Teaching your Pennsylvania Teen to Drive, Part 1: Getting the Learners Permit

(This is a post I originally wrote for FamilyFuninPA.com. You can find the original HERE.)

Our second son just turned 16, and, like many 16-year-olds, his number one priority on his birthday was to pay a visit to the DMV to take the required knowledge test for the Pennsylvania Learner’s Permit.

Fortunately this is not our first rodeo, so we knew what to expect this time around. But if you have never been through this exciting and scary stage of parenting—teaching a child to drive— I thought it might be helpful to share some of our experiences.

**Note: The information below is based on Pennsylvania Driving Laws as of February 2016. All information is subject to change!**

First, be aware that before your child can obtain a permit, he or she will have to have a physical examination done by a health care professional. The physical must take place within 6 months prior to the child’s 16th birthday and is good for one year. It is part of the Non-Commercial Learner’s Permit Application.

Tip: MedExpress can provide this physical on a walk-in basis for only $30

Your child should prepare for the Learner’s Permit knowledge test by studying the questions in the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual. This manual is available at any Driver’s License Center and is also given out as part of any in-school driver’s education classes. It can also be found online here.

Tip: The questions on the exam are pulled WORD-FOR-WORD from the practice questions in the Driver’s Manual. Study the practice questions at the end of each chapter and you will not have any problems passing the exam.

When your child is ready to take the Learner’s Permit test, check with your local DMV office to see when they are open. Their hours are often fairly limited. When you go, be sure to have the following with you:

• Completed Non-Commercial Learner’s Permit Application
• Original Birth Certificate with seal or passport
• Signed social security card
• Check for $34.50 made out to PennDOT
• Parent’s driver’s license

Tip: Be sure your child is wearing their contact lenses or glasses if they need them; they will be given a vision test upon arrival.

The exam itself is a maximum of 18 questions long; your child must answer 15 correctly to pass.
If your child does not pass the exam, it is not the end of the world. You’ll get your forms back and can return to try again as soon as the next day!

Once the exam is successfully passed, your child will be given a Junior Learner's Permit, which your new driver must carry with them every time they practice. It will be good for up to one year, and your teen will be eligible to test for their license in 6 months. During this training period, your teen will be allowed to drive only under the supervision of a licensed driver 21 or older.

You will also be given “The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program” booklet. This booklet contains lots of helpful tips for helping your teen to learn to drive, as well as the Supervised Driving Log. This is very helpful because your teen must legally log 65 hours of practice time — 10 of which must be at night and 5 of which in bad weather.

Once you have all of this, you’re ready to hit the road!  That’s when the “fun” really begins…. I will talk about that in the next article, which you can find HERE!