Oregon Drivers Education

The Oregon Division of Motor Vehicles permit applicants between 15 and 18 to obtain an instruction permit which authorizes you to operate any vehicle that does not require a Commercial Drivers License (excluding motorcycles and mopeds). You may operate a car if you are accompanied by a person who is licensed and over the age of 21 as long as they are seated beside you in the car.

 

You will be required to have 50-100 hours of ‘behind the wheel’ supervised driving time that is obtained by you with a driver who is over the age of 21 and has had their license for a minimum of three years.

 

To qualify for a Learners Permit, you must be a resident of the state of Oregon, be between 15 and 17 years of age, complete a driver license application which must be signed by a parent or legal guardian and meet the medical requirements on the application. In addition, you must prove your identity, your address, your social security number as well as passing a drivers knowledge test and vision test. Oregon does require that you are attending school and checks will be run to ensure you have not had your driving privileges revoked, suspended or withdrawn in any state. Your Learners Permit will be valid for twenty four months and may be renewed if you need to do that.
 

After you have held your permit for at least six months, you will be eligible to apply for a provisional driver’s license. All applicants under 18 years of age are required to prove that they are in school or exempt from school attendance when DMV issues their first Oregon driving privilege, and in other limited situations.

 

After you get your provisional driver license, your driving is restricted as follows:

 

First Six Months:

  • You can not drive with a passenger under age 20 who is not a member of your immediate family.*

  • You can not drive between midnight and 5 am unless you are:

    1. Driving between home and work;

    2. Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available;

    3. Driving for employment purposes; or

    4. Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.

 
Second Six Months:

  • You can not drive with more than three (3) passengers who are under age 20 who are not members of your immediate family.*

  • You can not drive between midnight and 5 am unless you are:

    1. Driving between home and work;

    2. Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available;

    3. Driving for employment purposes; or

    4. Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.

*Passenger restrictions do not apply while driving with an instructor as part of a certified traffic safety education course or with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who has valid driving privileges.
 
NOTE: The restrictions above only apply until you are 18 or you have had your provisional license for one year; whichever comes first.

 

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