MD · Drivers education
Maryland drivers ed guide
Maryland is one of the few states where drivers ed is not just for teenagers: anyone getting a first license, at any age, completes an MVA certified course of 30 classroom hours plus 6 hours in the car before the road test. Teens then work through the Rookie Driver graduated licensing stages. There is no traffic school that wipes out a ticket here; the state's Driver Improvement Program is something a judge or the MVA assigns you to once points build up.
Checked against Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration on 2026-10-23.
Teen Drivers Ed in Maryland: A Family Guide to Rookie Driver
This page is for parents of a Maryland teen approaching 15 and a half. The big decision is when to start, and the answer is a little before 15 years and 9 months, the earliest age for a learner's permit. Drivers ed is ma...
- Earliest learner's permit15 years, 9 months
- Is drivers ed mandatory?Yes, for every new driver at any age
- Course hours30 in the classroom, 6 behind the wheel
Adult Drivers Ed in Maryland: The Course, the Permit and the Test
This page is for adults in Maryland who have never been licensed, and for anyone who just moved here. Unlike most states, Maryland makes you take drivers ed no matter your age. A first-time driver of 19 or 59 completes t...
- Course for adultsRequired: 30 classroom plus 6 driving hours
- Permit hold at 19 to 243 months
- Permit hold at 25 and up45 days
Maryland Defensive Driving: Tickets, Points and Driver Improvement
This page is for Maryland drivers holding a ticket and hoping a defensive driving class will cancel it. Here that does not exist: no class wipes out a citation or its points. The one course tied to tickets is the Driver ...
- Can a course dismiss a ticket?No
- Driver Improvement Program length4 to 8 hours
- Points that send you to the DIP5 to 7 within two years