For better or worse, driving is key to accessing education, employment, and society in the modern age. If you're eager to begin your own journey and life on the road, you'll first have to prove yourself capable of handling its responsibilities.

What’s the minimum driving age in New Jersey?

If you live in New Jersey and you're enrolled in a state-approved driving school, you can apply for a special

learner's permit

as soon as you turn 16. Practice and you could be eligible for a restricted license at 17, followed by a full driver's license at 18.

What’s the New Jersey Graduated Driver's License (GDL) system?

The Graduated Driver's Licensing (GDL) system was introduced to New Jersey in 2001. It lays restrictions and practice requirements on young drivers to encourage safe driving practices while gradually allowing for an increase in driving privileges. Sadly, teens between 16 and 19 are at the highest risk of a fatal motor vehicle crash, with

almost seven deaths occurring every day

Besides keeping track of every driver and vehicle in the state, the

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC)

is responsible for issuing permits and licenses at every stage of the GDL. They also handle the licensing of commercial vehicles and motorcycles. In this article, we'll focus on the steps to earning a regular, non-commercial motor vehicle driver's license, which include:

A Special Learner’s Permit or Examination Permit allows supervised driving within a

licensed driving school

A Probationary Driver’s License permits limited unsupervised driving between 5:01 AM and 10:59 PM.

A Basic Driver’s License, which grants full, unrestricted driving privileges.

MORE:

New Jersey DUI Laws

How to get your Special Learner’s Permit/Initial Permit in New Jersey

In New Jersey, your first driving permit will either be a special learner's permit or an initial permit. Both grant a limited set of driving privileges that you'll use to practice your road skills.

Special Learner's Permit requirements

The special learner's permit is available to young drivers between the ages of 16-18 who are enrolled in a driving course. It could be offered through your high school or a

licensed driving school

. Fill out form

BA-412D

, which requires a signature from your parent or guardian, and present it to your instructor along with the required ID below. The day you complete the course, your learner's permit will be validated!

Initial Permit requirements

You'll need to be at least 17 to apply for an initial permit, but you aren't required to be enrolled in a driving course. All you need to do is

make a scheduled appointment with the NJMVC

and bring the required ID.

ID requirements, permit fees, and tests

Both permits require some

proof of identity, age, and residential address

. New Jersey uses the "Six Point ID" system, which assigns a point value to every ID document. For example, a US passport is worth four points, whereas a debit or credit card with your name on it is worth just one. Score a total of six points to successfully prove you exist!

You'll also need to bring one document that confirms your address in New Jersey and one document that identifies either your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

You'll finish your application by

paying a $10 fee

and taking a

vision test

and

knowledge test

. For the latter, the

New Jersey Driver Manual

is your greatest resource! You'll face 50 questions—at least 40 of which need to be answered correctly—about road signs and safe driving practices. To keep things accessible, the test is offered in several different languages (including Spanish) and with the option to request an audio format or interpreter.

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Special Learner’s Permit/Initial Permit restrictions and purpose

Your first permit is intended to let you practice

supervised driving

for at least six months (or three months if you're over 21). During supervised driving, you must be accompanied by a driver at least 21 years of age who has held a valid NJ driver's license for at least three years. You can bring along one additional passenger (including a dependent), but additional dependents require their parent or guardian to be traveling with you.

Finally, you'll need to attach a pair of red GDL decals to your vehicle to signal that you're a new driver. You now have two years to acquire your probationary license or you'll have to repeat the steps to secure another initial permit.

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How to get your Probationary Driver’s License in New Jersey

To ensure your road test goes as smoothly as possible, show up at your chosen DMV location with:

A special learner's permit/initial permit that you've held for six months (three months if over 21)

Six points of identification (following the same system as above)

A car in working order with access to a foot/parking brake and a valid Inspection Sticker or "No Inspection Sticker required" card, plus registration and proof of insurance

If your car is a rental: a rental agreement with your name on it

An accompanying licensed driver

Two properly-mounted red GDL decals

If you fail, you'll need to wait 14 days before retaking the road test. If you pass, give yourself a pat on the back. Take your stamped permit and ID to the nearest

Licensing Center

to receive your probationary license; no appointment necessary.

Key Takeaway You can take a road test after at least three months of practice with your first permit. Bring your ID, a car, and a friend with a full license, and if you pass, you'll drive away with a probationary driver's license.

Probationary Driver’s License restrictions and purpose

A probationary driver's license expands your driving privileges so you can practice

unsupervised driving

for at least one year. Restrictions are few: you'll need to keep your two red GDL decals mounted and avoid driving between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM.

A probationary license is valid for three and a half years, at which point you'll have to revisit a Licensing Center to renew it.

When can you get a full driver’s license in New Jersey?

After a year of further practice, you can

upgrade your probationary driver's license online

as long as you're at least 18 years old. At that point, you'll have graduated from the GDL with a full driver's license. Remove the GDL decals from your car and drive into the sunset!

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Exceptions to the GDL system

Drivers in possession of a valid driver's license issued by another state may apply to transfer it to New Jersey without passing through the GDL. Simply bring your license and six points of ID to an NJMVC office to complete an application for $10. You'll have to pass a vision test and supply a fingerprint before you can get your NJ driver's license.

When it comes to bypassing the GDL for reasons of hardship, there are no hard and fast state laws or procedures to follow. Instead, you'll need to put a request to the proper authority: in this case, the NJMVC.

Get in touch

and be prepared to show proof that you have a legitimate and pressing medical, educational, financial, or other need to drive. Your proof could include a doctor's note, letter of enrollment, or letter of employment.

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Worst cars for teenage drivers

How to save on car insurance in New Jersey

For teens, being a responsible driver means passing the stages of the GDL system, but for parents, it also means making sure you

add a teen driver to your car insurance

. Luckily, you can do it for cheap with

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FAQs

Can you get a New Jersey driver’s license at 16?

The only license you can get at 16 in New Jersey is a special learner's permit. You'll be able to practice supervised driving, but first, you have to prove that you're enrolled in a licensed driving school, one that promises at least six hours of instruction behind the wheel.

Can you drive by yourself at 17 in New Jersey?

Yes! Provided you started with a special learner's permit at 16, you can schedule a road test, pass it, and obtain a probationary license after six months. A probationary license grants unsupervised driving privileges with a few restrictions: you have to keep two red GDLdecals attached to your car at all times and you can't drive between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM.

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