older and has been licensed for at least one year, seated next to you at all times. 10 hours of the experience must be completed in darkness.

If driver education is not offered within a 30-mile radius of your residential address and you do not have Internet access, you must complete 100 hours of supervised experience, 10 hours of which must be in darkness.

You must keep a written log of the dates and times of this experience on the form provided by DMV. Your parent or guardian must sign this form and submit it when you apply for your full license. Fill in the form after each driving session and have it fully completed before your skills test.

PDF Format - Click for Help  Beginning Driver Experience Log (DLD-130) | Additional Time Sheets

You must complete the log on the official DMV form. If your insurance company requires a log, you must keep it separately. Time spent behind-the-wheel with a professional driving instructor counts toward the required hours.

DMV also provides the Beginning Driver Training Guide to help parents and their teens make the most of the behind-the-wheel experience. It contains lists of specific skills and how to practice them plus Nevada traffic laws and more.


Blue Dot  Permit Time Limits & Restrictions

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You must be 16 years old to apply for a full license. You must also:

  • hold a valid instruction permit for at least six months prior to applying
  • have no at-fault accidents in the six months prior to applying
  • have no moving violation convictions in the six months prior to applying
  • have no alcohol or drug convictions of any kind in the six months prior to applying

Blue Dot Driving Skills Test

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Use our online scheduling or call the DMV to schedule a driving skills test when you have met the requirements for Driver Education, Behind The Wheel Experience and Time Limits and Restrictions. If someone else schedules the test for you, they must have your instruction permit number or Social Security Number.

Online Drive Test Scheduling  New!
Las Vegas area 486-4368
Reno/Sparks/Carson City  684-4368
Elsewhere in Nevada (877) 368-7828

Bring the following with you:

  • Parent/Guardian 
    (must sign Financial Responsibility Statement and Affidavit for Minor to be Licensed)
  • Drivers Education Certificate of Completion
  • Completed Beginning Driver Experience Log (Form DLD-130)
  • Instruction Permit
  • Vehicle with Registration and Insurance

You can take the skills test in any passenger car or truck which is properly registered and insured except a rental car. The examiner will perform a vehicle safety inspection and check the Certificate of Registration and Evidence of Insurance card.

The examiner will give you instructions on where to drive for the test. Serious traffic violations such as speeding or failure to yield will result in automatic failure. Examiners use a point system to grade other aspects of performance. If you fail the test, the examiner will explain why and instruct you on how to re-take it. A 30-day time limit can be imposed.


Blue Dot  Your Driver License

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Minor Driver License

Once you have passed the Driving Skills test, you return to the DMV to have your new license processed. The fee is $3. We will punch a hole on your instruction permit and return it to you along with an interim paper document that certifies your driving privilege. The actual license will be mailed to you within 10 business days.

Nevada minor licenses feature distinctive designs to help retailers identify underage customers. 

The license is printed in a vertical format. The date the bearer will turn 18 is printed in red type on the Nevada licenses issued under our new Central Issuance system. The older digitized licenses have this date in a bright yellow bar. See Driver License Designs for more information.

Passenger Restriction
Young drivers may not transport any passenger under the age of 18, except for immediate family members, for the first six months after the license was issued. Penalties for violations include extending the restriction for six months or more and fines for repeated violations.

Statewide Driving Curfew
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. This applies to all drivers under the age of 18 until they turn 18. 

Local Curfew Laws
Although local curfews are not related to driving, minors must know and obey the local laws.

Las Vegas Strip and Downtown
9 p.m., unless accompanied by an adult.

Elsewhere in Las Vegas
10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday
Midnight on Friday and Saturday

Las Vegas Metro Police (702) 229-3535

Reno Downtown Gaming District
9 p.m., unless accompanied by an adult.

Elsewhere in Reno
Midnight all weekdays
 

Reno Police Department (775) 334-2677

Curfews in other Nevada cities vary.  Call the local police department.

Other Restrictions
Nevada has a .02 blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21.
Drivers can also be arrested for any detectable amount of a controlled or prohibited substance.

Minor driver licenses can be suspended for any of the same reasons as adult licenses and also for non-driving alcohol/drug convictions, firearms violations or habitual truancy. See License Suspensions


Blue Dot  Parental Rights and Responsibilities

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The parent/guardian who signed the Financial Responsibility Statement can request cancellation of the license at any time until the driver turns 18. Complete the Minor Affidavit (DLD-38) form and present it and the license in person at a DMV office. The license must be surrendered.

Parents/guardians who knowingly and willfully allow an underage driver to drive without a license or drive in violation of any of the minor driver laws are held responsible for any fines and/or restitution imposed following a citation or accident.

Any adult who knowingly serves, sells or furnishes alcohol to a minor, or allows the minor to consume alcohol on his property, can be held liable in a civil action for any damages caused as a result of the alcohol consumption. This also applies to the use of controlled substances by persons of any age.


Blue Dot  Out of State Issues and Answers

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Visitors - Nevada honors out-of-state instruction permits. If the permit is valid in your home state, you can drive in Nevada with a licensed driver 21 years or older seated next to you. Nevada also honors out of state driver licenses, but you must follow Nevada's restrictions.

New Residents - Drivers education is not required for any applicant age 18 or older, or for a driver under 18 who has received a license with full driving privileges issued by another state. All applicants under 25, however, must take vision and written tests. See our New Resident Guide.

Applicants with restricted or graduated licenses or those with out-of-state instruction permits must complete drivers education unless they live in an area of Nevada which is exempt. The Beginning Driver Experience Log also must be completed.

Out-of-state drivers education classes are accepted if the course instructor completes an affidavit that the school's curriculum meets or exceeds Nevada's standards. The form and curriculum requirements are listed below.

PDF Format - Click for Help Affidavit of Completion of Out-of-State Driver Education Course (DP289)
PDF Format - Click for Help Nevada Laws Pertaining to Drivers Education Course Curriculum (DS291)

Nevada Residents - Whether you are moving to another state or just visiting, you should be able to drive with a Nevada Instruction Permit as long as you follow the laws of the other state as they pertain to having a licensed driver with you, curfews, etc. Check with law enforcement or state DMV in each area where you will be traveling.  If you are moving permanently, contact your new state's DMV for information on driver education and other requirements to obtain your license.

Military - See Military Licensing - Out-of State Residents Stationed in Nevada 
or Military Licensing - Nevada Residents Stationed in Other States


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