Drivers Training In Georgia

The terms “driver education” and “driver training” are used interchangeably in Georgia. Irrespective of nomenclature, drivers training in Georgia is required for those who are under the age of 17 years. Applicants applying for the Class D driver’s license will be required to prove that they have successfully completed the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) approved driver education course. Furthermore, applicants will have to show that they have completed a total of 40 hours of supervised driving, out of which 6 hours of supervised driving was done at night. These are mandatory provisions of Joshua’s Law.

Those applicants who are 17 or older, will not have to establish that they have completed an approved driver education course however they will still have to establish that they successfully completed 40 hours of supervised driving with 6 hours of night time driving. Joshua’s Law is applicable on them as well.

The Georgia driving training course is divided into theoretical and practical components. The theoretical component consists of a minimum of 30 hours of instruction. Teens can acquire such training either online by one of the many DDS approved courses or by enrolling in the drivers ed program of their school. These courses may also be offered by private driver education schools. The practical component of the course is essentially behind-the-wheel training. This training can be obtained by enrolling in one of DDS approved driver education schools or by making use of the DDS Parent/Teen Driving Guide.

The DDS Parent/Teen Driving Guide can either be downloaded for free or obtained from many DDS Customer Service Centers. It is essentially a handbook which provides in-car lessons. This is an invaluable service provided by the DDS to help parents make responsible drivers out of their teenage kids.

An applicant who is under the age of 18 must have his/her driver’s license application signed by parent, guardian, authorized driver training instructor or responsible adult. Once the applicant has fulfilled the abovementioned requirements, he/she needs to successfully pass the vision and road skills tests in order to obtain his/her first driver’s license.