New law says driver training mandatory for 17-year-olds effective July 1

On July 1, 2021, parents and students should mark their calendars for a significant change in the requirements in Georgia for young drivers. On that date, student drivers who are 17-year-old will be required to successfully complete the Joshua’s Law component of Georgia’s driver training program.

This mandatory training includes 30 hours of classroom/online instruction and 6 hours of on-the-road training. Anyone under the age of 18 will not be issued their initial Class D license without completing the required preparation. Currently, teens waiting until age 17 to test for their first license were exempt from the requirement, but that all changes on July 1.

During this year’s legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly, House Bill 466 – Joshua’s Law passed, which makes driver training mandatory for 17-year-olds, not optional.

There is a range of approved options and costs that parents and teens can use to fulfill the requirements. The most economical will be choosing an Online Class paired with the Parent Taught Road Training. All options can be found at the DDS website: https://dds.georgia.gov/joshuas-law-requirements

The Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program (ADAP) is taught in most high schools and is also available online.

For complete teen driver training information including a practice knowledge test, please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov.