1.5 Full Driver's License, Co-Signers & Out-of-Country Licenses

Stage 3: The Full Driver's License

The Driver's License is the last stage of the Graduated Licensing System. To become eligible you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have held a provisional license for at least 18 months.
• Have no moving-violation convictions or probation before judgment (PBJ) within the past 18 months.

MVA guidance adds that drivers under 21 must have no alcohol-related offenses on their record.

When you meet every requirement, the MVA switches your license automatically. You do not apply or retest. The MVA mails a card showing your new status, and you must carry that card with your provisional license until the license expires. You receive a regular full license card at your next renewal.

Timeline Example

Each moving-violation conviction or PBJ pushes this timeline back, because it starts a new 18-month clean period on the provisional license, or a new 9-month period on the permit.

Co-Signing a Minor's Application

If you are under 18, you are a minor, and a parent or legal guardian must co-sign your application. That means both of you sign it, and you must prove the relationship:

• An original or certified birth certificate showing the parent's name, or
• Court documents showing legal guardianship.

Other co-signers the manual allows:

• Spouse: if you are married and your husband or wife is 18 or older, your spouse may co-sign, with proof of marriage.
• Responsible adult: if you have no parent, legal guardian or spouse, a responsible adult, such as an adult employer, may co-sign. You must show proof, such as your parents' death certificates or proof of emancipation, which means a court has decided a minor is no longer under their parents' control.

Cancellation by the Co-Signer

A co-signer may cancel a minor's license by sending a written request to the MVA's Administrative Adjudication Division. The license stays canceled until you turn 18, unless a qualified co-signer signs a new application for you. MVA guidance puts it simply: parents and guardians may withdraw their consent for driving at any time.

Licenses From Another Country

If you hold a license from another country, you must complete all of the following to get a Maryland license:

1. Vision screening.
2. Knowledge test.
3. Driving skills test.
4. A three-hour roadway safety driving education program approved by the MVA. The certificate is required at the skills test.

If the foreign license is not in English, you must also have an International License or have the license translated into English. The translation must be prepared by, and on the letterhead of, an MVA-approved provider or court translator or the embassy of the country of origin. It must show the translator's typed or printed name, telephone number and signature.

Related Paperwork Rules

• Class C is the noncommercial license for cars, pickup trucks and vans; a commercial license or motorcycle license requires separate testing.
• Lying about your age to obtain alcohol, or trying to obtain a fake ID, permit or license, can bring fines, prison and license suspension (see Section 7.4).
• Keep your mailing address current with the MVA. Permits, licenses and attachment cards are mailed, and so are suspension notices.

Why Maryland Graduates New Drivers Slowly

The three-stage system gives a new driver experience before full privileges. The permit stage builds skill with a coach beside you. The provisional stage adds independence while limiting the riskiest situations for teens: late-night trips, peer passengers and phone use. Requiring a clean record before the full license rewards drivers who show they can follow the rules.

Full-license checklist:

• At least 18 years old
• Provisional license held at least 18 months
• No moving-violation conviction or PBJ in the past 18 months
• No alcohol-related offense if under 21
• Card from the MVA kept with the provisional license

Why This Stage Matters on the Test

Questions about the full license usually test the three conditions: age 18, 18 months on the provisional license, and 18 clean months. A common distractor says you must apply and retest; you do not, because conversion is automatic. Another distractor claims that turning 18 ends the provisional stage; it does not, because the 18-month provisional requirement still applies to a new driver who starts late. A 19-year-old who gets a provisional license must still hold it 18 months.