2.1 Driving With a Learner's Permit & Driver's Education

A learner's permit gives conditional driving privileges. You may practice on public roads, but only under the conditions below, and you must carry the permit every time you drive until you earn a Junior Operator License or a full license.

Class D Permit Conditions

Two numbers are easy to mix up on the exam:

• The permit night limit for drivers under 18 begins at midnight (12:00 a.m.).
• The Junior Operator License night limit begins at 12:30 a.m. (Section 2.2).

Both end at 5:00 a.m., and both are lifted only by a parent or legal guardian, not by any adult.

Example

A 16-year-old permit holder drives at 11:40 p.m. with a 23-year-old cousin who has had a license for four years. That is legal. If they are still driving at 12:15 a.m. it becomes a violation, because after midnight the companion must be the permit holder's parent or legal guardian. A driving-without-a-licensed-driver or night-restriction conviction suspends the permit (60 days for a first offense) and requires a new permit exam.

Class M (Motorcycle) Permit Conditions

• No passengers.
• Ride only in daylight (between sunrise and sunset).
• Wear a U.S. DOT standard helmet.
• Wear eyeglasses, goggles or a protective face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield or screen.

A permit also lets you operate a moped, but a permit holder may not carry passengers on a moped (Section 10.3).

Driver's Education

Massachusetts requires every Class D or Class M license applicant under 18 to finish an RMV-licensed driver's education program, given by a public high school or a licensed professional driving school. Under 540 CMR 23.06, a student may enroll at 15 years and 9 months. On-road lessons require age 16 and a valid learner's permit.

The program, both classroom and on-road, must be completed within two years of the first session. A Driver Skills Development Program is advanced off-road training in crash-avoidance techniques at real roadway speeds. It is open to licensed drivers and to permit holders with at least 10 hours of supervised driving. Completing it lowers the supervised-hours requirement from 40 to 30.

If you finished driver's education in another state, apply to convert the certificate. The RMV accepts it only if that program meets or exceeds Massachusetts classroom and in-car minimums.

The Path From Permit to Junior Operator License

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To be eligible for a Junior Operator License between 16½ and 18, you must:

1. Hold a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive months. A suspension invalidates the permit, and the six months start over when the suspension is lifted.
2. Keep a clean driving record for the six consecutive months before the road test.
3. Finish driver's education (30 classroom + 12 behind-the-wheel + 6 observation hours).
4. Complete 40 supervised hours (or 30 with a skills program), certified by a parent or guardian.
5. Have a parent or guardian attend the 2-hour class, unless done within the past five years.
6. Pass the final exam so the certificate is on file, then pass the road test.

Practice Habits While on a Permit

The permit period is meant to build skill, not just log hours. The RMV's on-road curriculum includes starting the engine, using gears, left and right turns, turning around, stopping and starting on hills, backing, parking, and driving in traffic and on highways. Spread your 40 hours across night driving, rain, highways and rotaries so the road test is not your first time in those conditions.