Learner license — Alabama Permit Test

Any person 15 years of age may obtain a restricted Learner License to learn to drive safely; the test for it is taken from the Alabama Driver Manual.

Starting at 15 gives a new driver a full year of supervised practice before they can drive alone.

Any person 15 years of age may obtain a restricted Learner License for the purpose of learning to safely and effectively operate a motor vehicle.

A 15-year-old learner may drive only with a person 21 or older who is licensed in Alabama, or a licensed or certified driving instructor, sitting in the seat beside them.

A beginner misses hazards an experienced driver would see, so someone with years behind the wheel has to be right beside them.

The “Y” restriction indicates that the holder may operate a motor vehicle while accompanied by a person who is 21 years of age or older and, who is duly licensed in this state or a licensed or certified driving instructor occupying the seat beside the operator.

A learner license is issued as a Class D license with a "Y" restriction, which shows the holder may drive only with a qualified person beside them.

The letter on the card lets an officer see at a glance that this driver is not allowed to drive alone.

Upon passing the required examination, the applicant will be issued a Class D Alabama driver license with a “Y” restriction.

After a 15-year-old learner turns 16, they may drive with any licensed driver in the seat beside them.

At 16 the law relaxes who can supervise, but a beginner still needs a licensed driver beside them.

After the holder’s sixteenth birthday, the holder may operate a motor vehicle with any licensed driver occupying the seat beside the driver.

The learner license issued at 15 is valid for four years and can be renewed once.

The license lasts long enough to cover the whole learning period without a teen having to reapply every year.

This Learner License is valid for four years, and can be renewed once.

A person 16 or older who is otherwise qualified except for lack of driving instruction may get a learner license by passing the examination; it lets them drive with a licensed driver beside them.

An older beginner still has to practice with an experienced driver before going out alone.

The “Y” restriction indicates that the holder may operate a motor vehicle with a licensed driver occupying the seat beside the driver.

A learner license may be suspended or revoked in the same way and for the same causes as a driver license, and also for violating the terms it was issued on.

A learner is held to the same rules as every other driver, plus the conditions that make supervised driving safe.

A Learner License may be suspended or revoked in the same manner and for the same cause as a driver license and may also be revoked for any violations of the terms and conditions on which it was issued.

At what age can you first get a learner license to drive a car in Alabama?

Age 15. Starting at 15 gives a new driver a full year of supervised practice before they can drive alone. Alabama Driver Manual, p.9: “Any person 15 years of age may obtain a restricted Learner License for the purpose of learning to safely and effectively operate a motor vehicle.”