Once you turn 16 in New York, you are old enough to learn how to drive a car. But you cannot just start learning to drive even your father’s car until you apply for and learn how to get a Learner Permit in NY.
A learner’s Permit is a legal document that allows you to learn to drive under a licensed adult who can be a driving school instructor or your father, brother, or friend. In short, you should think about Learner permits before considering a driver’s license.
So how do you get a Learner Permit in New York? Let’s drive through the top 8 ways to get a learner’s permit in New York.
Top Ways to Get a Learner Permit in New York
1. You Have To Be 16 And Above
Do not attempt to get your Learner’s Permit before turning 16, no matter how eager you are to be behind the wheel. In other words, learning to drive a car is illegal if you are below 16 years old in New York.
If you are under 18 years and your age qualifies you to get a Learner Permit, then to acquire one, your legal guardian or parent will first have to give their consent.
Parents can use the Teen Electronic Event Notification Service (TEENS) from the NY DMV office to monitor all their driving child’s records. The program notifies the parent of every driving incident in the child’s history, like in case of an accident, tickets, license suspensions, and traffic conviction violations.
2. Put Paperwork in Order
As you prepare to visit one of the NY DMV offices near you, fill out the New York MV-44 Application for Permit or Non-Driver ID Card. If you are 16 but under 18, your parent/guardian has to sign the consent section.
But you don’t need parental consent if you are 17 and took a certified New York driver’s ed course.
Meanwhile, you need to study the New York State Drivers Manual as you prepare for the coming test.
Once you finish putting your paperwork in order, you can book an appointment with the New York DMV. The meeting can be booked one to two weeks before the actual time.
3. Visit Your Local NY DMV Office In Person
You can book a reservation online or visit the local New York Department of Motor Vehicles without booking an appointment. Booking a reservation online could be complicated and time-consuming, so you should visit the NY DMV office early in the morning.
At the NY DMV, you would need to show proof of the following:
- Residence
- Identity
- Age
- Social Security status
These proof documents include passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and others with relevant information. To make your work easier, you can use the NY DMW guide to smoothen the learner permit process.
4. Fill in the Application Form
Once the documents above are ascertained through the relevant document presented, you then produce the Learners Permit application you should already have completed filling out. The form is downloadable, so you can finish it when you visit the local NY DMV office.
5. Pay The Fee
You then pay the application fee. How much does it cost to take a permit test in NY?
The amount you pay depends on your age:
- $80 for 16-16.5-year-olds
- $76.75 for 16.5-17-year-olds
- $92.50 for 17-17.5-year-olds
- $89.25 for 17.5-18-year-olds
If you are a resident of Kings (Brooklyn), Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Duchess, Queens, Nassau, Richmond (Staten Island), Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Suffolk, or Westchester, you have to pay a Metropolitan Commuter Transportation (MCTD) fee, which is $1 per 6 months.
If you apply for an Enhanced Driver Permit, you pay an additional $30 fee.
6. Decide The Type Of Permit
The type of permit you get will depend on the fee and the proof you have presented. The following are the types of permits to choose from:
- REAL ID permit – With this permit, you can board a flight within the US as well as enter federal premises
- Standard Permit – With this permit, you enjoy the same benefits as a REAL ID permit, except you need another form of ID to board a flight.
- Enhanced Permit – This allows you to cross the US-Mexican and US-Canadian borders without a passport if you are a certified US citizen.
You will answer questions to help you decide which permit best suits your needs.
7. Take and Pass the Vision Test
You will then take a vision test to check if your eyes are okay. You need to have 20/40 vision in at least one of the eyes, even without corrective lenses.
8. Take the Written Test on the Same Day
You will then sit for the Learner’s Permit written test on the same day. The most common type of permit is a Class D Operator permit, which you should apply for.
How many questions are on the permit test in NY?
It is a multi-choice exam with 20 questions, four about road signs.
You need to score at least 14/20 to have a pass, and that also includes getting right at least two of the road test questions.
If you pass, you qualify to learn how to drive, so you are issued a Learner’s Permit after two weeks. But if you fail, you can take another at no extra cost.
Note that the Class D permit test is in 14 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Albanian, Bosnian, French, Hebrew, Greek, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Polish, and Spanish.
Can You Take Permit Test Online NY?
Yes, you can take the written permit test online, but only after receiving an email invitation from the DMV. To take the test online, you must complete it within seven days. Otherwise, you can take the written test from the DMV office.
Go to this page to take the written permit test online.
Is The Permit Test Easy In NY?
The test is the same anywhere in the United States. How easy or difficult it is depends on your level of preparation.
How long does it take to get a learner’s permit in New York?
It will take approximately two weeks to receive your learner’s permit through the mail. You can attend practical driving supervision classes once you have your learner’s permit.
After receiving the permit, you must wait for atleast six months to schedule your road test.
What does Class D mean?
Class D is an operator permit allowing you to drive only passenger cars legally. It is less well-known because permit holders can also practically drive towering vehicles and trailers that weigh less than 10000 pounds.
What documents are needed to get a permit in NY?
The document needed to get a permit in NY include passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and others with relevant information.
Do you have to pay to get your permit test?
When you apply for a learner’s permit, you must be subjected to a fee that includes two road tests, a written test, and a driver’s license.
How much is a permit test in NY?
The learner’s permit varies according to age and location. Teens pay much cheaper than adults, and some places are subjected to an additional fee to cover MCTD.
Conclusion
You can learn to drive under supervision once you apply for the learner’s Permit. The supervisor must be aged 21 and above and has a valid license.
The Learner Permit comes with some restrictions. With Learner Permit, you must not drive on any park street in New York City or any tunnel or bridge under Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
You should also not drive through the Cross County, Saw Mill River, Taconic State Parkways, and other restricted sites. Take the time to check if your area has any of these forbidden places a learner should avoid.
You can join a driving school of your choice because you are qualified to be on the wheel once you get a Learner’s Permit. Pierre Paul Driving School in Brooklyn, New York, is one of the schools you can consider. Contact us today for more information.