When did you let your kids get their drivers license? (Not learners permit)

[barkley]

dd had no desire to drive in high school and we had no desire for the increased premiums so she waited to do drivers ed/training over the summer of her senior year and got her license after she was 18. much lower premiums vs. the quote for pre 18. ds will never possess a licence or drive, and despite being of legal driving age it has no impact on our premiums.

 

[indimom]

As soon as they were the minimum age. I was perfectly happy to let them drive themselves to school and activities. FREEDOM!

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS got his at 17. He wasn't really interested right when he turned 16. - I would have been fine with it if he was, but I was also fine with waiting a bit since it saved money.

It really has been a blessing for him to be able to drive himself to and from school, though! (There is no "late bus" in our district if you have after-school activities.)

 

[mjkacmom]

17, which is the earliest in NJ. Here they get their permit at 16, and are required to take 6 hours behind the wheel before they can learn to drive with a licensed driver. They can take the test and get a provisional license at 17, and then get their unprovisional at 18. There is zero student parking at the high school, but many pay $50 a month for municipal parking a few blocks from the high school.

I like them to get it as early as possible so they are solid drivers before college, most don’t allow cars on campus freshman year, so they can backslide a bit.

 

[sam_gordon]

Permit at 16, test for the intermediate license at 16 1/2 (state requirements). DD failed her first test for the license (I incorrectly taught her how to do a 3 point turn), but then passed two weeks later.

Planning the same for DS in another year.

I got my license at 16.

 

[charmed59]

My kids could walk to school, but both got their license at 16. The older one wasn’t interested, until I threw the bus schedule on her bed for getting to after school activities. I explained it was now younger child’s turn to choose after school activities, and I was booked to drive her, so older one must get herself to her activities. Motivation is a powerful thing.

When younger one got her license I was given two more hours a day for my activities. And she was thrilled to drive herself.

 

[ronandannette]

This thread is interesting as I have never heard of parents not allowing their kids to get their license at 16. When I was a kid everyone got their license at 16, it was a right of passage. Not everyone had cars but we all were able to drive if needed. I’ll have to ask my friends that have older kids What they did.

My DS and his high school crowd just weren't anxious to learn. We were surprised at it too, but we didn't push. They're all "city kids" with access to transit and everything they want/need within easy reach. There was only one in the group who got his license at 16 and with an ancient Aerostar mini-van he was given, he pretty much drove the rest of them around like a soccer-mom for the next couple of years.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Yes, I'm sure it has changed since 1978 when I got my license. As far as I remember, there were no provisional or probationary licenses in NJ then. I was fully licensed with no restrictions at about age 17 and 2 months. And of course no photos on the licenses then either.

(My parents attempted to enforce some restrictions. Don't drive too far away. No late late night driving, etc. I never stayed out too late, but the car "may" have made it down the shore a few times. )

I don't remember Pennsylvania having restricted licenses back in the 1970s either. I got my permit right after my 16th birthday and had a full license within about 6 weeks.

And I drove to the shore a few times without my parents' knowledge or consent.

Pennsylvania drinking age was always 21. It was never lowered to 18. NJ bars weren't "supposed" to accept PA licenses, but many were lax about it. Besides, it was fairly easy to get a fake NJ ID for drinking purposes.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

DS18 was 17 - he had shoulder surgery when he was 15 so he missed out on talking drivers ed until he was 16, then had to wait for the next session to start at his school, and then wait the 9 month required waiting period for our state.

DD14 will be starting drivers ed in a few months, and will have almost exactly a year from the time she finishes the course until she turns 16. I will be taking her to get her actual license on her 16th birthday! Same with DS13. He will start drivers ed ASAP when he is 14/turning 15, and get his license the day he turns 16. In our state, you can start drivers training at 14, so long as you turn 15 before the course ends, and you can get your license either the day you turn 16, or 9 months to the day after you get your permit, whichever comes last.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

DD will get the same lecture as her Mom and Dad did: it's a skill set that you NEED, so you will be learning ASAP. Dad practically lived in his car from job to job as a teen ; I grew up rural so a car was required to do anything. We've chatted about how the automated driving cars will be more popular, but it will take decades to get all the human-operated fuel-burning cars off the roads, so she might as well learn how to operate them. I want her to be the one amongst her friends who knows all the car smarts and can get them out of trouble. My mom taught me some, but my BFF in high school was a juvenile drag racer, so she knew a little more

 

[mousefan73]

My DS and his high school crowd just weren't anxious to learn. We were surprised at it too, but we didn't push. They're all "city kids" with access to transit and everything they want/need within easy reach. There was only one in the group who got his license at 16 and with an ancient Aerostar mini-van he was given, he pretty much drove the rest of them around like a soccer-mom for the next couple of years.

You guys are an exception. Most Americans unfortunately do not have access to reliable transport. When I lived in the city I used my car once a week(Target trips). My friend lives in the city too with kids. Need to ask how it is with them. Once you hit suburbia you are car dependent. Sucks

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

At the time the age was 14 for learner's 16 for full license. I didn't get my license until age 17 1/2 because I didn't have a car (a car I needed to buy myself with my own money). I took driver's ed outside of school (my school didn't offer driver's ed as a course) so it was an 8hour instructional day and then three 2 hour driving lessons.

I got my permit at age 15 1/2 to use for a government issued ID for a cruise. I had been doing lessons off and off with my dad and stepmom though before doing the driver's ed (you still needed 50 hours of parental/guardian instruction with 10 hours of that being at night).

The laws have since changed and now it's a graduated system and somewhat complicated. In any case you can still get a farm permit that has different rules than non farm permits.

 

[maxaroni]

I don't remember Pennsylvania having restricted licenses back in the 1970s either. I got my permit right after my 16th birthday and had a full license within about 6 weeks.

And I drove to the shore a few times without my parents' knowledge or consent.

Pennsylvania drinking age was always 21. It was never lowered to 18. NJ bars weren't "supposed" to accept PA licenses, but many were lax about it. Besides, it was fairly easy to get a fake NJ ID for drinking purposes.

Drinking age for me was 18, but DH being 5 years older than me, it was 21. However, we grew up in North Jersey, only 20 minutes from NY, which was 18. He’d go into NY to drink legally and some times a NY cop would follow him to the border...hmmmm.

 

[AppleDumpling]

The earliest age here (Long Island, NY) for a regular license is 17, provided you have taken Drivers Ed. So DS was 17 and a senior in HS. You have to be 16 for a learners permit. I can’t imagine driving at age 14 or 15; that seems so young.

 

[disneychrista]

Both my daughter were 19+ when they got theirs. Neither really cared until then. My oldest got hers after the younger one.

 

[holden]

Our DD16 got her permit two days after her 16th birthday. She's eligible to get her license six months after she got the permit. We have enrolled her in a driving school that will administer the driver test once she'll eligible. She has to do 65 hours of driving prior to going for her license. There are also a certain number of hours of night driving, inclement weather driving, etc. Most of her hours so far have been night driving because it's winter.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

My DS and his high school crowd just weren't anxious to learn. We were surprised at it too, but we didn't push. They're all "city kids" with access to transit and everything they want/need within easy reach. There was only one in the group who got his license at 16 and with an ancient Aerostar mini-van he was given, he pretty much drove the rest of them around like a soccer-mom for the next couple of years.

I agree - we are in a walkable, small but fairly urban suburb with a lot of public transportation options. The kids here are typically in no hurry to get their license. In MI, where we lived previously, it is a rite of passage to go to the Secretary of State on your 16th birthday and get your license.

My sister who has kids the same age as my DS, was shocked that he still didn't have his license at 17. She made a really big deal out of it.

We are going to make sure DD14 and DS13 get their licenses at 16, though, because now we understand how much easier our lives are with extra drivers in the house lol

 

[Snowysmom]

Both sons got their licenses as soon as possible, 16 and half. It really helped that they could drive to their jobs and sports practices as well as school.

 

[KristiMc]

We are in OH. My son got his permit on the day he turned 15.5. Here you have to have the permit for at least 6 months and take drivers ed if you are under 18. He got his license 3 days after he turned 16 (had a band concert the day of his bday). I was shocked that our insurance didn't really go up a lot. I was expecting much more.

 

[ronandannette]

You guys are an exception. Most Americans unfortunately do not have access to reliable transport. When I lived in the city I used my car once a week(Target trips). My friend lives in the city too with kids. Need to ask how it is with them. Once you hit suburbia you are car dependent. Sucks

It was tough for DS (and terrifying for me!!) to learn to drive in the city with heavy traffic, freeways, on/off ramps, traffic circles and whatnot. So, so much easier when I learned 30 years ago on country roads. The testing conditions are very challenging too, what with so much other traffic to account for. One thing for sure though - he's been prepared very thoroughly to be a good driver.