Question: My eldest child turns 16 soon and is begging me to teach her how to drive. Can I start teaching her before she gets her permit if I’m in the car?
Answer: We all need to learn to drive somehow, right? However, it is illegal to drive on public roads or highways without a valid driver’s permit or license. Learning to drive under the supervision of a fully licensed adult on private property—say, an empty parking lot—is more of a gray area. In such a case, check your local laws to be sure.
Under no circumstances, however, can someone without a permit or driver’s license drive on public roads or highways.
As eager as your teenager might be to start driving, there is a danger to practicing before your permit. Car insurance companies do not cover unlicensed drivers, but they will cover permitted drivers, since their state of being unlicensed is temporary. Additionally, if you get pulled over for a driving violation and don’t have your permit, you can face big consequences. This is considered a misdemeanor in New York that carries a fine of up to $300 and/or jail time of up to 15 days.
Can you practice driving without a permit in a parking lot?
Driving a car on private property differs from the rules around public roadways. Some examples of private property are: HOA-owned roadways, a mall’s parking lot or a long gravel road on farmland.
In some states, driving on private property will exempt you from some requirements to drive on public roadways. However, “private property” is a gray area in itself because a good number of private properties are open to the public.
The focus comes down to how much harm you can potentially do to the public when driving on private property.
According to legal blog, JP Defense, the treatment of certain rules on private property is different than if the same action were taken on private property, but here are the common actions subject to law enforcement on private property:
- Excessive speeding that endangers life or property
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Reckless driving that could cause harm to others
- Vehicular manslaughter
This means that if an unlicensed driver drove dangerously on private property where others are around, the police could enforce the law. Additionally, if you drove without a permit in a parking lot and damaged another car or building, you are still held accountable for that damage, and your parent’s insurance will likely not foot the bill
Getting a learner’s permit
The best way you can get your child ready for the road involves getting them a learner’s permit.
If you are eager to get them on the road, check your state’s rules around how old they must be to get their permits. States like Arkansas and Alaska only require them to be 14 (the lowest age requirement), while others like Connecticut and New York require them to be 16 (the highest age requirement).
Many states will have requirements to get a driving permit, such as mandatory driver’s education and passing a written examination. For example, in a state like Texas, teens are required to take up to 32 hours of driving instruction. California also requires teen drivers to take 25 hours of in-class driving instruction, six hours of behind-the-wheel training and 50 hours of supervised driving practice (10 hours being in the dark) before you can apply for your driver’s permit.
Often, as a parent, you’d have to give your consent for your child to get a permit, and your child can sometimes be asked to do certain tests like vision, written or road tests – all three areas required in Alaska.
Following these steps to get your child a permit will help you ensure that they’re starting off their driving journey.
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Ashley Eneriz is an editor and finance writer with over 15 years of experience in a wide range of financial topics, including car loans and insurance. In editing for Jerry, Ashley aims to make all car material reader-friendly for both the new driver and car enthusiast alike. Prior to joining Jerry, Ashley was the financial deputy editor for ConsumerAffairs. Her work is featured on Forbes, Yahoo, MSN, The Hartford and more.
