Driver’s training and supervised instruction permits
Learning to Drive
-
Information from the Idaho Department of Education
If you are under the age of 17 you must complete and pass a driver-training program to get an Idaho driver’s license. An approved Idaho driver training program consists of a required 30 hours (1,800 minutes) of classroom instruction, six hours (360 minutes) of in-car observation in a driver-training car, and six hours (360 minutes) of behind-the-wheel driving with a driver training instructor. The minimum training period for students attending driver education classes through a public school is 30 days. Commercial (private) schools are not restricted to a minimum training period.
Most Idaho school districts offer driver training programs in cooperation with the Department of Education. The public school courses are open to all Idaho residents between the ages of 14 1/2 and 21, even if they are not public school students. Commercial (private) driver training courses are available to anyone 14 1/2 years of age or older.
If you are under 17, you must have a driver training instruction permit to attend any public or private school driver-training program. The permits expire at age 18 for people 14 1/2 to 17 1/2 years of age; permits expire 180 days from issuance for people 17 1/2 years of age or older. The fee is not refundable. The documents required to get a driver-training permit are the same as those required for a driver’s license and are listed in Chapter One of the Idaho Driver’s Handbook. The certified original copy of the birth certificate you provide must show mother/father for liability signer purposes.
Federal law requires all males who are 18 to 25 years of age to register with the Selective Service System. Eligible males will have the opportunity to register when they apply for a driver’s license or ID card.
Ready to take the driver's test
Completed all your driver's training? It's time to schedule and take your knowledge and skills test.
Handbooks and guides
License requirements by age
Proof of school enrollment or completion
If you are under 18 years of age you will need to provide acceptable proof of enrollment and attendance in or graduation from a recognized high school or equivalent program before an instruction permit, driver-training permit or driver’s license can be issued. This proof can be in the form of a verification of compliance (VOC) letter from an acceptable school or program you are attending, a high school diploma, or a general education certificate of completion. The VOC must be presented within one year from the date listed on the document.
Students enrolled in a home-education program must have been enrolled in the program for at least one school year prior to the verification of attendance request unless documentation can be provided of meeting the attendance requirement for the school year immediately prior to the year in which you are enrolled in the home education program. When your parents sign the liability statement, they must also sign a statement that you are in compliance with the school attendance provisions of Idaho Code.
Liability signer
If you are under 18 years old, you need to have a birth parent or legal guardian with you at the county driver’s license office to sign consent for you to be licensed. The signer assumes legal responsibility for your actions as a driver. If the liability signer is not the mother or father listed on your birth certificate, you must provide acceptable legal documents (adoption records or court guardianship documents). The identity of the liability signer will be verified. If the signer’s name is different from the one appearing on your birth certificate, additional documents such as a marriage license or divorce decree may be required to verify relationship. If the liability signer cannot be present to sign the application at the county office, an acceptable power of attorney may be used.
- If you are married, your spouse, who must be at least 18 years of age, may sign for you. Your spouse’s age must be verified from an acceptable photo document, such as a driver’s license.
- As long as you are under 18, the person who signs for you may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will cause the department to cancel your driver’s license until you reach age 18 or have another acceptable liability signer.
Licensees under the age of 17 are required – during the first six (6) months from the date the license was issued – to limit the number of passengers in the vehicle who are under the age of 17 to not more than one passenger, unless the passengers are related to the driver by blood, adoption, or marriage.
Drivers under the age of 16 who have a valid driver’s license may drive only during daylight hours unless they are accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older who has a valid driver’s license and is sitting in the front seat. No other passengers are allowed in the front section of the vehicle.
Vertical licenses
If you are 15 to 17 years of age, your driver’s license will have a vertical format with a green border around the picture and show “Under 18 until month/day/year.” It will expire five days after your 18th birthday. You should not renew your driver’s license before your 18th birthday unless you will be temporarily living out of state at the time of your 18th birthday.
If you are 18 to 20 years of age, your driver’s license will have a vertical format with a red border around the picture and show “Under 21 until month/day/year.” It will expire five days after your 21st birthday. You should not renew your driver’s license before your 21st birthday unless you will be temporarily living out of state at the time of your 21st birthday.
Operator (Class D) License Fees
| Operator (Class D) | Current Fee |
|---|---|
| 1-Year License (age 17 to 20) | $20.00 |
| 3-Year License (age 15 to 21) | $30.00 |
| 4-Year License (age 21 and over) | $35.00 |
| 8-Year License (age 21 to 62) | $60.00 |
| Knowledge Written Test | $5.00 |
| Skills Test | $35.00 |
| Instruction Permit | $20.00 |
| Driver Training Instruction Permit | $21.50 |
| Duplicate License/Instruction Permit | $20.00 |
| Driver’s License Extension | $10.00 |