Provisional licensees, school eligibility & restrictions
A 3-minute lesson from the North Carolina course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Drivers under 18 are provisional licensees. They crash at a much higher rate, so extra laws apply, including a school-attendance requirement that can cost you your license.
If you're under 18:
Pass driver ed (30 hours classroom, 6 hours behind the wheel) before a permit or license test
DMV reviews your record more closely and may contact you about convictions or crashes
A parent or legal guardian must sign for you
No cellphone use while driving
No texting, and no reading email or text messages, while driving
Every occupant must have a safety belt fastened while the vehicle is moving
A form signed by your school administrator certifying you're enrolled and progressing toward a diploma, or that denying a license would cause substantial hardship.
DMV must revoke the license of anyone under 18 when the school reports they're no longer eligible. It lasts until age 18 unless they get a new certificate, a diploma or a GED.
New residents aged 15 to under 18 holding a permit or license from elsewhere should contact a local driver license office to find out which NC permit or license they can apply for.
A 16-year-old is suspended from school for 12 consecutive days for fighting. Because that's more than 10 consecutive days, she loses her license for 12 months, or until she gets a new Driving Eligibility Certificate.
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.
A 16-year-old is suspended from school for more than 10 consecutive days. How long can the resulting loss of license last?
30 days
6 months
Up to 12 months
Until the next school year begins
Answer: Up to 12 months
Under the Lose Control/Lose Your License rule, a suspension of more than 10 consecutive days brings a license loss for 12 months or until a Driving Eligibility Certificate is obtained.
A 17-year-old provisional licensee is convicted of driving after drinking a small amount of alcohol. What is the result?
A one-year license revocation
A warning if BAC is under 0.08
A 30-day revocation
Four points and a clinic
Answer: A one-year license revocation
It is unlawful for a provisional licensee to drive after or while consuming any amount of alcohol or drugs; a conviction results in a one-year license revocation.
A student receives a Driving Eligibility Certificate because of family hardship. What does this mean for licensing?
They receive a special hardship license
They may skip Level One of GDL
They must still follow every GDL step
They may drive unsupervised at 15
Answer: They must still follow every GDL step
The steps in graduated licensing must still be followed even if the certificate is issued due to hardship; North Carolina does not issue a hardship permit or license.