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“Joshua’s Law” enacted in  Georgia in 2007, changed the requirements that teen drivers must meet in order to obtain a Class D Georgia driver’s license. The law was named after a youth who tragically lost his life in an accident. Joshua’s parents rallied with legislators in an effort to put stronger driver training laws into effect. The end result has made it mandatory for teens to get more driving experience under their belts before obtaining a license and hopefully will save numerous young lives through its enactment.

The Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA), necessitates a graduated driver licensing procedure for Georgia teens between the ages of 15 and 18. There are three separate classifications for teen driver licensing. Joshua’s Law, which went into effect January 1^st, 2007, the latest addition to the TADRA, adding an additional educational requirement to the second step.

Georgia’s teen driver’s licensing process starts with Step 1, the Instructional Permit (CP). The Instructional Permit is granted to teens 15 years of age and older who pass a state-administered written exam. Teens who have acquired this permit are required to have a passenger who is at least 21 years old and possesses a valid Class C driver’s license. There are no variations or exceptions to this requirement.

Step 2 is the Intermediate, or Class D, license. Drivers between the ages of 16-18 years of age who have held an Instructional Permit for 12 months and 1 day and passed the state-administered comprehensive on-road driving test are eligible for this license. There are several restrictions on this license, which are:

1) No driving between the hours of 12am and 6am. “No Exceptions.”

2) For the first six months, the only passengers allowed in the vehicle are immediate family members: i.e. siblings, or others who must be 21 years of age or older.

If you are intending to obtain a Class D driver’s license at age sixteen 16, you will have to adhere to the following requirements:

1)You must have completed a driver education course approved by the Department of Driver Services and;

2)You also must have completed a cumulative total of at least forty (40) hours of other supervised driving experience, including at least six 6 hours at night. If you have not completed an approved driver’s education course, you cannot get your Class D driver’s license until you reach age seventeen 17. Thus, now, 40 hours of driving experience, including six 6 hours of driving at night, is always required for a Class D driver’s license.

Any violations or citations incurred during this licensing process will mean a denial or delay of an under 21 driver’s ability to obtain a full Georgia Driver’s License.

Georgia Laws for Drivers under 21 years of age.

Georgia Traffic Ticket Attorney

Filed under: Speeding Laws | Tagged: Georgia Laws for Under 21 Drivers, Georgia Teen Driving Laws, Joshu'as Law GA |