New Jersey Young Drivers: Earning the License, Auto Insurance and More
If you are under 21 or have never had a driver license, New Jersey requires that you complete a period of supervised driving before getting a basic driver license. New Jersey has a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, as outlined on the State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission web site, which introduces driving privileges in phases. There are three options to complete the program:
- For 16-year-old drivers:
- Student learner’s permit: pass knowledge and vision tests
- Do minimum six months of supervised driving
- Provisional license: pass the road test (must be 17 years old)
- Do minimum one year of restricted but unsupervised driving
- Basic driver license (must be 18 years old)
- For drivers age 17 or older:
- Examination permit: pass knowledge and vision test
- Do minimum six months of supervised driving
- Provisional license: pass the road test
- Do minimum one year of restricted but unsupervised driving
- Basic driver license
- For drivers age 21 and up:
- Examination permit: pass knowledge and vision tests
- Do minimum three months of supervised driving
- Provisional license: pass the road test
- Do minimum one year of unsupervised driving
- Basic driver license
The following driving restrictions apply under the GDL program:
Special learners permit driving restrictions
- No driving between 11:01 pm and 5:00 am.
- You can't use cell phones, hand held video games or any other hand held electronic device.
- You must be accompanied by an Adult Supervising Driver (at least 21 years old and licensed to drive for at least 3 years) in the front seat.
- Passengers must be from your household. Only one additional person from outside your household is allowed.
- Seatbelts must be worn at all times.
Examination permit restrictions
- You must be at least 17 years old and not in suspension status.
- No driving between 12:01 am and 5:00 am
- You must be accompanied by an Adult Supervising Driver (at least 21 years old and licensed to drive for at least 3 years) in the front seat.
- Passengers must be from your household. Only one additional person from outside your household is allowed in the vehicle.
- If you are at least 21 years old, there are no passenger or hour restrictions.
- You can't use cell phones, hand held video games or any other hand held electronic device.
- Seatbelts must be worn at all times.
Provisional driver license restrictions
- No driving between 12:01 am and 5:00 am.
- Passengers must be from your household. Only one additional person from outside your household is allowed in the vehicle.
- If you are at least 21 years old, there are no passenger or hour restrictions.
- You can't use cell phones, hand held video games or any other hand held electronic device.
- Seatbelts must be worn at all times.
There is a lot to focus on when learning how to drive and taking the proper steps to getting a driver license. There’s also auto insurance to think about. It is a fact of auto insurance that young drivers have higher premiums than their older counterparts. This is because young drivers tend to have less experience behind the wheel, making them more susceptible to accidents and other mishaps. This makes them a high risk to insure in New Jersey.
Becoming a licensed driver in New Jersey is exciting, but with this new freedom comes responsibility. Part of that responsibility is understanding the importance of auto insurance for a young driver. Call High Point Auto Insurance at 877-89-Point (877-897-6468) for a free quote on New Jersey auto insurance. Take a moment and find out what High Point can do for you.