Minnesota Drivers Permit Application
Applying for a Minnesota instruction permit is the first step towards achieving a drivers license. It is mandatory for everyone who has not been previously licensed. Those who currently hold or have previously held an out-of-of state or out-of-country license are not required to apply for a Minnesota drivers permit, however they may have to take a number of tests before they can be issued with a Minnesota license. Those who choose to apply for a learners permit in Minnesota before reaching the age of 18 years will need to look up graduated license rules and restrictions.
Graduated License Requirements
Every year, thousands of teen drivers get injured on our roads. According to statistics, teenage drivers have twice as many accidents per half the miles traveled when compared to an average older driver. A number of factors are at play here and lack of driving experience and disregard for basic safety precautions are probably the ones that cause most of the damage. That's why the state has developed a separate licensing procedure that must be followed by drivers permit applicants under 18 years of age, the procedure that is known as the Minnesota graduated drivers license program, or GDL. The GDL law breaks the licensing procedure into a number of distinct steps and introduces additional restrictions that were designed to discourage youngsters from dangerous behavior behind the wheel.
Required Testing
Everyone who chooses to apply for a Minnesota learners permit is required to take a vision exam and a learners permit test. The reason why you have to take the tests is quite simple - driving is a dangerous matter and you must prove that you are both fit and have the knowledge required for operating a vehicle. The DPS will not issue you with an unrestricted Minnesota driver's license if you have a health condition that may adversly affect your driving performance.
Vision Requirements
You must take a vision test at the time when you submit your initial application for a drivers permit. The following requirements must be met to be eligible for an unrestricted learners permit.
- Normal or corrected vision at least 20/40
- peripheral vision at least 105 degrees
If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses, you should also wear them during the eye test. An appropriate restriction will be placed onto your Minnesota instruction permit and you will be required to wear glasses or contact lenses whenever you are driving.
Those who do not pass the vision exam at the DPS are referred to an eye specialist for a complete examination. Once you see an ophthalmologist or an optometrist, please submit their report to the DPS along with your application for a drivers permit. In certain cases, you may be denied driving privileges due to poor eye sight.
Learners Permit Test
The learners permit test in Minnesota covers the state road rules and traffic signs. It consists of multiple choice and true or false questions and the minimum passing score is 80%. Be advised that almost half all of all first time permit applicants fail their knowledge exam the first time they take it, mostly because they don't study for it. If you want to see how well you can do on the real permit test, go ahead and take a free Minnesota permit practice test. It covers the same rules as the real exam, so it should give you a clear picture of where you stand on the matter of Minnesota driving rules.
Drivers Education
Drivers ed classes are part of the state's graduated license program and they are mandatory for everyone who applies for a Minnesota learner permit before reaching the age of 18 years. Drivers ed classes consist of two parts - the classroom portion and the driving part. You must complete the classroom portion of the class before you apply for a permit and the driving portion of the class before you apply for a Minnesota drivers license. Make sure that your Minnesota drivers education class is approved by the state, otherwise you will just waste your time.
Paperwork Requirements
The following paperwork must be submitted when you apply for an instruction permit in Minnesota:
- proof of identity
- proof of age
- proof of US citizenship or legal presence
- Social Security Number
- proof of Minnesota residency
If you are under 18 years of age, you must also present a certificate of completion for the classroom portion of a drivers education class, the Blue Slip. A parent or legal guardian must also grant you permission to obtain a learners permit by co-signing your application form. The DPS will not issue you with a drivers permit without parental consent.
Applying for Learners Permit - Under 18 Years of Age
Your first step towards the instruction permit is signing up for a drivers education program. You can sign up for a drivers ed class through your high school, a commercial driving school or you may choose to go through one of the correspondence courses. You must complete the classroom portion of the class before submitting your application for a Minnesota drivers permit at the DPS.
Those who meet drivers ed requirements can visit the DPS, file the required paperwork, take a vision exam and the knowledge test and receive their learners permit. A parent or legal guardian must accompany you to the DPS office at the time when you submit your application.
Applying for Drivers Permit - 18 Years of Age and Older
The application procedure for those who are at least 18 years of age is a little easier, since you do not have to follow the graduated license program guidelines and complete drivers education. However, since you will be required to take a knowledge exam at the DPS, you should probably read the Minnesota drivers permit book before you visit the DPS. The permit test is based on the information provided in the book, so reading it will be of great benefit to you.
Once you learned the driving rules, go down to a local DPS office, where you can submit your application for a permit, pay the required fee and take a vision exam and a permit test. Once you pass the test, you receive your instruction permit and can start your driving practice.
Operating Under a Permit
There is something people tend to forget when driving under a permit and that is the fact that the permit does not grant full driving privileges and you must observe all Minnesota learner's permit restrictions. The permit prohibits driving alone, a supervising driver must accompany the permit holder at all times. Drivers permit restrictions are lifted once the permit holders passes the Minnesota driving test and receives either a full or a provisional drivers license.
