Graduated Driver Licensing Summary

Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos for details or the booklet: What Every Driver Must Know, found on that website.  Graduate driver licensing covers teens under the age of 18. It consists of:

A. Segment 1 Driver Education.  It is for teens who are at least 14 years, 8 months on the first day of class and consists of:

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

At the successful completion of Segment 1, teens receive a green, Segment 1 driver education certificate. The green, Segment 1 certificate is not a license to drive. To obtain a Level 1 License, a parent must accompany their teen to the Secretary of State office and bring: the Segment 1 certificate, an original birth certificate (one with a raised seal), their social security card, identity verification, and proof of Michigan residency.  Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos (applying for a license) for a listing of these documents or the booklet, What Every Driver Must Know, found at that website.

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 years of age or older.

B. Segment 2 Driver Education.  It is for teens who have held their Level 1 License for at least 3 months and have completed 30 hours of driving (two of which are at night). It consists of:

• 6 hours of classroom education

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 (Road Test) section of our website, www.DrivingRight.org for information and 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 their original birth certificate or passport.  Restrictions for teens driving on their Level 2 License may be found at www.michigan.gov/sos or in the booklet, What Every Driver Must Know, found at that website.

D. Level 3 License
A teen will automatically advance to a Level 3 License provided they are 17 years of age, have met all driving requirements, and has parental authorization. Please refer to www.michigan.gov/sos , or 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 to obtain a Temporary Instructional Permit (TIP) to legally continue driving. Please refer to the adult section of our website, www.DrivingRight.org, for this information.