Michigan Segment 1 driver education requirements set the entry point for every new teen driver in the state: a student must be at least 14 years and 8 months old, enroll with a provider certified by the Michigan Department of State, complete 24 hours of classroom instruction along with 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving and 4 hours of observation, and pass a written state exam with a score of at least 70%. After that, the teen and a parent visit a Secretary of State office to apply for the Level 1 Learner License.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18)
Who Can Enroll and Who Signs Them Up
The minimum age to begin Segment 1 is 14 years and 8 months. A teen cannot sign themselves up. A parent or legal guardian starts the process by giving written permission and signing a contract with a state-certified driver education provider.2Michigan Department of State. Michigan Graduated Driver’s License: A Guide for Parents
Every provider operating in Michigan has to meet the administrative and curriculum standards set under the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act (Public Act 384 of 2006) before offering instruction to the public.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) If a school is advertising Segment 1, that certification is the baseline you can assume. Course cost varies by provider and is separate from the $25 fee the state collects later at the Secretary of State office.
Documents to Have Ready Before Classes Start
Before the first class, the student needs to show paperwork that verifies identity, age, legal presence, and a Social Security number. Acceptable options include a certified birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport for citizenship, and a Social Security card, W-2, or pay stub for the Social Security number. A teen without a Social Security number can substitute a letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration.2Michigan Department of State. Michigan Graduated Driver’s License: A Guide for Parents
These same categories come up again at the Secretary of State office, with the addition of Michigan residency. The state asks for at least two documents establishing residency at that visit, so it saves time to pull everything together once at the beginning rather than hunting for paperwork twice.
What Segment 1 Covers
Segment 1 has three parts: classroom hours, behind-the-wheel driving, and observation.
Classroom Hours
The course requires a minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction covering traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving strategies. Sessions are capped at two hours per day so material doesn’t blur during a long sitting.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) Providers can go beyond the minimum, but not below it.
Behind-the-Wheel Driving
Students complete at least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in a dual-controlled vehicle with a certified instructor. At least 3 of those 6 hours must happen before classroom instruction ends.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) The overlap is intentional, letting the student practice while the classroom material is still fresh. The remaining hours can be scheduled after the classroom portion finishes.
Observation
Students also spend a minimum of 4 hours observing another student drive, riding along while a certified instructor coaches from inside the vehicle.
The Segment 1 State Exam
At the end of the course the student takes a written state exam administered by the provider. The passing score is 70%, and the test covers the traffic laws, hazard identification, and safe driving principles taught during the classroom phase.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18)
A student who fails can retake the exam. A student who fails three times has to repeat the entire classroom portion of Segment 1 before testing again. The instructor also evaluates driving ability during the behind-the-wheel hours, so the written exam is not the only measure of whether the student is ready.
After passing, the provider issues a Certificate of Completion that lists the student’s name, date of birth, and the provider’s certification number. Keep it somewhere safe. It is the document that unlocks the next step.
Applying for the Level 1 Learner License
With the Certificate of Completion in hand, the teen and a parent or legal guardian go together to a Michigan Secretary of State office to apply for the Level 1 License. The parent has to be present to sign the application, and that signature carries real weight: it makes the parent partially responsible for how the teen drives.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18)
At the office, the teen will:
- Pass a vision screening.
- Present documents proving a valid Social Security number (or ineligibility letter), legal presence, identity, and Michigan residency.
- Have a photo taken for the license card.
The licensing fee is $25.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) The teen leaves with a hard card and must carry it any time they drive.
What the Level 1 License Lets a Teen Do
A Level 1 License is not a full license. The teen can only drive while accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a designated adult who is at least 21 and has a valid, unexpired driver’s license. If the supervising adult is not the parent or guardian, that person has to carry a signed letter of authorization from the parent or guardian while in the car.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) Forgetting that letter is a common slip.
Under Kelsey’s Law, Level 1 holders cannot use a cell phone while driving except in an emergency, and there is no exception for hands-free devices at this level.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) The nighttime curfew and passenger limits most people associate with Michigan’s teen driving rules apply at Level 2, not Level 1, because a Level 1 driver always has to have a supervising adult in the car anyway.
One more thing worth knowing: a parent or legal guardian can hold a teen at their current licensing level or cancel the GDL license entirely at any time before the teen turns 18. The Secretary of State will process the request on a parent’s written notice.
After Segment 1: Practice Hours and Segment 2
Segment 1 is the first stage of Michigan’s Graduated Driver Licensing system, not the whole thing. Before a teen can start Segment 2, they must hold the Level 1 License for at least three consecutive months and log a minimum of 30 hours of supervised driving, with at least 2 of those hours at night.1Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18) Parents track these hours in a logbook, and they count toward the 50 total hours (10 at night) required before taking the driving skills test for a Level 2 License.
Those practice hours are where most of the real learning happens. The 6 hours with a certified instructor build a foundation; the 50 hours with a parent build the judgment. Use the time to practice in rain, on highways, in heavy traffic, and at night rather than only in quiet neighborhoods.