Graduated Driver Licensing Summary

Please refer to www.Michigan.gov/sos in the What Every Driver Must Know booklet for details.  Graduate driver licensing is for teens under the age of 18.  It consists of:

A.  Segment 1 Driver Education which includes:

• 24 hours of classroom education
• 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction
• 4 hours of observing another student drive

The green certificate your teen received for successful completion of Segment 1 is not a license to drive. To obtain a Level 1 License, a parent must accompany their teen to the Secretary of State office with the green Segment 1 certificate, an original birth certificate (one with a raised seal) verifying your son or daughter is 14 years 9 months old, their social security card, provide identity verification and proof of Michigan residency. Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos (applying for a licence) for a listing of these documents.

Teens must be at least 14 years, 9 months to obtain their Level 1 License.

Teens may drive only on their Level 1 License while accompanied by a licensed parent, legal guardian, or designated adult age 21 or older.

B.  Segment 2 Driver Education

• Consists of 6 hours of classroom education

Teens must have held their Level 1 License for at least 3 months and have completed 30 hour of driving (two of which are at night).

At the successful completion of Segment 2, the student will receive a white, Segment 2 driver education certificate.

C. Driving Test (Road Test)

Once a teen has completed Segment 2 of driver education, has held their Level 1 License for at least 180 days, and has completed 50 hours of driving, (ten of which are at night), the student is eligible for the driving test.  Driving Right Training School administers the driving test at different locations.  Please refer to the Driving Test Section of our website for a location nearest you.

Upon successful completion of the driving test the student will return to the Secretary of State's office at age 16 or older to obtain their Level 2 License.  The student must present to the Secretary of State their Level 1 License, their Segment 2 driver education certificate, the driving test certificate, and additional documents. Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos for a listing of these documents.  The restriction on the Level 2 License is no driving from midnight to 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed parent or legal guardian, or going to and from work in which a teen should be able to provide proof they are traveling directly to or from work.

D.  Level 3 License

A teen will automatically advance to a Level 3 License provided they are 17 years of age, has met all driving requirements, and has parental authorization.  Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos, What Every Driver Must Know booklet for details.

NOTE: The Level 1 License expires on a teen's 18th birthday.  Teens must return to the Secretary of State's office to obtain a Temporary Instructional Permit (TIP).  Please refer to the adult section on our website located at the top of the homepage for further information.