For more information on teen driver safety:
GDL restrictions reduce young driver exposure to crash risk and save
lives. Scientific evidence tells us that there are two conditions that put
a teen at the highest risk for being involved in a fatal crash: driving
with other teens and driving at night.
(New Jersey Teen Driver Study Commission Report,
2007)
More than 40 percent of teen driver
fatal crashes occur between the
hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
A teen driver is twice as likely
to be killed in a crash while
carrying just one passenger
Trafc Crashes are
the Leading Cause of
Fatalities for Teens*
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
* Teen is defined as an individual from 15 to 20 years of age
MP122010
Understanding
New Jersey’s
Program
WWW.NJSAFEROADS.COM
Graduated Driver License
Motor Vehicle Crashes
35%
Suicide
12 %
All Others
37%
Homicide
16 %
609•292•6500 or
(toll-free in NJ) 888•486•3339
www.njmvc.gov
www.njsaferoads.com
Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal
crashes as all other drivers. Teens are at the highest risk of being
involved in a car crash during their first 12 to 24 months of driving.
The more guided experience a young driver has, the safer that
driver is on the road.
(NHTSA)
Parents play a crucial role in teen driver safety. Teens who report
having parents that set rules and monitor their activities in a
helpful, supportive way are half as likely to be in a crash and 71
percent less likely to drive intoxicated as teens who describe less
involved parents.
(The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & State Farm Insurance Companies,
Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, A Closer Look, 2009)
Division of Highway Traffic Safety
NJ Office of the Attorney General
800•422•3750
1. TO OBTAIN A SPECIAL LEARNERS PERMIT YOU MUST:
•
Be at least 16 years old
•
Obtain the signed consent of a parent or guardian
•
Enroll in an approved behind-the-wheel driver training course
•
Pass MVC’s knowledge and vision tests
•
Pay the required fee
Upon completing the driver-training course, MVC will VALIDATE the
Special Learner’s Permit. With a validated permit you can:
2. PRACTICE SUPERVISED DRIVING. YOU MUST:
•
Display the GDL decals on the vehicle you operate
•
Be accompanied, in the passenger seat, by a licensed NJ driver
who is at least 21 years of age and has been licensed for at
least three years
•
Observe the Special Learners Permit driving restrictions
•
Practice for at least six months
You are then eligible to apply for a Probationary Driver License.
3. TO OBTAIN A PROBATIONARY DRIVER LICENSE YOU MUST:
•
Be at least 17 years old
•
Complete the supervised driving period without any suspensions
or postponements
•
Pass MVC’s road test
With a Probationary License you can:
4. PRACTICE UNSUPERVISED DRIVING. YOU MUST:
•
Display the GDL decals on the vehicle you operate
•
Observe the Probationary Driver License restrictions
•
Practice for at least 12 months
After completing 12 months on your probationary license, you are
then eligible to apply for a basic driver license. Please note that your
Probationary License does not automatically become a basic license.
5. TO OBTAIN A BASIC DRIVER LICENSE YOU MUST:
•
Be at least 18 years old
•
Complete the unsupervised driving period above without any
suspensions or postponements
•
Pay the required fee
1. TO OBTAIN AN EXAMINATION PERMIT YOU MUST:
•
Be at least 17 years old
•
Obtain the signed consent of a parent or guardian
•
Pass MVC’s knowledge and vision tests
•
Pay the required fee
When you complete the above requirements, MVC will give you a
validated Examination Permit. With a validated permit you can:
2. PRACTICE SUPERVISED DRIVING. YOU MUST:
•
Display the GDL decals on the vehicle you operate
•
Be accompanied, in the passenger seat, by a licensed NJ driver
who is at least 21 years of age and has been licensed for at
least three years
•
Observe the Special Learners Permit driving restrictions
•
Practice for at least six months
Then you can apply for a Probationary Driver License.
3. TO OBTAIN A PROBATIONARY DRIVER LICENSE YOU MUST:
•
Complete the supervised driving period above without any
suspensions or postponements
•
Pass MVC’s road test
With a Probationary License you can:
4. PRACTICE UNSUPERVISED DRIVING. YOU MUST:
•
Display the GDL decals on the vehicle you operate
•
Observe the Probationary Driver License restrictions
•
Practice for at least one year
Then you can:
5. GET A BASIC DRIVER LICENSE. YOU MUST:
•
Complete the unsupervised driving period above without any
suspensions or postponements
•
Pay the required fee
New Jersey residents who have never had a driver license must follow
New Jersey’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) program to get their
first unrestricted basic driver license.
The GDL is designed to give new drivers increased, step-by-step
instruction and driving experience on the road to obtaining a basic
driver license. The GDL has been proven to save lives among new
drivers and their passengers.
GDL REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS
The Early-Bird Road and the Young Adult Road have different steps
and requirements, but they both lead to an unrestricted driver license.
RESTRICTIONS
Special Learners/Examination Permit and Probationary Drivers
(
UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE
)
•
No driving between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
•
The driver may only transport one passenger, unless the driver
is accompanied by a parent or guardian or the passengers are
the driver’s dependents (children).
•
Drivers cannot use cell phones (hand-held or hands-free), hand-
held video games or any other hand-held wireless electronic
devices (i.e., ipods, GPS).
•
All special learners and examination permit holders must be
accompanied by an adult supervising driver in the front seat
who must possess a valid New Jersey driver license, be at least
21 years of age and licensed to drive for at least three years.
(
AT LEAST 21 YEARS OF AGE
)
•
There are no passenger or curfew restrictions.
ThE EARLy-BIRD ROAD ThE yOUNG ADULT ROAD
ThE GRADUATED DRIvER LICENSE PROGRAM
fOR fIRST TIME DRIvERS
ALL DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS MUST WEAR
SEAT BELTS. IT’S THE LAW!
