Joshua’s Law in Georgia – What You Should Know
If you have a teen that is learning to drive, you may already know Georgia has strict driving laws for young people. Passed in 2005, Joshua’s Law in Georgia, is aimed at keeping new young drivers safe while they are gaining independence behind the wheel.
The Class D License
Sixteen and 17 year-olds are given a Provisional Driver’s License. The state calls it a Class D license. This license is printed vertically, instead of horizontally, to stand out to anyone who is checking it.
In order to gain this license, teens must follow the most recent Joshua’s Law requirements, which include formal driving instruction in a classroom or virtually. And, behind-the-wheel training with a parent or certified instructor.
Restrictions Apply
Drivers with a Class D license also have additional restrictions tied to their provisional license.
- They may not drive between 12am and 5am. There are no exceptions to this rule.
- During the first six months of issuance of the Class D license, only immediate family members can ride in the vehicle. This can include a parent, grandparent or guardian that lives in the same home as the licensee.
(Note: There was a bill that died in the House last year that attempted to loosen this rule to allow other non-related adults to ride along with a new teen driver.)
- During the second six months of issuance, teen drivers can have one non-related passenger under 21 in the vehicle with them. And after one year, they are limited to 3 non-related passengers under the age of 21.
- Georgia underage DUI laws are very strict. We talked about these regulations on last month’s blog.
Keep Your Teen Safe
We know you want to keep your teen safe. One way to do that is to talk to them about driving safety – and keep the lines of communication open. Check out this blog for some tips about talking to your kid about drunk driving dangers.