How To Acquire Georgia’s Driving License

If you reside in Georgia and you want to acquire a driving license, you must go through a stipulated procedure. Of course, if you’re a beginner driver, you must pass a few tests to demonstrate that you will be competent on the road.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process so you know what to expect. Let’s get down to it, shall we?

Eligibility Criteria

Georgia LicenseAny Georgia resident who is 16 years and above is eligible to apply for a driver’s license in the state. However, you must have a learner’s permit with at least 40 hours of driving practice (6 hours of practice driving should be done at night) if you’re a beginner before you obtain the full driving license. But if you’re 16 years old, you must complete a 30-hour driver’s Ed course at an approved driving school.

Of course, the final stage before you acquire Georgia’s driving test is to pass the road test with a 75 percent score and above.

Note: These rules only apply to Georgia residents who are first-time drivers. If you’re a Georgia resident with an out-of-state license, you can exchange it with a Georgia driver’s license after applying for residency.

Otherwise, to attain the learner’s permit or provision license, you must take the vision test and knowledge exam. Let’s have a look at what they entail.

The Vision Test

The vision test is done on a mechanical device under the supervision of a licensed optician. To pass the vision test, you must have a minimum vision of 20/60 and a visual field of 140 degrees. If you have a vision problem, you can show up for the vision test with corrective lenses.

However, if you fail the test with corrective lenses, a licensed ophthalmologist will do further tests and recommend a report to determine if you’re capable of safely operating a vehicle.

Knowledge Exam

To pass the knowledge exam, you must complete two tests that are done separately; the road signs test and the road rules test. You must correctly answer 15 out of the 20 questions on each test to pass.

The Knowledge exam usually takes about 30 minutes, but if you’re applying for a commercial driver’s license, you will have 45 minutes to complete the test. All the questions from each test are derived from Georgia’s driving manual or the Commercial Drivers Manual. 

You can also practice here for your Georgia Permit Test.

If you have a reading disability, you can request an oral test at the Customer Service Center.

After you’ve passed the vision test and knowledge exam, you will be given a learner’s permit or a provisional license so that you can practice for the road skills test.

The Road Skills Test

The road skills test is done after you’ve completed 40 hours of driving practice with 6 of those hours at night. You can schedule the road skills test online and choose any available test center in Georgia.

All applicants are required to show up to the road skills test with their motor vehicle that is covered by liability insurance. In addition to that, the vehicle should have a valid registration license plate that is not expired.

Before you start the road skills test, you must pass a safety vehicle inspection test and demonstrate hand signals. During the driving test, the examiner will evaluate you based on how many mistakes you make. Candidates who pass the driving test must have a minimum score of 75 percent.

The Motorcycle Rider Skills Test

If you’re applying for a motorcycle riding license, you must do a separate test to evaluate your control and hazard response skills. All the rules of the test are derived from the Motorcycle Operators Manual. Keep in mind that this test is usually more vigorous and your final score is determined by time and distance covered plus path violations.

However, you could get a test waiver if you complete the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program.

Re-Taking the Test

If you fail the knowledge exam or road skills test, you can retake the test after one day. However, if you fail the knowledge exam or road skills test more than once, you must wait for 7 days before you can apply for a re-trial. Besides that, applicants who fail the driving test due to a serious traffic violation or traffic accident must wait 30 days to retake the test.

Required Documents

While applying for Georgia’s driving license, you will need to provide a few documentations that include:

  • Proof of social security number
  • Identity verification documents
  • Proof of enrollment
  • Proof of residential address
  • Proof of driving hours
  • Parental consent if you’re underage

That’s It

Once you’ve successfully completed the procedures we’ve discussed in this article, you will be processed and issued with a temporary driver’s license. A permanent driver’s license will be mailed to your address within 14 days.