Georgia Certificate of School Enrollment (DDS-1) Requirements

In Georgia, the Certificate of School Enrollment (form DDS-1) is the document every driver under 18 must bring to the Department of Driver Services to prove they are attending school, pursuing a GED, or enrolled in an approved home education program. A school official fills it out, a notary stamps it, and you hand the original to DDS when you apply for a learner’s permit or a provisional license. Get any of those three steps wrong and DDS will turn you away.

When You Need It

Georgia law bars DDS from issuing an instruction permit or driver’s license to anyone under 18 without acceptable proof of educational status.¹ That means you’ll submit a DDS-1 twice:

When you apply for a Class CP instructional permit at age 15.²
When you apply for a Class D provisional license at age 16, after holding the permit for at least a year and a day.³

Once you turn 18, the requirement goes away. You can apply for a standard Class C license without any school enrollment paperwork.

Who Qualifies as Enrolled

The statute isn’t limited to students in a traditional classroom. You meet the enrollment requirement if you are:

Enrolled in a public or private school and not currently expelled.
Enrolled in a home education program that satisfies Georgia’s reporting requirements.
Pursuing or holding a GED (the statute calls it a “high school equivalency diploma”).
Enrolled in a postsecondary school after completing or leaving secondary education.
Already holding a high school diploma or certificate of completion.

If you have already graduated or earned a GED, you can present that credential directly instead of submitting a DDS-1.¹

How To Fill Out and Notarize the DDS-1

You can download a blank DDS-1 from the DDS website or pick one up at your school’s front office.⁴ The student portion asks for your full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. Double-check every field. DDS cross-references the form against its records, and a small mismatch will hold up your application.

A designated school official, usually a registrar or administrator, then completes the school’s section, confirming that you are currently enrolled and not under expulsion. After that, the form has to be notarized. This is the step families forget most often. DDS requires the notary stamp, and showing up without it means a wasted trip.² Many schools have a notary on staff who can handle the signing and stamping in one visit. If yours doesn’t, a bank or a UPS store can notarize the form for you before you head to DDS.

How Long the Form Is Good For

The DDS-1 is valid for 30 days from the date it is certified and notarized. Once that window closes, you need a new form with a new date and a new notary stamp. Book your DDS appointment before you have the form signed, or at least confirm an appointment slot is available within the 30-day window, so you don’t run out the clock waiting.

Bring the original, physical document to your appointment. Photocopies and digital scans will not be accepted because DDS needs to see the original notary stamp and ink signatures. You’ll also need to complete the Online License/ID/Permit Form before you arrive; DDS requires every customer to submit that in advance.³

Home School and Private School Students

Home-schooled students don’t use the standard DDS-1 the same way traditional students do. You need to show that your home education program is properly registered with the state, and the key document is the Declaration of Intent filed with the Georgia Department of Education. You can file it electronically through the DOE’s online portal, and you should save or print a copy for your records to bring to DDS as your proof of enrollment.⁵

Private school students follow the same DDS-1 process as public school students. A designated administrator signs the form, confirming enrollment and good standing, and the form still has to be notarized before you submit it.¹

Disciplinary Findings That Block Certification

Enrollment alone isn’t always enough. Georgia law directs DDS to suspend or refuse a permit or license if a minor has been found in violation of certain serious school offenses:

Threatening, striking, or causing bodily harm to a teacher or other school employee.
Possessing or selling drugs or alcohol on school property or at a school event.
Possessing or using a weapon on school property or at a school event.
Any offense prohibited under Chapter 6 of Title 16 of the Georgia Code (sexual offenses).
Causing substantial or visible bodily harm to another person, including another student.

A criminal conviction isn’t required for these to apply. A finding by a school hearing officer or panel, a change in school placement based on the offense, or waiving a hearing and pleading guilty all count.¹ If any of these are on your record, DDS will not issue the license even if the school is willing to sign the DDS-1.

Losing and Regaining Eligibility

If you drop out, get expelled, or commit one of the disqualifying disciplinary offenses, DDS can suspend your permit or license. The suspension lasts until you turn 18, re-enroll in an approved program, or resolve the underlying issue. A teen who loses driving privileges for expulsion can’t simply wait a few months and reapply while still out of school.

The door isn’t permanently closed, though. Teens who have left traditional school but begin pursuing a GED, or who enroll in a postsecondary institution, can regain eligibility by giving DDS documentation of that new enrollment.¹

1
Justia Law. Georgia Code 40-5-22 – Issuance of Instruction Permit or Driver’s License
2
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Instructional Learners Permit (Class CP)
3
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Teen Drivers
4
Georgia Department of Driver Services. School Enrollment Documents
5
Georgia Department of Education. Home School Declaration of Intent