Parents of Teen Drivers: What You Need to Know

/ Traffic Offenses / By

Georgia’s TADRS: Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act was enacted in 1997.  The law establishes the concept of Graduated Driver Licensing for 16-year-old drivers and also imposes additional restrictions on drivers up to age 18 and up to 21.  Prior to the enactment of this law, the fatality rate of teenage drivers was very high.  After the enactment of TADRA, the fatality rate decreased among 16-year-old drivers significantly.  

As our children grow up, we only want them to be safe and responsible drivers.  Understanding the Teenage & Adult Driver Responsibility Act will help those with children that are about to endeavor upon the privilege of driving.

There are 3 Separate Classifications for Young Adult and Teen Drivers

Step 1: Instructional Permit (Class CP) is available for those age 15 and up for passing a knowledge examination.  During this phase, the permit holder must be accompanied by a licensed (Class C) adult 21 years of age or older who is a capable driver and occupies the passenger seat.

Step 2: Provisional License (Class D) is issued to 16 and 17 year olds who have held an instruction permit for 12 months without committing any major traffic violations and have passed both comprehensive and road driving test.  Must complete a total of 40 hours of other supervised driving, including 6 hours at night. 

Visit https://dds.georgia.gov/joshuas-law-requirements for specific requirements.

A Provisional License (Class D) holder has the following restrictions:

  • May not drive between the hours of 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • For the first 6 months following the issuance of this license, only immediate family members may ride in the vehicle.
  • For the second 6 months following the issuance, only 1 passenger under 21 years of age who is not a member of the driver’s immediate family may ride in the vehicle.
  • After the first and second 6 month periods, only 3 passengers under 21 years of age are not members of the driver’s immediate family may ride in the vehicle.

NOTE: Immediate Family Defined as the license holder’s parents and step-parents, grandparents, siblings, step-siblings, children and other person who resides at the license holder’s residence.

Step 3: Full License (Class C) is available to persons age 18 and up if there have been no major traffic convictions for the previous 12 months. 

The Class D License must be upgraded to Class C or the driver will be held to the Class D restrictions regardless of the age of the driver.

NOTE: The supervised driving requirement also applies to an initial class C license applicant who has not previously been issued a Class D License.

A young driver can only advance to the next Graduated Driver License level if there are no convictions in a consecutive 12-month period.   There can be no convictions for the following offenses:

  • DUI (Driving Under the Influence);
  • Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
  • Racing
  • Reckless Driving
  • Hit and Run/Leaving the scene of an accident
  • any other moving violations for which four or more points are assessed. 

For drivers under the age of 18, an accumulation of four or more points in a 12-month period will result in a 6-month suspension.

If a driver under the age of 21 years of age is convicted for any of the following offenses, their driver’s license will be suspended for a period of at least 6 months.  These offenses include:

  • Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer
  • Racing
  • Reckless Driving
  • Hit and Run/Leaving the scene of an accident
  • any other moving violations for which four or more points are assessed.
  • DUI (Driving Under the Influence) – If a driver under the age of 21 is convicted of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in which the blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 grams or higher, their Driver’s License will be suspended for a 12-month period.

I have represented many young adult and teen drivers as a Criminal Defense attorney in Atlanta, Georgia and throughout all of Georgia including smaller cities and rural areas in the state.  My office is open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.  You can visit www.kevinfisherlegal.com and call me at 404.403.2665 for a free consultation. 

Scroll to Top