Graduated driver license — Texas Permit Test

The Graduated Driver License program phases in driving privileges for applicants under 18, keeping new drivers out of high-risk situations at first.

Teenagers crash more than anyone else on the road. Handing out the whole license at once is what the phases are built to avoid.

The Graduated Driver License (GDL) program eases teens into the driving experience by phasing in driving privileges and minimizing exposure to high-risk situations

Phase One requires an applicant under 18 to hold a learner, hardship, or combined license for at least six months before a provisional license is issued.

Six months puts a full run of seasons and road conditions behind a new driver. It is time in the car, not a course, that the phase is measuring.

This phase requires applicants under 18 years of age to hold a valid learner, hardship, or combination of learner and hardship license for a minimum of six months prior to the issuance of a provisional license

A suspension during Phase One extends the six-month period by the number of days the license was suspended.

A suspended license is not practice. Texas adds the lost days back so the six months stays six months of real driving.

If your license is suspended during Phase One, then the initial six-month period is extended by the number of days of the suspension because your license is invalid during the suspension period

Phase One does not apply to Class M motorcycle licenses, so there is no minimum time to hold a restricted motorcycle license.

Motorcycle training is a course with its own bar. Texas counts that instead of counting months on a permit.

Phase One requirements do not apply to Class M (motorcycle) licenses. Under the GDL program, there is no minimum time a person must hold a restricted motorcycle license before applying for a Class M license

All new driver license applicants must pass a driving exam at a driver license office or an authorized testing facility.

Answering questions on paper shows nothing about steering. Texas makes everybody drive in front of someone before the card is issued.

As a part of this program, all new driver license applicants are required to pass a driving exam conducted at a driver license office or authorized testing facility

What does the Graduated Driver License program do for drivers under 18?

It phases in driving privileges a step at a time. Teenagers crash more than anyone else on the road. Handing out the whole license at once is what the phases are built to avoid. Texas Driver Handbook, p.2: “The Graduated Driver License (GDL) program eases teens into the driving experience by phasing in driving privileges and minimizing exposure to high-risk situations”