Understanding the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Process
North Carolina uses a GDL process to help teens learn to drive safely. This process is important because graduated licensing helps teens build skills slowly through supervised practice and has reduced teen crashes in North Carolina and across the country.
As discussed more in the Getting Enough Practice page, getting lots of supervised practice in a variety of situations and settings is incredibly important for keeping your teen safe behind the wheel.
The GDL Process
This flowchart will help you understand the GDL process in North Carolina. At first it may look complicated, but every step is designed to help teens learn and practice driving in new situations, building their skills, before moving on to more risky situations (e.g. driving unsupervised, driving with friends, etc.). For more details of each stage and the most up-to-date information, visit the NCDOT Graduated Licensing website.
Outline of GDL Process in North Carolina
Driver’s Education
30 hours classroom
6 hours driving
V
- Minimum age 14.5
Vision, sign, knowledge tests
V
- Minimum age 15
Learner’s Permit
Supervised Practice Period
60 hours of supervised driving
over 9 months
V
- Supervised driving only
- Cannot drive between 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. for first 6 months, even with supervisor
Road Test
V
- Minimum age 16
Limited Provisional License
12 hours of supervised driving
over 6 months
V
- Unsupervised driving permitted except for driving between 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
- Maximum of one non-related and one related passenger under age 21
Full Provisional License
Process is for teens under age 18.
Cell phones restricted throughout the process.