How to Get a Driver's License in Georgia (Step by Step)

Step 1: Find your path by age

In Georgia, driver's licenses are issued by the Department of Driver Services (DDS) at its Customer Service Centers. Teens go through a graduated licensing system with three stages.

• Age 15 or older: a Class CP instructional permit (learner's permit) after a vision exam and a knowledge exam.
• Ages 16–17: a Class D provisional license after holding the permit for one year and one day, Joshua's Law driver education, the ADAP course and a road test.
• Age 18 or older: a Class C license. Teens upgrade from Class D; first-time adult applicants get a learner's permit, then take the road test.
• New residents with a license from another state: see the last section.

Teens 15 and older: the Class CP instructional permit

You can apply for a Class CP instructional permit once you turn 15. To get it, you must:

• pass a vision exam
• pass the knowledge exam on road signs and road rules
• pay the $10 permit fee, which is paid before the test begins
• if you are under 18, have a responsible adult present to sign your application
• if you are under 18, show proof of school enrollment or attendance, such as a Certificate of School Enrollment (form DS-1) from your school
• meet the Secure ID document requirements (see the documents section)

Permit rules: you may drive only with a person at least 21 years old who is licensed to drive a Class C vehicle, is able to take control of the vehicle and sits beside you. The permit is valid for 2 years.

Joshua's Law and ADAP

Teens need two courses before they can get a Class D license.

Joshua's Law driver education applies to applicants who are 16 or 17. It requires:

• 30 hours of classroom instruction, or an equivalent online course
• 6 hours of on-the-road training with a certified instructor, or completion of the DDS-approved Parent/Teen Driver Guide
• at least 40 hours of other driving experience, including at least 6 hours at night

When you apply for the Class D license, a parent, guardian or certified instructor confirms the 40 hours of supervised driving by affidavit.

ADAP (Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program) is a mandatory course for teens under 18 who want a Class D license. Many students complete it at their high school. If you cannot, for example because you are home-schooled or missed the course at school, you can take the online version, eADAP.

Teens 16–17: the Class D provisional license

You can apply for a Class D provisional license when you:

• are at least 16 and have held a valid instructional permit for one year and one day
• have completed the Joshua's Law driver education requirements and ADAP
• pass the road test

Class D restrictions:

• no driving between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., with no exceptions
• during the first six months, only immediate family members may ride with you
• during the second six months, no more than one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family
• after that, no more than three passengers under 21 who are not immediate family

These restrictions depend on the license class, not on your age, so they apply until you upgrade. At 18, if you have had no major traffic convictions in the last 12 months, you can upgrade to a Class C license in person or online.

Adults 18 and older: the Class C license

If you are 18 or older and have never been licensed, you apply for a Class C license. Before you visit a Customer Service Center, submit the online License/ID/Permit Form. Then:

• pass the vision exam and the knowledge exam and get a learner's permit
• hold a valid Georgia learner's permit on the day of the road test
• sign an affidavit confirming 40 hours of supervised driving, including 6 hours at night
• schedule and pass the road test
• pay the license fee

Joshua's Law driver education applies to applicants who are 16 or 17, and ADAP to teens under 18.

The knowledge exam, vision exam and road test

Knowledge exam: it has two parts, a Road Rules test and a Road Signs test, with 20 questions each (40 in total). You must answer at least 15 of the 20 questions correctly in each part. Knowledge exams are given on a walk-in basis at DDS Customer Service Centers, with no appointment needed.

Languages: the DDS language list includes 26 languages for the knowledge exam, among them English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. The DDS Drivers Manual says the road signs part is given in English only, so learn the signs in English too. The road test is given only in English.

Vision exam: you need at least 20/60 vision in one eye, with or without glasses or contact lenses, and a 140-degree field of vision.

Road test: you need an appointment; walk-ins are not accepted.

• You provide a four-wheel vehicle with valid registration, liability insurance and an unexpired license plate, and it must pass a DDS safety inspection before the test.
• Bring a paper copy of the vehicle registration and a current, valid insurance card.
• A licensed driver 21 or older must come with you. Only you and that driver may be in the vehicle: no other passengers, children or pets.
• The examiner checks skills such as parallel parking, backing about 50 feet, a turnabout, stopping for signs and signals, turning, yielding the right-of-way and following distance.

If you fail: wait at least 1 day before you retest; after a second or later failure, wait at least 7 days. If you fail the road test because of an accident or a traffic violation, wait 30 days. Retests require an appointment, and the permit fee must be paid again before every attempt.

To prepare for both parts of the knowledge exam, use the Georgia practice tests on PermitLingo.

Documents, Secure ID and fees

Georgia calls its REAL ID program Secure ID. All Georgia driver's licenses and IDs issued after 2012 are REAL ID-compliant and carry a star. For your first permit or license, bring:

• proof of identity: for example, an original or certified U.S. birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport
• proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence: non-citizens show documents that match their immigration status
• your Social Security number: enter your full SSN on the online form; if you are not eligible for one, complete the Certification of Social Security Denial Status (Form DDS-351)
• two proofs of Georgia residency from separate sources or accounts, such as a utility bill, bank statement, lease or mortgage; utility bills and financial statements must be dated within the past six months, and P.O. boxes do not prove residency
• name change documents, such as a marriage certificate or a court order, if your name has changed

All documents must be in English: DDS does not accept translated documents.

Fees:

• Class CP learner's permit: $10, valid for 2 years
• Class D provisional license: $10, valid for 5 years
• Class C license: $32, valid for 8 years

Customer Service Centers accept cash, credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Test fees are not refunded, and checks and money orders are not accepted for them.

New residents: transferring your license

You must apply for a Georgia driver's license within 30 days of becoming a Georgia resident. Any Customer Service Center can transfer a license issued by another state, the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory.

• Valid license, or expired 2 years or less: you surrender it and pass a vision exam. The knowledge test and road test are not required.
• Expired more than 2 years: you must pass the knowledge, road and vision exams and bring a certified copy of your driving record from the state that issued the license.
• Age: to transfer, you must be at least 18, or 17 with an equivalent Class C license.
• License from another country: Georgia exchanges licenses from countries that have a reciprocal agreement with DDS, and DDS names South Korea and Taiwan. Holders of these licenses take only the vision exam. Drivers from other countries must pass the knowledge, road and vision exams.

For documents and other questions immigrants often have, see our guide on driver's licenses for immigrants.