Louisiana Learner’s Permit Requirements and Restrictions

To get a Louisiana learner’s permit, you need to complete a driver education course, gather your identity documents, pass a vision and knowledge test at the Office of Motor Vehicles, and pay a base fee of $32.25. The full Louisiana learner’s permit requirements depend on your age: applicants 15 and 16 enter the Graduated Licensing Program and hold the permit before earning an intermediate license, while applicants 17 and older can move straight to a full license once they pass the required tests.¹

You must be at least 15 to apply. Anyone who has never held a Louisiana driver’s license needs the permit before driving on public roads.

Driver Education by Age

The education requirement is the biggest variable, and it’s the step you complete before you show up at the OMV.

If you’re 15, 16, or 17, you need the full 38-hour driver education course: 30 hours of classroom instruction and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor. No more than 4 hours of driving instruction can be scheduled in a single day.²

You can start the classroom portion as early as 90 days before your 15th birthday if you’re in at least eighth grade, but the behind-the-wheel portion has to wait until you turn 15 and hold a Temporary Instructional Permit.²

If you’re 18 or older, you have the option of a shorter 14-hour prelicensing course: 6 hours of classroom and 8 hours behind the wheel, with the skills test built into the course itself.²

Get a Temporary Instructional Permit First

Before you can take the knowledge test or your behind-the-wheel lessons, you need a Temporary Instructional Permit, or TIP. This is a separate step from the learner’s permit itself. The TIP can be issued to anyone at least 14 years old and is obtained at an OMV office.³

While you hold a TIP, you can only drive when your driver education instructor is with you during lessons or skills testing. It does not authorize driving with a parent. That comes with the learner’s permit itself, after you finish the course and pass the required tests.² There is no additional cost to convert a TIP to a learner’s permit.³

Documents to Bring

First-time applicants need one primary document and two secondary documents. Primary documents include an original or certified birth certificate, a U.S. passport, or a certificate of naturalization. Secondary documents include a Social Security card and a photo ID such as a Louisiana school identification card.⁴

If you’re eligible for a Social Security number, you must provide it. It won’t appear on the face of your permit, but the OMV records it internally.⁴

You also need proof of a Louisiana address, such as a local utility statement or a receipt showing service turned on at an address in your name.⁴

Applicants 17 and under have two extra items: a Certificate of Required Attendance from their high school and a driver education certificate showing completion of the required course.⁴ Applicants under 17 must also present a certified birth certificate or documentation proving custody or legal guardianship, even if they already provided a primary document.⁵

A parent or legal guardian has to sign the application for any applicant under 18. When joint custody has been awarded, only the domiciliary parent may sign.⁶

At the OMV: Tests and Fees

The vision screening comes first. You need at least 20/40 in one or both eyes to pass.¹ Bring your corrective lenses if you use them. Applicants who cannot meet the standard may be referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for a formal examination.

Next is the knowledge test, covering Louisiana traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices. A score of at least 80% is required to pass.¹ If you don’t pass on the first attempt, you can retake it once the same day if time allows. You can bring a translator if you need one to understand the written test.

The base fee for a Class E learner’s permit is $32.25. Some OMV field offices add a service fee of up to $6.00, so the total can reach $38.25.⁷ Credit cards, debit cards, and cash are accepted. Personal checks generally are not.

Rules While You Hold the Permit

Every time you drive, a licensed parent, guardian, or adult at least 21 years old must be in the seat beside you. A licensed sibling who is at least 18 also qualifies.³

Cell phone use is completely banned while driving on a permit. That includes hands-free and Bluetooth. Other Louisiana drivers can make hands-free voice calls; learner’s permit holders cannot use a phone in any capacity behind the wheel.⁸

Carry the permit whenever you drive and show it to law enforcement on request. Louisiana does not impose a separate nighttime curfew or passenger limit at the learner’s permit stage.

Log 50 Hours of Supervised Driving

Before you can apply for an intermediate license, you need at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, with a minimum of 15 hours at night. This practice has to be with a parent, guardian, or adult at least 21 years old.⁹

These 50 hours are separate from the 8 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in your driver education course. Louisiana doesn’t require a specific form, but keeping a written log protects you if there’s ever a question about whether you met the threshold.

Moving to the Next License

If You Got Your Permit at 15

You have to hold the learner’s permit for at least 180 days and wait until you turn 16 before applying for an intermediate license. Both conditions must be met. You also need the 50 hours of supervised driving and a passing road skills test.⁷

If You Got Your Permit at 16

You have to hold the permit for at least 180 days or until you turn 17, whichever comes first, and complete the 50 hours before taking the road skills test.⁷

If You’re 17 or Older

There is no mandatory waiting period. Once you complete your driver education or prelicensing course and pass the vision, knowledge, and road skills tests, you can be issued a full license.¹

Penalties for Driving Unsupervised

A permit holder driving without a qualified supervisor in the car is treated as driving without a valid license. The penalty for operating a vehicle that requires a Class E license without proper authorization is a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both.¹⁰

A Note on Insurance

Louisiana requires every vehicle on the road to carry minimum liability insurance of $15,000 for bodily injury to one person, $30,000 for bodily injury to multiple people in a single accident, and $25,000 for property damage.¹¹ Coverage follows the vehicle, so a permit holder practicing in a properly insured car is generally covered under the owner’s policy. Most insurers don’t require you to add a teen with a learner’s permit, but calling to confirm coverage before practice starts is the simplest way to avoid a denied claim later.

1
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. New Licenses
2
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 32-402.1
3
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Permits
4
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Identification Requirements
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Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Office of Motor Vehicles Policy 6.00 Identification Requirements
6
Justia. Louisiana Code 32-407 – Applications of Minors
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Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Class E Learner’s Permit Requirements
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Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Louisiana Graduated Driver’s License Program
9
Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. Graduated Licensing Program
10
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 32-402 – Mandatory Licensure
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Louisiana Department of Insurance. Consumer’s Guide to Auto Insurance