Behind the Wheel Training in New Jersey Defined
In the state of New Jersey, the Motor Vehicle Commission, or MVC, requires all new drivers to complete supervised behind the wheel driving practice for a certain period of time before they can receive their driver’s license. This is a requirement set forth by the state’s GDL or graduated driver’s license program and teenage drivers are also required to complete an approved driver’s training course which counts as additional behind the wheel time. This supervised driving helps new drivers to build important skills.
Requirements for Behind the Wheel Driving Practice in New Jersey
The requirements set forth by the New Jersey MVC for behind the wheel training will vary depending on the driver’s age. For drivers who are 16 years of age, they must complete a driver’s training course and complete a period of at least six months of supervised driving. Drivers, who are between the ages of 17 years old and 21 years old, must only complete the six months of supervised behind the wheel driving. Any drivers over the age of 21 must complete three months of supervised behind the wheel driving.
Beginning to Obtain a GDL
To begin the process of obtaining a GDL, or graduated driver’s license, the driver must be at least 16 years of age. First, the driver will need to enroll in a Driver’s Education program and visit his or her local New Jersey MVC agency with a licensed driving instructor in order to apply for their student learner’s permit. Drivers who are 17 years of age or older are not required to complete the driver’s education program. These drivers will simply visit their local NJ MVC agency in order to obtain their learner’s permit.
Information on Supervised Driving Practice
Once the driver has obtained his or her learner’s permit, he or she must complete the required period of behind the wheel driving practice that applies to his or her age bracket. In order to complete this stage of the process, the driver must practice driving with a licensed adult who is at least 21 years of age or older and has had his or her driver’s license for at least three years. While there is no minimum hours assigned to the driving practice period, drivers will need enough experience to pass the NJ MVC road test.
There are some regulations associated with the behind the wheel driving practice period. First, drivers between the ages of 16 years old and 21 years old must not drive between the hours of 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. and must practice driving for at least six months before applying to take their road test. Drivers who are over the age of 21 will only need to complete a supervised driving period of three months. For more information on behind the wheel practice driving, visit www.dmv.org.
If you need to schedule your Behind the Wheel Training, Training Wheels, a Margate driving school, should be your school of choice. We serve most of the South Jersey shore and inland communities and would love to talk to you about your training. For more information about our services, please click here.
*Photo Courtesy of Andy Karmy via Creative Commons License