How to Get your Oklahoma Learners Permit

To drive in Oklahoma, teens under the age of 18 need to start with a learner's permit before being granted an Intermediate driver's license. A learner's permit allows new drivers a full year of supervised driving, so they can get comfortable and absorb safety rules with the guidance of another experienced driver in the car with them. It can take some time for the rules of the road to become second nature, which is why learner's permits are an important step for teen drivers. Inexperience operating a vehicle combined with less experience assessing risk makes teen drivers statistically much more likely to be involved in an accident. The learner's permit requirement is a mandate intended to make the roads safer for everyone, both new and experienced drivers.

The Importance of Driver Education Courses

Enrolling in a driver's education course makes it faster and easier to take the first steps toward independent driving, which is obtaining your learner's permit. All licensed drivers in Oklahoma must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and at least 55 hours of behind-the-wheel driving for a standard drivers education course or 55 hours, with 10 completed at night, for a Parent-Taught Drivers Ed (PTDE) program. You don't have to have completed your drivers ed course to obtain your permit, but you must at least be enrolled in one before applying. Driver's education courses may be available through your school. If not, you can also attend a privately run driving school or enroll in an online parent-taught program.

How to Apply for Your Oklahoma Learner's Permit

You must be at least 15 ½ years old and enrolled in an approved drivers education class (including approved parent-taught courses) to apply for a learner's permit in Oklahoma. If you're 16 years old, you can apply for a permit without enrolling in a course. You'll need to pass a written exam to obtain your permit, so as a first step, review the Oklahoma driver's manual. When you feel like you're ready to take the exam, go to the SOK licensing office with your parent or legal guardian and be sure to bring along your:

• Proof of enrollment or completion of a drivers education course (if you're 15 ½)
• Birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Proof of enrollment in a secondary or vocational-technical school, or enrollment or completion of a GED
• $4 for the application fee

Once you've passed your learner's permit test, you're ready to start driving with supervision of a licensed driver over 21 years old and who has held a license for at least two years. You'll need to complete 55 hours of supervised driving (10 of those hours at night) before you can apply for the next license in the Graduated Driver License system. After completing these requirements, you should be ready for the big step of taking your road test for your Intermediate driver's license. Good luck!