Minnesota’s Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) System has three phases: the Instruction Permit, the Provisional License and the Regular Class D License.
Phase I Instruction Permit
- Must be at least 15 years of age.
- Must have completed 30 hours of classroom instruction and be enrolled in behind-the-wheel instruction.
- Must pass vision and written tests, complete application, and pay the required fee.
- Parent or legal guardian signature and certification required.
- Permit holder must drive under the supervision of a certified driving instructor, parent or guardian, or other licensed driver age 21 or older.
- No cell phone use is allowed (includes no text messaging or hands-free devices).
- Cost of Instruction Permit: $29.50; valid for 2 years, renewable
Phase II Provisional License
- Must be at least 16 years of age.
- Must have completed driver education.
- Must have held an Instruction Permit for six months with no convictions for moving violations or convictions for alcohol/controlled substance violations. NOTE: If all or part of your six months of driving experience was in a state other than Minnesota, you must present a certified driving record from that state.
- Must pass the Road Test, complete application, and pay required fee.
- Must complete the required supervised driving hours.
- No cell phone use is allowed (includes no text messaging or hands-free devices).
- Nighttime Driving Limitation — For the first six months of licensure, driving is prohibited from midnight – 5 a.m. Exemptions: Driving when accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older; driving between home and place of employment; driving to/from home and a school event for which the school has not provided transportation; driving for employment purposes.
- Teen Passenger Limitations — For the first six-months of licensure, only one passenger under the age of 20 is permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. For the second six-months of licensure, no more than three passengers under the age of 20 are permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Exemption: Passengers under age 20 who are members of the immediate family are permitted.
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Cost of Provisional License: $32.50
Phase III Regular License
- Must be at least 18 years of age, or
- Must have held a Provisional License for at least 12 consecutive months with no convictions for alcohol/controlled substance violations or crash-related moving violations, and with not more than one conviction for a moving violation that is not crash-related.
- Must complete application and pay required fee.
- If under 18, the person who approves the application also certifies that the applicant has driven under the supervision of a licensed driver at least 21 years of age for not less than ten hours on the provisional license.
- Cost of Regular License (Under 21): $46.00.