MADISON, Wis. — It`s the ultimate rite of passage for teens: getting a driver`s license. While waiting behind the wheel seems like an eternity for some, it`s getting shorter and shorter. At the end of these tests, you will be asked to take a driving test to ensure that you have learned to drive safely and responsibly. After passing this, you officially hold a Wisconsin license. However, the law does not allow young people to get their driver`s licence earlier. You should always be at least 16 years old, but having more time to experiment with more scenarios could make a big difference when a new driver hits the road. All teens in the state of Wisconsin who want to get a driver`s license must go through the state`s Graduate Driver`s License (GDL) program. If you`ve already obtained your teaching license, you`ve completed the first step of the process – then you`ll gain enough experience on the road to get your trial license.

A Wisconsin trial license is essentially a limited version of the full driver`s license. It allows you to drive (albeit with severe restrictions) to gain valuable experience on the road and practice safe driving techniques. After you turn 18, all of these restrictions will be lifted and you will receive a full Wisconsin driver`s license. In order to obtain a probationary driver`s licence as a teenager, you must have permission to give instructions for at least 6 months. Within this timeframe, you must meet the following requirements to be eligible: As examination licence holders are on the road for the first time, they are subject to strict restrictions to improve driver safety and ensure they drive safely and with minimal distraction. For the first nine months (or until age 18), Wisconsin probationary license holders are subject to the following restrictions: „Those extra six months are essential, especially in a state like Wisconsin that is experiencing all four seasons,” Jarmusz said. There`s no need to get a teaching license sooner, which is why Nick Jarmusz of AAA Wisconsin said what matters is that parents decide what`s right for their child. „As you can imagine, that`s more hours they have to put in in those six months, which helps us a lot, because instead of having to do extra lessons in the car to make them all private, they now have more time for that, so it helps us in that regard,” Hudson said. If you meet all these requirements, you can apply for a trial license. After a pandemic where private tutoring was the norm, Hudson said more teaching time would be a big help. The bill also increases the number of driving hours required from 30 to 50, which Hudson says will help him because he`s seen firsthand how the pandemic has given teens more time to practice. While there are no restrictions on traffic violations, these restrictions can be renewed and your license can be suspended or even revoked if you violate the above rules.

„It was like night and day, how much more they could teach at that time because they already had the basics and were already going through certain scenarios, and then we can focus on the cheaters,” Hudson said. To apply for a trial permit, you will need the following: „Since you originally only have a six-month window between 15 and a half and 16 years, you could potentially have a teenager who gets his approval in April or May, and then gets his license until September or October without having lived the winter on the road, then gets his driver`s license and gets thrown alone. Jarmusz said. A new law allows young people to obtain their teaching licence at the age of 15 instead of 15 and a half. Six months may not seem like much, but the hope is that the extra learning behind the wheel will help reduce the number of accidents. „The sooner you can start practicing, the better,” Hudson said. If you have a trial licence, the points you earned for traffic violations will be doubled after your first conviction. After 12 points or more over a 12-month period, your licence can be suspended for at least 6 months. John Hudson, executive director of 4 Lakes Driving School, has many students who want to get behind the wheel earlier – now more than ever.