The days of turning 16 years of age and waltzing down to a Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) office and leaving with a driver license are long gone. Young drivers, already used to school studies, were easily passing the exams, skirting through the driving test, and hopping into cars even though they possessed minimal actual driving experience.

This led to novice mistakes that triggered ominous statistics for teen driving as a whole. Inexperience and youth has proven to be a bad mix behind the wheel, causing an inordinate number of accidents. After all, vehicle fatalities are the leading cause of death for those 16 years of age.

You have enough going on when you are young and in high school―homework, emotions, young love, and drama. Put all these things in the driver's seat without plenty of experience built up, and who knows what will happen. And with high school being the best time of your life and all, why die so soon and add to the gloom-and-doom statistics?

So programs were created and the concept of driver education was reworked and taken more seriously. Laws on the books changed and now those gloomy statistics are actually going down. Like most other states, Maryland has instituted a graduated licensing program to help young drivers build better skills and gain more experience. Except in this state it is referred to as the Rookie Driver Program.

The program, divided into three gradual steps, is required for all applicants who have never had a license in any state or country, no matter how old they are. It's also a requirement for drivers who have had a license in another state or country, but for less than 18 months.

The "gradual" part of the program means that you have to complete certain prerequisites at each stage before moving on to the next level. Plus, the state does its best to get the parents involved in the skill building.

The phrase "It takes a village" is appropriate because you will encounter a number of prudent and experienced folks, from your parents or guardians to various instructors, along the way. Hopefully, each will impart a bit of knowledge to help you become a confident and capable driver.

Each of the following stages in the Rookie Driver Program necessitate that you initially appear in person at a full-service MVA office each time you begin a new phase.

Top Stage One: Learner's Permit

Before you jump head-first into getting a learner's permit, it is a good idea to hunker down with the Maryland Driver's Handbook for a few days. You will have a multiple-choice test to pass on your first visit and all the material on it is culled from these pages.

Permit Requirements

• You must be at least 15 years and 9 months.

• Supply a birth certificate to the examiner.

• Sufficiently read off a few very small letters to the examiner to pass the eye exam.

• Show your ability to identify common road signs and pavement markings.

• Ace a written test (80% or higher).

• Complete a school attendance certification form with the help of a school official. Home-schooled applicants can talk to a registered coordinator in their jurisdiction.

This will get you the permit and send you on the road to a license, but now the real work begins. The permit must be held for at least six months prior to making an attempt to move to the next step.

There are two types of learner's permits:

Type One Permit

This permit is intended for those applicants who have never held any type of driver license before.

• Age requirement: 15 years and 9 months.

• Valid: One year.

• Must be held for a minimum of six months.

• If under 18 years of age, a parent of guardian must co-sign the application.

Type Two Permit

This permit is issued to applicants who have already had a license and are applying for a different class or type of license.

• Age requirement: 16 years and 1 months.

• Valid: Six months.

• Must be held for a minimum of 14 days.

• If under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must co-sign the application.

Prior to leaving the MVA office the examiner will give you a Skills Log & Practice Guide. Make sure you also have the updated addendum that covers the 2005 updates to the program and serves as your driving log.

Driver Education

During the time you have your permit, you will be pretty busy. You will need to enroll in an authorized driver education course. Many of these courses are offered as part of the elective curriculum at your high school.

If not, there are plenty of quality driving schools and private instructors that teach the state's core requirements. Basically, this entails sitting in a classroom for 30 hours and spending at least six hours behind the wheel of an actual vehicle.

Along with the driver education course you will need to log 60 hours of driving under the supervision of a parent or guardian. Ten of these hours need to be under the cover of darkness. Refer to your Skills Log & Practice Guide for a recommended breakdown of how to use these hours. The recorded hours need to be noted in the log and signed off on by your parent in order to receive your provisional license.

Permit Restrictions

• You can only operate a vehicle with a person 21 years of age or over who has owned a license for a minimum of three years, and that person must sit in the passenger seat.

• No gabbing on the cell phone.

Top Stage Two: Provisional License

The provisional license lets you have many of the same perks as a regular license (meaning you can drive alone), but there are a bevy of restrictions imposed on it. If you maintain a good driving record and bide your time, you will eventually get to toss the provisional title.

If you have met all of the requirements of the learner's permit, you are now ready to take the driving skills test. Call the MVA at (888) 212-4709 to schedule an appointment.

This is the best time, if you are a parent, to get more involved in the whole process by sitting your teen down with the state's Parent Teen Agreement.

Provisional License Requirements

• You must be at least age 16 years and three months, and have held a learner's permit for a minimum of six months.

• Provide a certificate showing that you completed a driver education course. (Effective January 1, 2009: You won't have to show a paper certificate proving you completed the course. Your course instructor will electronically send the information to the MVA.)

• Present your practice log, signed by a parent or guardian.

• Pass the driving test.

Provisional License Restrictions

• You can only drive without supervision between 5 a.m. and midnight.

• Restricted hours are between midnight and 5 a.m. unless it is for employment, school functions, or other acceptable reasons.

• You cannot have any of your buddies under the age of 18 in the car with you for the first five months. This does not include siblings.

• Any infractions during this period will result in you having to attend a Driver Improvement Program (DIP). Also, you will have to start the provisional driving period from the beginning.

• No gabbing on the cell phone.

Top Stage Three: Full License

You have finally earned it―the unobstructed license. Use it responsibly and always remember that driving is a privilege, not a right. You will be mailed an addendum from the MVA automatically. This will state that you do indeed have a full license. You will need to carry it with the provisional license. When it comes time for you to renew the license, you will then be issued the new one.

License Requirements

• You must now be age 17 years and 9 months.

• You have held the provisional license for a minimum of 18 months.

Top Fees

• Type One Learner's Permit: $50

• Type Two Learner's Permit: $30

• Driver License: $45

• Driver License Renewal: $30

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