Minnesota Drivers License Instructions

DMV got you confused? Check out our easy instructions for earning your Minnesota drivers license.

1. Take a DPS-approved Minnesota drivers education course

2. Prepare for the Minnesota learners permit / instruction permit test

3. Enroll in drivers training

4. Apply for your Minnesota learners permit / instruction permit

5. Take drivers training and practice driving under supervision

6. Take the driving test for your Minnesota drivers license

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6

1. Take a DPS-approved Minnesota drivers education course

If you are under 18, you must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and be enrolled in 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in order to be eligible for a Minnesota instruction permit.

If you are a homeschooled student in Minnesota, you can fulfill the 30-hour classroom instruction requirement with DriversEd.com’s Minnesota drivers education book course. This is a drivers education course that you can take at home to earn a Certificate of Enrollment required for the instruction permit.

DriversEd.com is approved by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to provide drivers education for full-time homeschooled students.

2. Study for the Minnesota learners permit / instruction permit test

In order to get the learners permit and eventually the Minnesota drivers license, everyone no matter how old must pass a written test on traffic laws and signs. 70% of test-takers fail on their first try and end up returning to the DMV.

A proven way to increase your chances of passing your learners permit test is with up-to-date online Minnesota DPS practice permit tests. Randomly generated questions test your driving knowledge and prepare you for the real deal.

Fifty online practice permit tests come free with our Minnesota drivers education course.

3. Enroll in drivers training

Sign up for at least 6 hours driving lessons with a licensed driving instructor. If you are under 18, you must show proof of enrollment in drivers training when you apply for the learners permit. You can actually begin these driving lessons once you get your instruction permit. Find a local driving school.

4. Apply for your Minnesota learners permit / instruction permit

When you are ready to take your written permit test, save time by scheduling your test appointment at your local DPS office.

To apply for your instruction permit, you must:

Be at least 15 years old.
Provide your valid Social Security number.
You must also show proof of age and identity at the time of application.
If you are under 18, you must present a Certificate of Completion from an approved drivers education course and a Certificate of Enrollment in 6 hours of behind-the-wheel lessons.
Complete a license application and pay the required instruction permit fee.
If you are under 18, have a parent/guardian approve your permit application. If your parents are divorced, a stepparent married to your custodial parent may approve your application. If you have no living parents or guardian or if you are married or legally emancipated, a close family member, employer, or a spouse who is at least 18 years old can sign your application.
Pass a vision test.
Pass a knowledge test.

Once you’ve passed the written test, you will be issued an instruction permit.

The following restrictions will apply with your instruction permit:

You must always have a supervising driver 21 years of age or older in the car with you.
Every occupant under the age of 18 must wear a seat belt or use a child passenger restraint system.
You may not use or talk on a cell phone while driving, with or without a hands-free cell phone device.

5. Take drivers training and practice driving under supervision

After earning your instruction permit, if you are under 18, you will need to complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed instructor.

You will also need to practice driving for a minimum of 30 hours (10 at night) under the supervision of a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old.

Want to make this supervised driving period as stress-free as possible? Our Behind-the-Wheel Training Guide directs parents step-by-step through the process of teaching their teen to drive.

It also comes with a FREE passenger-side rear-view mirror that lets you see exactly what your teen sees while driving.

6. Take the driving test for your Minnesota drivers license

When you are ready to take the driving test, schedule an appointment with the Road Test Locations Site Office near you.

To be eligible to take the driving test, you must:

Be at least 16 years old.
Have completed your drivers education and behind-the-wheel training. You must present a certificate of course completion, or “white card,” that proves you have completed an approved drivers education course and behind-the-wheel instruction.
Have held an instruction permit for six months with no convictions for moving violations or for alcohol or controlled-substance violations.
A parent or court-appointed guardian must sign and approve your license application and certify that you have driven under the supervision of a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age for at least 30 hours, 10 of which must have taken place at night.
Show proof of vehicle insurance for the vehicle that you bring for the driving test.

After passing the driving test, you will be issued a provisional license.

During the provisional license period, every occupant under 18 must wear a seatbelt or use a properly fastened child passenger restraint system.

To qualify for your Class D drivers license:

You must be at least 18 years of age, or have held a provisional license for at least 12 consecutive months with no convictions for alcohol violations, controlled-substance violations, or crash-related moving violations, and have had not more than one conviction for a moving violation that is not crash related.
If you are under 18 years of age, you must certify that you have driven for at least 10 hours under the supervision of a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age.

DriversEd.com is a privately held company and is in no way associated with the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other government agency. DriversEd.com does not claim any responsibility for the accuracy of the drivers license information posted within or for the business practices associated with any other schools listed on the DriversEd.com site. For up-to-date information, please consult your local Department of Motor Vehicles or vehicle registration agency. Also, DriversEd.com is not liable for any information or claims posted within third party links.