Georgia's Teen Driving Laws: Joshua's Law, TADRA and Teen Licenses

It is common knowledge that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among our young people today. Over the years, parents, educators, and law enforcement agencies, among others, have become increasingly aware and concerned about the issue of teen driving crashes. In addition to federal mandates and education requirements, individual states have been enacting increasingly stricter laws regarding licensing requirements for teen drivers in an attempt to curb this deadly trend.

Georgia is no exception. Georgia has legislation aimed at increasing safety among teen drivers in The Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA), a graduated driver licensing procedure for Georgia teens between the ages of 15 and 18. There are three separate classifications for teen driver licensing. Joshua's Law, which is effective January 1^st, 2007, is the latest addition to the TADRA, adding an additional educational requirement to the second step.

Georgia's teen driver's licensing process begins with Step 1, the Instructional Permit (CP). The Instructional Permit is granted to teens 15 years of age and older who pass a state-administered written exam. Teens possessing this permit are required to have a passenger who is at least 21 years old and possesses a valid Class C driver's license. There are no exceptions to this requirement. The Georgia Driver's Manual is available at Georgia State Patrol offices, as well as available for download (in PDF format) at the Georgia Department of Driver Services .

Step 2 is the Intermediate, or Class D, license. Drivers between the ages of 16-18 years of age who have held an Instructional Permit for 12 months and 1 day AND passed the state-administered comprehensive on-road driving test are eligible for this license. There are several restrictions on this license, which are:

1) No driving between the hours of 12am and 6am. "No Exceptions."

2) For the first six months, the only passengers allowed are immediate family members: i.e. siblings, or be 21 years of age or older.