Teens younger than 18 looking to get a Michigan drivers license, must pass drivers ed. If you are 18 or older, you aren’t required to take a drivers education course, but you will need to prepare just as diligently for your written permit exam; skip over to Step 2 to get moving.

The state breaks drivers education into two segments that cover:

• Michigan traffic laws

• MI road signs

• Safe-driving practices and more

Begin Driver Education Segment 1

Once you turn 14 years and eight months old you can begin Driver Education Segment 1. This includes:

• A minimum of 24 hours of classroom instruction

• A minimum of six hours behind-the-wheel practice*

• A minimum of four hours behind-the-wheel observation time

*Before you begin driving behind the wheel in class, you must pass a vision and health screening.

Take a Written Exam

In order to advance to the next step, you must take a written exam. In addition to studying your drivers ed course material you can take multiple online practice permit tests and review the Michigan Driver’s Manual.

Once you meet all requirements, you’ll receive a Michigan Department of State Segment 1 certificate of completion. Hang on to this as you’ll need to present it to a branch office clerk when you apply for a Level 1 license.

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