| Getting a Driver License - Under 18 |
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| Overview |
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This page provides information about acquiring an Oregon driver license if you are under the age of 18. Slightly different information applies if you are over the age of 18.
Use the links below to go directly to any section:
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| General Information |
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While driving a motor vehicle on highways or premises open to the public in Oregon, you must have either a valid driver license or instruction permit in your possession. If you are a resident of another state, click here for information.
DMV issues driver licenses (provisional Class C) to drivers who are 16-17 years old and meet the qualifications (below). A provisional driver license allows a person who is 16-17 years old to operate the same vehicles as a non-commercial Class C driver license. DMV closely monitors drivers with a provisional license to ensure safe driving practices.
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| Qualify/Apply |
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You must apply in person at a DMV office, and you must:
- Be a resident of Oregon;
- Be 16 to 17 years of age (click here if 18 years of age or older);
- Have no medical condition that makes you unable to drive safely as defined in OAR 735-062-0000 (2)(a)(b)(c);
- Have no suspended or revoked driving privileges in Oregon or any other state;
- Have had a valid instruction permit from Oregon, another state or the District of Columbia for at least six months (the instruction permit must have been valid for at least six months in the issuing state or District of Columbia);
- Complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving and an ODOT-approved traffic safety education course (you must present the original course completion card when you apply) OR at least 100 hours of supervised driving (the supervising driver must be at least 21 years old and have had a valid driver license for at least three years, and a parent or legal guardian must certify your driving experience);
- Submit a completed Driver License/ID Card Application, if you answer “yes” to any of the medical questions you are not eligible for a license. DMV will not be able to issue you a license until you have established that your medical condition does not affect your ability to drive safely. To do so, DMV may ask you to provide additional medical information and/or to pass additional DMV tests;
- Include a parent or legal guardian's signature on your application unless you are married or an emancipated minor;
- Provide proof of school enrollment, completion or exemption if you are applying for an Oregon driving privilege for the first time;
- Provide proof of your full legal name, every time you apply;
- Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, every time you apply;
- Provide proof of your Social Security Number;
- Provide proof of your Oregon residence address;
- Pass a vision screening test as defined in OAR 735-062-0050;
- Pass a Safe Driving Practices Test (All the information necessary to pass the test is included in the Oregon Driver Manual);
- Pass the Safe Driving Practices test;
- Make an appointment for a behind-the-wheel drive test;
- Complete and pass the drive test in a fully functional, street legal, Class C vehicle for which you can provide proof of insurance;
- Surrender any valid driver license or permit issued by another state; and
- Pay appropriate testing and issuance fees (see note on payment of test fees).
After you meet all requirements, you will be issued an interim card to use until you receive your license in the mail.
If you surrendered a previous driver license, permit or identification card, it will be hole-punched and returned to you. The hole-punched card is not valid by itself, but may be used as additional proof of identity with the interim card.
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| Driving Restrictions |
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After you get your provisional driver license, your driving is restricted as follows:
Until 18 Years of Age:
You cannot operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile communication device. This includes talking on a cell phone and texting.
First Six Months:
- You can not drive with a passenger under age 20 who is not a member of your immediate family*; and
- You can not drive between midnight and 5 am unless you are:
- Driving between home and work
- Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available
- Driving for employment purposes; or
- Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.
Second Six Months:
- You can not drive with more than three (3) passengers who are under age 20 who are not members of your immediate family*; and
- You can not drive between midnight and 5 am unless you are:
- Driving between home and work
- Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available
- Driving for employment purposes; or
- Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.
*Passenger restrictions do not apply while driving with an instructor as part of a certified traffic safety education course or with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who has valid driving privileges.
Note: The passenger and night driving restrictions only apply until you are 18 or you have had your provisional license for one year; whichever comes first.
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| Driving Privileges |
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With a Class C driver license you may operate:
- Any vehicle for which a CDL is not required, except a motorcycle;
- Any emergency fire vehicle, regardless of the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles. The driver must be a firefighter as defined in ORS 652.050;
- Any Search and Rescue vehicle equipped with lights and sirens, regardless of weight when the vehicle is operated by an emergency service worker;
- A vehicle owned, operated, or leased by a public transit or transportation district that carries 15 persons or less and has a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight restrictions (GVWR) of 26,000 pounds or less when the driver is a volunteer; and
- Any motor home for personal use, regardless of the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles. Motor homes for personal use have not been included in the definition of commercial motor vehicles in ORS 801.208 and, therefore, operators are not required to possess a commercial driver license.
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| Parent Guide to Teen Driving |
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The Oregon Department of Transportation provides a hardcopy version of The Oregon Parent Guide to Teen Driving in English only. It contains information to support the important partnerships between state driver licensing, driver education, teen drivers and their parents.
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| Related Information |
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Additional information that may be relevant includes:
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