The following guide will teach you how to navigate the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS) in order to receive your driver’s license. It is designed to make the process as easy to understand as possible.
To that end, we have included all relevant links to manuals, directories, and contact information below, so that you will have access to all of the necessary information, precisely when you need it, for the next step in obtaining your license.
Applicants for a regular, class C Alabama driver’s license must be at least 16, and they must have had a learner’s license for over six months in order to qualify.
Learner’s Licenses
Most teens will need to have a learner’s license for six months before they will be able to apply for a driver’s license. The list below contains all the documentation, expertise, and money that are required at the DPS.
- Proof of Age-A certified copy of your birth certificate or the original document
- Proof of Social Security Number-Social security card
- Student Enrollment/Exclusion Form-Ask your school for the correct form. Applicants will also be required to ask the authorized school officials for their signatures (all the information you need will be on the form).
- A Passing Grade on the Written Test-Take the test at your local DPS; look to the bottom of this page to find the official listing of DPS offices in your area. Then try to arrive as soon as possible after the office opens, or during business hours. The line will be much shorter at odd times-for example, times when professionals are unable to leave their work.
- $23.50-Payable in cash, money order, or check
At 15, a learner’s license will allow you to drive only if you have a licensed adult, over 21, in the passenger seat next to you. If you are over 16, any licensed individual can be in the passenger’s seat.
If you are over 18, you do not need a learner’s license before getting your driver’s license.
Driver’s Licenses
In terms of documentation, after your learner’s license, the driver’s license is easy. Here’s what you need at the DPS:
- Take the Road Test-Make sure to look over the road test section of the Alabama Driver’s License Manual (follow the link at the bottom of this page). You will find everything that could possibly be on the test, including some of the most common ways to lose points, or fail. For instance, refusing to cooperate with the state official’s instructions is grounds for immediate failure of the test. In addition, performing dangerous driving maneuvers or breaking the law at any point during the test is grounds for failure.
- Your Learner’s License*
- One Other Form of ID-A social security card, or your birth certificate will be sufficient
- A Vehicle with Documentation and in Good Working Condition
- $5-For the road test
- A Parent or Guardian-If you are over 17, you do not need a parent with you
* If you are over 18, you do not need a learner’s license before getting your driver’s license.
For all other questions, refer to the Alabama Law Enforcement Driver License Department or call your local DPS office. You may find a listing of all the department of public safety locations in Alabama, with their hours, locations, and contact information, on the Alabama DPS website.