How to Get a Driver’s License in Georgia: Tests, Documents, and Fees

To get a driver’s license in Georgia, you apply through the Department of Driver Services (DDS): complete the online License/ID/Permit application, gather documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Georgia residency, then visit a DDS Customer Service Center to pass a vision screening, a written knowledge exam, and a road skills test. Fees run from $10 for a learner’s permit to $32 for a standard eight-year Class C license.¹

Who Needs a Georgia License

Anyone who has lived in Georgia for at least 30 days must have a Georgia license before driving on public roads. Residency is defined broadly: a permanent home in the state, or simply 30 consecutive days of presence, starts the clock.²

If you already hold an out-of-state license, you have to surrender it when you apply for the Georgia version. Transfers from another state also require a motor vehicle report from the previous state, dated within the past 60 days.³

Which License Fits Your Age

Georgia uses a graduated system that adds driving privileges in stages.

At 15, you can apply for a learner’s permit (Class CP), which allows supervised driving only.
At 16, you can move up to a provisional license (Class D) after finishing driver education, the alcohol and drug awareness program, and 40 hours of supervised practice.
At 18, you qualify for a full Class C license with no passenger or curfew restrictions.

No one under 18 can get a Class A, Class B, or commercial license in Georgia.⁴

Documents to Bring

Missing paperwork is the most common reason people leave the DDS office empty-handed. You need three categories of documents, and the name on each must match. If your name has changed through marriage or divorce, bring certified legal documents that bridge every name change back to your birth record.⁵

Proof of Identity

One original or certified document proving identity and citizenship or lawful status. Acceptable options include a certified birth certificate from a state vital statistics office, a valid U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a valid Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). Non-citizens can use an unexpired Employment Authorization Document or a foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and I-94 form.

Social Security Number

Your full Social Security number goes on the application. If DDS can’t verify it electronically, bring backup: an original Social Security card, a W-2 or 1099 showing the full SSN, a paycheck stub, or a federal or state tax return.⁵

Two Proofs of Georgia Residency

Two documents from separate sources, each showing your name and current street address. P.O. boxes don’t qualify. Common examples are a signed lease, a utility or phone bill, a bank statement, a mortgage document, or a property deed. All residency documents must be dated within the past six months.⁶

The Three Tests

Every new driver must pass a vision screening, a written knowledge exam, and an on-the-road driving test.⁷

Vision Screening

You need at least 20/60 acuity in one eye (corrected or uncorrected) and a horizontal field of vision of at least 140 degrees with both eyes open. If only one eye is usable, the standard is 70 degrees temporal and 50 degrees nasal. Bring your glasses or contacts if you wear them.⁷

Written Knowledge Exam

The knowledge exam has two 20-question parts, one on road signs and one on road rules. You must answer at least 15 correctly on each part.⁸

Road Skills Test

The road test starts with three basic maneuvers: parallel parking, a turn-about, and straight-line backing. Then the examiner directs you through an on-road evaluation covering multiple left and right turns, controlled and uncontrolled intersections, and whatever typical traffic conditions the area presents, which may include highway driving, divided roads, and lane changes.

Retest Waiting Periods

Fail the knowledge or road test once and you wait one day to retake it. After a second failure, the wait is seven days. If you fail the road test because of an accident or traffic violation during the exam, ticketed or not, the wait becomes 30 days.⁹

Application Steps and Fees

Start online. Complete the License/ID/Permit application through the DDS website or the DDS 2 GO mobile app before you go to a Customer Service Center. The form collects personal information, medical history, and emergency contacts, and finishing it in advance generates a confirmation that speeds up your visit.¹⁰

At the office, staff verify your documents, administer the tests, take your photo, and collect the fee. Fees depend on the class of license:

Learner’s permit (Class CP): $10, valid for 6 months
Provisional license (Class D): $10, valid for 5 years
Standard license (Class C): $32, valid for 8 years

The $32 Class C fee is set by statute.¹ You leave with a temporary paper document, and the permanent plastic card arrives by mail, typically within 30 days.¹¹ The TSA does not accept the temporary paper document at airport security, so if you’re flying before the card arrives, bring your passport.⁵

Extra Steps for Drivers Under 18

Teens have to clear additional hurdles before getting a Class D license at 16.

Learner’s Permit at 15

A parent or guardian must come with the teen to the DDS office and sign the application. That adult takes on legal responsibility and can request the permit be revoked at any point before the teen turns 18.¹²

The teen passes a vision screening and the written knowledge exam, and the permit costs $10. Applicants under 18 also need proof of school enrollment: a notarized Certificate of School Enrollment, a transcript, a school ID, or equivalent. Home-schooled students can use a Declaration of Intent filed with the Georgia Department of Education.¹²

With a permit, driving is only allowed when a licensed adult who is at least 21 is in the front passenger seat and capable of taking control of the vehicle. Solo driving is not permitted at any time.

Joshua’s Law Driver Education

Before a 16-year-old can graduate to a Class D provisional license, Georgia requires a state-approved driver education course. The standard program covers 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor. Teens also need 40 total hours of supervised driving practice, 6 of them at night, verified by a parent or guardian under oath.¹³

Completing the full 30-hour classroom and 6-hour driving program earns a Certificate of Completion that also qualifies the teen for insurance discounts. A shorter course only earns a Limited Certificate of Completion.¹³

Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program

All applicants under 18 also have to complete the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) before receiving a Class D license. Most teens take it through high school. Home-schoolers, or teens whose schools don’t offer the course, can use the free online version from DDS called eADAP, which runs around the clock.¹⁴

Class D Driving Restrictions

A Class D provisional license lets a teen drive without a supervising adult but comes with limits that ease over the first year:

Nighttime curfew: no driving between midnight and 5:00 a.m., with no exceptions.
First six months: only immediate family members may ride as passengers.
Months seven through twelve: one non-family passenger under 21 is allowed.
After one year: up to three non-family passengers under 21 are allowed.

Immediate family members can ride along at any stage. All restrictions lift when the driver turns 18 and qualifies for a Class C license.¹⁵

REAL ID and Your Georgia License

As of May 7, 2025, boarding a domestic flight or entering many federal facilities requires a REAL ID-compliant license or another acceptable federal ID such as a passport. Georgia licenses and IDs issued after 2012 already meet the REAL ID standard and carry a gold or black star in the upper right corner.⁵

If your current card has no star, you need to visit a DDS Customer Service Center with the same three categories of documents required for a new application: one identity document, your SSN, and two residency proofs.

Free License for Veterans and National Guard

Qualified veterans can get a Georgia driver’s license at no charge by showing their DD-214 separation papers (Member Copy 4) or a Certificate of Eligibility (DS-516B) from the Georgia Department of Veteran Services. The free license also extends to the spouse of a disabled veteran who doesn’t already hold a license and to the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran who has not remarried.¹⁶

Former Georgia National Guard or reserve members with 20 or more years of creditable service qualify as well. Current Guard members in good standing can get a free license by submitting a Certificate of Eligibility (DS-318B) signed by a commanding officer. Activation for training purposes alone does not qualify.¹⁶

What Driving Without a License Costs

Driving without a valid Georgia license is a misdemeanor, punishable under the schedule in O.C.G.A. § 40-5-121, which can include jail time and fines.²

There is a narrow safe harbor. If your license expired less than 31 days before the stop and you can show the court a license that would have been valid at the time of the offense, the charge is dismissed. If you simply forgot to carry your valid license, a lesser provision under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-29 applies instead of the full unlicensed-driving charge.²

1
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-25 – Applications; Fees; Provisions for Voluntary Participation in Various Programs
2
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-20 – License Required; Surrender of Prior Licenses; Local Licenses Prohibited
3
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Class C License
4
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-22 – Issuance of Instruction Permit or Driver’s License to Person Under 18 Years of Age; Persons Not to Be Licensed
5
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Georgia REAL ID Information
6
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Update License – Section: Acceptable Proof of Residency Documents
7
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-27 – Examination of Applicants
8
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 3: Testing Information
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Test and Exams Information
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. DDS Forms
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Online Services FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Learners Permit
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Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Joshua’s Law
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. ADAP
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Teen Driving Laws FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Military, Veterans, and National Guard