Rhode Island licenses drivers under 18 in three steps: a Limited Learner Permit, then a Learner's Provisional License, then a Full Operator's License. Your first goal is the permit, and for teens that journey starts in a classroom and at a computer screen.
Ages 16 to 18: before you can get a Limited Learner Permit you must
- Pass an accredited 33-hour classroom driver education class
- Pass the computerized knowledge exam given by the DMV
Know the rule
If you are over 18, you do not have to take the classroom course, but you must still pass the computerized knowledge exam.
Handbook p. 10 ↗Youngest age on the first day of driver ed class (you may enroll from 15 up to 22)
Handbook p. 10 ↗Know the rule
You cannot get a Limited Learner Permit from the DMV until you are 16, even if you finished driver ed earlier.
Handbook p. 10 ↗Know the rule
CCRI driver ed students take the knowledge exam (permit test) through CCRI. Other first-time applicants, and anyone who fails the exam through CCRI, take it at the DMV main office in Cranston with an online reservation.
Handbook p. 10 ↗Multiple-choice knowledge exam, 90-minute maximum
Handbook p. 10 ↗Know the rule
Licensed drivers from other states are exempt from the knowledge exam but must turn in their out-of-state license for cancellation. The exam is available in other languages on request.
Handbook p. 11 ↗Bring to the DMV to apply for your permit:
- Certified birth certificate, active passport, RI/government ID card or resident alien card (no photocopies)
- Driver education certificate of completion for 33 hours (if under 18)
- Permit fee: cash, check (no third-party checks), credit card or money order
- Two proofs of Rhode Island residency
- Application for Limited Learner Permit (LI-1 form)
- A parent, legal guardian, licensed foster parent or adult spouse to go with you
Know the rule
The adult who comes with you must be a Rhode Island resident qualified to be a supervising driver. A legal guardian must show court documentation; a licensed foster parent must show DCYF documentation.
Handbook p. 11 ↗Know the rule
A parent without a valid Rhode Island license may sign a child's application but must sit in the back seat during practice driving and does not qualify as a supervising driver.
Handbook p. 11 ↗Know the rule
If no parent, guardian or licensed foster parent qualifies, another responsible adult willing to take on the legal obligation may sign the application.
Handbook p. 11 ↗Minimum vision with corrective lenses; take the DMV vision test or bring a Vision Examination Card from an ophthalmologist or optometrist
Handbook p. 11 ↗Know the rule
If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses to see at a distance, you must wear them for the vision test.
Handbook p. 11 ↗Know the rule
The CCRI driver ed fee is $120 (subject to change). Register online with a credit card, and bring original proof of identity and age to the first class—photocopies are not accepted.
Handbook p. 10 ↗Put it into practice
You're 16 and just passed CCRI's 33-hour course and the permit test there. Your mom (licensed 8 years) goes with you to the DMV. You bring your certified birth certificate, course certificate, two proofs of residency and the LI-1 form, and pass the vision test at 20/30 with your glasses on.