Connecticut Drivers License Instructions

DMV got you confused? Check out our easy instructions for getting your Connecticut drivers license.

1. Study for the Connecticut learners permit written test

2. Apply for the Connecticut learners permit

3. Practice driving under supervision and take Connecticut drivers education

4. Take the driving test for the Connecticut drivers license

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

1. Study for the Connecticut learners permit written test

In order to get the learners permit and eventually the Connecticut drivers license, everyone regardless of age must pass a written test on traffic laws and signs. Most people fail this test on their first try.

Pass the first time when you learn the rules of the road with DriversEd.com and prepare for the learners permit test with our Connecticut DMV practice permit tests. Our online practice permit tests can be purchased separately or are free when you purchase our online Connecticut drivers education course.*

* This course does not satisfy Connecticut drivers education requirements for new drivers under 18.

2. Apply for the Connecticut learners permit

Apply for the learners permit at a DMV office near you.
In order to be eligible for the learners permit, you must:

Be 16-17 years old.
Present two forms of acceptable identification.
Show proof of residence address. (i.e. post-marked envelope addressed to you)
Be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who must show drivers license or acceptable form of identification or submit a notarized Certificate of Parental Consent (form 2D).
Pay $40 for the learners permit test fee.
Pass a vision exam.
Pass a knowledge (law) test. You will be given a 25 question written test. If you DO NOT pass, you must wait 7 days before retaking the test. You are required to again bring your documents, have your parent or legal guardian with you and pay the $40 test fee.

Once you pass the test, you will be issued a learners permit.

The learners permit allows you to operate a motor vehicle when instructed by any driver who is at least 20 years of age and who has been licensed to drive a motor vehicle of the same class, without suspension, for at least four years preceding the instruction. The instructor must sit next to the learner, and be alert and ready to take over control of the vehicle.
The permit is valid until you obtain a drivers license or turn 18 years of age, whichever comes first.

3. Practice driving under supervision and take Connecticut drivers ed

Practice driving under the supervision of a driver who is at least 20 years of age and who has been licensed to drive a motor vehicle of the same class, without suspension, for at least four years preceding the instruction. The instructor must sit next to the learner, and be alert and ready to take over control of the vehicle.
If you are under 18 you must complete a five hour course through either a commercial or secondary school covering safe driving practices, including the effects of alcohol and drugs on a person operating a motor vehicle, as well as the penalties for alcohol/drug related motor vehicle violations.

DriversEd.com can help make this supervised driving period less stressful. Our Behind-the-Wheel Training Guide teaches important concepts and guides parents step-by-step through the process of teaching their teen to drive. It also comes with a FREE Passenger Side Rear-View Mirror which allows you to see exactly what your teen sees when behind the wheel.

4. Take the driving test for the Connecticut drivers license

Schedule a driving test appointment with the local DMV.

To be eligible for the Connecticut drivers license, you must:

Show proof of drivers training if you are under 18. The applicant can either be trained at home or enroll in a driving school.

Applicants who successfully complete drivers education through a commercial driving school or a secondary school must wait 120 days after issuance of the learners permit before taking the driver exam.

Applicants who were instructed wholly or in part through a home training program must wait 180 days after issuance of the learners permit before taking the driving test. Applicants may be trained at home by one of the following: parent, foster parent or legal guardian, grandparent, spouse of a married minor applicant.

Note: Instructor must be at least 20 years of age or older and have held a license for four or more years prior to training.

Trainer must sign a statement at the time of the test which states that the applicant has obtained a learners permit and successfully completed at least twenty-five hours of a course of study which covers all of the material in the Connecticut Drivers Manual and other information necessary for a person to know in order to safely operate a motor vehicle. The student driver must also be given at least eight hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction.

Home-trained applicants must also show evidence of completing a five-hour course that includes a minimum of two hours on:
1. The nature and the medical, biological and physiological effects of alcohol and drugs and their impact on the operator of a motor vehicle.
2. The dangers associated with the operation of a motor vehicle after the consumption of alcohol or drug abuse.
3. The penalties for alcohol and drug-related motor vehicle violations.
You must bring a vehicle and be accompanied by a licensed driver. The vehicle must be in safe operating condition and have the required equipment or the road test will not be administered. It also should have a proper registration, emissions sticker, and insurance card.

If you fail the road test or the law test, the minimum wait time required before taking a drivers license test is as follows: 1st failure: 30 days, 2 or more failures: 60 days.

DriversEd.com is a privately held company and is in no way associated with the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other government agency. DriversEd.com does not claim any responsibility for the accuracy of the drivers license information posted within or for the business practices associated with any other schools listed on the DriversEd.com site. For up-to-date information, please consult your local Department of Motor Vehicles or vehicle registration agency. Also, DriversEd.com is not liable for any information or claims posted within third party links.

‡ Discount does not apply to in-car lessons, traffic school courses, and Utah and Indiana drivers ed courses.