Obtaining a document that will provide you with the opporutinity to drive is one of the most important days of your life. You have introduced to the whole other type of transportation, that you haven’t been completely aware of before the license has been acquired. Well, we congratulate you. However, you are surely aware that obtaining a driver’s license is common for 16-year-olds. But the question is what you can expect from this process when you decide to have a driver’s license later than this age? Naturally, all of us can agree that most of the people decide to obtain their driver’s license at the age of 16.
Since this is a pretty unusual occurrence, it requires us a completely different look on things. At the same time, we can see that many different institutions in the US conduct their own statistics related to teenage driving. On this link, you can take a look at some of the most exceptional statistics related to this topic. Maybe it doesn’t sound too interesting, but believe us, it is. Anyway, let us take a look at the process of obtaining a driver’s license when a driver is 18-year old. Without further ado, let us begin.
What the Process Looks Like?
Most of the time, the process of obtaining a driver’s license when you are older than 16 is not too different than the usual one. You are required to do pretty much the same things. You are required to pay a fee, submit an application, provide an ID card, and properly complete all of the exams. However, there is a catch.
The process itself heavily depends on the state you live in. So, it may be required of you to complete some more steps after you’ve completed the essential ones. There are two reasons why you should do this. The first one is that you’ve applied for your first driver’s license. The other one is you being older than 16. Now we will cover all the steps that you will be required to pass in a proper way.
The Proof of Identity
According to all of the elements we’ve named before, it should be said that you need to provide your social security number. Even though requirements when it comes to the driver’s license can be different from state to state, usually they are pretty much the same, most of the time. In order to completely prove your identity, you need to provide the following documents, passport, id card, and birth certificate. The point behind all of these documents is to prove your identity and how old you really are.
Plus, it should be said that some of the driving schools will ask of you to provide them with GED certifications, diplomas, and school transcripts. When it comes to social security numbers, we’ve already mentioned, you need to provide them with an original one. When you are younger than 18, you don’t can sign the application yourself. Instead, it needs to be signed by your parents, since they are your legal guardians.
Proof of Citizenship and Residency
Another thing that you need to cover on your way to obtain a driver’s license is to meet all the requirements and prove that you are in the US legally. Also, you need to provide a proof of you being a resident of the state you are applying for a license in. This is not hard to prove, you need to provide your birth certificate or your passport. In case you are a foreigner, you need to provide a resident car, a green card, or a visa and a foreign passport.
Since you are older than 16, some schools will need proof of your paid utility and mortgage bills. However, these requirements can vary depending on the state you are living in. In states like Connecticut and North Carolina, you can also provide them with your school records. Plus, in Vermont, you can provide any kind of residence document in your parents’ name, after the connection is established, of course. Naturally, you will need to provide a birth certificate to prove it. So, you see that you will not have too many barriers to complete this process.
First-time Driver Requirements
Since you are applying for the first time, you need to provide some additional documents. It should be said that these requirements are needed due to your first application. This doesn’t have anything to do with your age. For example, in the state of Virginia, you need to make sure to have a learner’s permit, which is at least two months old.
In case you are younger than 19, you need to pass a driver’s education course before you can start the education. Plus, we can see that the state of Nevada, if you are 18, you don’t need to provide the proof of school you are attending in the state. In case you are younger, you need to provide this one. The state of New Hampshire asks you to have at least 40 hours of practice before you can apply for the final test.
What are the Standards?
After you’ve covered all of the essential steps on your way to getting a driver’s license, you need to provide some other documents, usually medical tests. For example, you need to pass a vision test, driving skills, and you need to know all the traffic laws. It goes without saying that you need to pay the application fee. When you obtain it, there are absolutely no restrictions and you can drive how much you want. Usually, younger drivers can drive only during certain hours.
The Bottom Line
As we’ve already stated, obtaining a driver’s license usually occurs while you are 16 years old. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it after. Here, we’ve provided you with some of the essential things you need to know about the whole process if you decide to obtain a driver’s license when you are 18 or older. We surely hope that you will find our article useful and that you will absolutely have no problems obtaining the driver’s license.
