Everything You Need to Know About Your Georgia Driver’s License
To get your Georgia driver’s license, you must be at least 18 years old. You’ll have to prove your identity, Social Security number, address, and citizenship.
Before receiving a driver’s license in Georgia, you must provide some documentation of your identity and pass a knowledge test, road exam, and vision test. If you’re a minor, you must apply for a learner’s permit and/or provisional license before becoming eligible for a full driver’s license at the age of 18.
To get a Georgia driver’s license, bring your Social Security number and documentation proving your identity, US citizenship, and address to the nearest Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Customer Service Center.
Georgia charges a $10 fee to get your learner’s permit or provisional license and $32 for a full adult driver’s license
If you’re a new Georgia resident and already have a license from another state or country, you have up to 30 days to convert it to a Georgia driver’s license.
Getting your Georgia driver’s license is an amazing milestone, and a relatively easy process as long as you’ve done your homework. Keep reading for a full break-down of how to get your hands on this small but mighty card.
Requirements for drivers under 18
Like many other states, Georgia has a graduated driving license program for drivers under 18 years old. Starting at the age of 15, first-time drivers will need to get a Class CP
before they can hit the road—and even then, they can only operate a vehicle if they’re being supervised by a licensed driver 21 years and older.
When drivers turn 16, they can apply for their Class D provisional teen license, which allows them to drive unsupervised with certain restrictions. This provisional license can be converted to a Class C full (adult) driver’s license as of a driver’s eighteenth birthday, either
and fill out a provisional license application form. You must show documentation to verify:
Proof of your secondary school enrollment or graduation
Your date of birth
Your identity (including your full name)
Your residential address in Georgia
Your Social Security number (or proof of ineligibility for a Social Security number)
Your US citizenship (or your legal presence in the US if you are not a US citizen)
All young drivers must also:
Pass a vision test and knowledge exam (and a road test, if you’re applying for a Class D provisional teen license)
Pay a $10 fee
Have a photo taken
Requirements for drivers over 18
If you’re over 18, you must follow these steps to get your driver’s license:
Go to a DDS Customer Service Center
Prove that you have an instruction permit or have practiced driving under supervision for a minimum of 40 hours (including 6 nighttime hours)
Complete every part of the application form provided
Pass a vision exam
You’ll also need to bring documentation to verify:
Your identity (including your full name)
Your Social Security number (or proof of ineligibility for a Social Security number)
Your US citizenship
Your residential address
Your date of birth
Requirements for out-of-state drivers
Now that you’re a resident of the Peach State, you have up to 30 days from the date of your arrival to visit your local DDS Customer Service Center, where you’ll start the process of getting your new Georgia driver’s license.
If your current out-of-state license is still valid, gather all necessary documentation to verify:
Your identity (including your full name)
Your Social Security number (or proof of ineligibility for a Social Security number)
Your US citizenship
Your new residential address in Georgia
Your date of birth
You’ll also need to:
Pass a vision test
Have your photo taken
Pay a $32 fee
Hand over your current license to the DDS Customer Service Center
You must pass these three tests to get a driver’s license in Georgia
Vision test
Georgia’s road rules stipulate that if your sight is below 20/60 (even with corrective lenses) and your field of vision less than 140 degrees, you must have a supplemental DS-274 Vision Form completed by an approved eye doctor.
Knowledge exam
At a DDS Customer Service Center, you must take a two-part knowledge test where you will have to prove your understanding of signs, signals, markers, and Georgia’s road laws by answering at least 30 out of 40 questions correctly.
No need to schedule the exam ahead of time, because it takes place on a walk-in basis. You’ll need to pay a $10 fee to take the test.
Road test
Georgia’s road test for a Class C license is designed to gauge your ability to perform basic driving maneuvers. First, the examiner will inspect your vehicle. Then, they’ll test you on the following:
Responding to road signs, traffic signals, and pavement markings
Making a three-point turn
Performing left and right turns
Using right-of-way rules
Following and overtaking vehicles
Merging with traffic
Changing lanes
Entering intersections
Maintaining a proper speed
Parallel parking
The driver must always provide the motor vehicle for the driving test.
Minimum liability insurance requirements for a Georgia driver’s license
You won’t require a car insurance policy if you’re driving with a Class CP Instructional Permit. But the minute you get your Class D license or full adult driver’s license, you’ll need
. Just go to your local DSS Customer Service Center with your ID, Social Security number, and two documents showing your residential address—and don’t forget your $38 fee.
How do you renew or replace your expired or lost driver’s license in Georgia?
, which should be done every eight years, you can complete your renewal online or in person at the DSS Customer Service Center—or if you really have the need for speed, you can download Georgia’s handy new DDS 2 GO app.
Can you get a learner’s permit if you’re 14 years old?
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At 14, teens in Georgia are allowed to begin taking Driver’s Education courses, but they can only receive a learner’s permit if their parent or guardian is visually impaired.
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