Getting Your Teen a Georgia Class CP Learner's Permit

Before you go: eligibility and where the permit fits

DDS issues the Class CP from age 15. Under TADRA, the Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act, it is stage one of three. The Class D provisional license follows, and the full Class C comes at 18.

Your teen does not need driver education to get the permit. Joshua's Law attaches to the Class D application at 16 or 17. DDS adds that in-car training cannot begin without a permit, which is why the permit nearly always comes first.

A simple timeline: if your daughter gets her permit on her 15th birthday, March 3, she can apply for a Class D on March 4 of the next year, once she is 16 and has met Joshua's Law.

Before you go: documents and school proof

For identity, a U.S. citizen teen can use a passport or passport card that has not expired, or a birth certificate (original or certified) bearing a raised seal. Teens born overseas to American parents can use their Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and naturalized teens a certified copy of their certificate. Residency needs two documents from separate sources; a teen's report card, transcript or DS-1 form may count as one.

Teens under 18 also prove they are enrolled. DDS takes the DDS-1 Certificate of School Enrollment (notarized), a recent transcript or progress report, or a school ID. For a home-schooled teen, bring the Declaration of Intent you filed or an enrollment certificate from the state education department. A teen who has already graduated shows a diploma or GED.

At the center: who signs, and what signing means

An applicant under 18 needs an adult present to sign: a parent or guardian, another responsible adult, or a driver training instructor with authorization. They sign the License/ID/Permit Form. A responsible adult must bring papers that show how they are related to the teen.

Think before you sign. According to DDS, the signer keeps the power to have the teen's license withdrawn until the teen reaches 18.

At the center: the eye exam and the two tests

Road Rules asks about driver responsibility, traffic law and safe habits. Road Signs checks that your teen recognizes standard highway signs, signals and pavement markings. Each test is 20 questions with 15 needed to pass, and as of October 2026 both come in 26 languages.

No appointment is required, but your teen should be on the testing computer no later than 30 minutes before closing. Failing either test means a 1-day wait, then 7 days after a second failure, with the $10 paid again each time.

• Road Rules: 20 questions, pass with 15
• Road Signs: 20 questions, pass with 15
• Eyes: 20/60 or better on one side, plus 140 degrees of side vision
• After a fail: 1 day, then 7 days

After the permit is issued: the rules for practice

A Class CP holder drives only with a companion who is at least 21, holds a Class C, is fit and able to take control, and sits in the next seat. Permit holders have no DDS curfew, yet practicing the Class D curfew (no driving from midnight to 5 a.m.) from the start builds the habit.

Keep the record clean. To get a Class D, your teen must have had no major violation that led to the permit being suspended. And remember the under-18 point limit: 4 within a year triggers a suspension.

If you are moving here, or the permit goes missing

New residents have 30 days to transfer. A permit from the old state can be switched over only if your teen meets every Georgia permit requirement, and the months already held count toward the 1 year and 1 day. Hand in the old permit, or if it is lost, bring a driving record no more than 60 days old.

A lost or stolen Georgia permit costs $10 to replace as of October 2026. The permit expires 2 years after issue, so if your teen is in no hurry to road test, look at the date on the card before you book.