1.3 Rookie Driver GLS & the Learner's Instructional Permit

The Rookie Driver System in One Picture

Maryland's Rookie Driver/Graduated Licensing System (GLS) applies to anyone who has never had a driver's license, at any age. It has three stages:

1. Learner's Instructional Permit: supervised driving only.
2. Provisional License: unsupervised driving with restrictions, held at least 18 months.
3. Driver's License: the full license.

A noncommercial license, also called a Class C license, lets you drive regular vehicles such as cars, pickup trucks and vans.

Two Kinds of Learner's Permit

Getting a Type 1 Permit

Applicants younger than 25:

• Must be at least 15 years and 9 months old.
• If under 18, a parent or legal guardian co-signs the application.
• If under 16, must provide a Learner's Permit School Attendance Certification (DL-300, or DL-300A from a parent or guardian).

While holding the permit, applicants under 25 must:

• Complete the Maryland Driver Education Program (30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training).
• Practice at least 60 hours with a supervising driver, with at least 10 hours in the period that begins 30 minutes before sunset and ends 30 minutes after sunrise.
• Record the hours in the Practice and Skills Log from the MVA website.

Applicants 25 and older must complete driver education, log at least 14 practice hours (at least 3 in that night period), and keep the log.

Minimum Holding Periods

An 18-year-old without a diploma or GED follows the 9-month rule.

The 9-Month Violation Rule

This is a common exam trap. At any age, if you are convicted of, or given probation before judgment (PBJ) for, a moving violation, you must hold the permit at least 9 months after the most recent conviction or PBJ. The same applies if your privilege has been suspended for any reason. A 20-year-old who would normally wait 3 months must therefore wait 9 months after a moving-violation PBJ.

The Supervising Driver

A permit holder may drive only the vehicles or class of vehicles shown on the permit, and only with a supervising driver who is:

• At least 21 years old.
• Currently licensed for at least three years, in Maryland or another state, to drive the same class of vehicle.
• Seated beside you, unless the vehicle is a motorcycle.

MVA guidance adds that no other front-seat passengers are allowed while you drive on a permit. The MVA assesses 5 points for driving on a learner's permit unaccompanied.

Phones and Other Permit Rules

• Under 18: you may not use any wireless communication device while driving, including hands-free, except to call 911.
• 18 or older on a permit or provisional license: Maryland law still bars you from using a handheld phone while driving.
• If a driver under 18 is cited for a moving violation, the MVA notifies the adult who co-signed the application. Parents and guardians may withdraw consent at any time.

Making the Practice Hours Count

The 60 hours are a minimum, not a target. Use them to build experience in every condition the manual covers: daytime and night, rain, heavy traffic, highways and rural roads. A good log shows a range of situations, not 60 hours of the same trip to school.

Common permit mistakes to avoid:

• Driving alone, or with a friend who has been licensed for less than three years.
• Letting a second passenger ride in the front seat.
• Answering a phone call through the car's speaker system while under 18.
• Forgetting to record night hours in the window that starts 30 minutes before sunset.

Worked Example

Jordan gets a permit at 15 years 9 months, finishes driver education and logs 60 hours. Six months in, Jordan receives PBJ for speeding. Because of the 9-month rule, Jordan must now hold the permit 9 more months from the PBJ date, which is 15 months in total, before qualifying for a provisional license.