A 4-minute lesson from the Delaware course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Delaware's Graduated Driver License (GDL) program eases new drivers in with more supervised practice and less exposure to risky situations. A sponsor—usually a parent—signs for you, shares legal liability, and decides when you're ready for more driving authority.
GDL
A restricted permit for drivers at least 16 and under 18, or under 22 while receiving special education services under an active IEP, who have completed an approved driver education course.
Stepparents cannot sponsor unless they adopted the teen or were appointed guardian. Parents are verified with the applicant's birth certificate, which must list the mother and/or father.
The sponsor is jointly liable with the GDL driver for damages caused by the driver's negligence, and has final authority over whether the teen may drive and who may supervise.
The sponsor may withdraw their endorsement at any time until the minor turns 18 (or, for an IEP applicant, until 12 months of GDL are complete), cancelling the driving privileges.
GDL applicants who need specialized evaluation, training or equipment because of a physical or mental disability are identified by the driver education teacher and tested by the DMV.
Jordan, 16, lives only with his mom; his dad also lives in Delaware. His mom is the preferred sponsor. She must sign his application in front of a DMV licensing employee, and she can withdraw her consent—cancelling his permit—any time before he turns 18.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
At minimum, how old must you be to apply for a GDL Level One Learner's Permit under the standard program?
14 years old
15 years old
16 years old
17 years old
Answer: 16 years old
The GDL program is open to applicants who are at least 16 and under 18 years old.
A GDL Level One Learner's Permit applicant must present which document as proof of completing driver education?
A notarized parental affidavit only
A DMV road-test scorecard
A school report card showing a driver's ed grade
The Blue/White Driver Education Certificate
Answer: The Blue/White Driver Education Certificate
Applicants must present the Delaware Driver Education Certificate, commonly called the Blue or White Certificate, as proof of completing an approved course.