Patina · Real life

Getting Your License

five steps  ·  and what changes where you live

Every state writes its own rules, but the road is the same: a permit, practice, a test, a license. Learn the shape here, then check your own state.

★ the five steps  ·  ★★ say it with have to  ·  ★★★ what changes, then check yourself

Download the PDF PDF · 4 pages

For the teacher · In class

read the five steps together, then ask "which step are you on?" and let everyone answer. The have-to lines are said out loud, not written. Check-yourself answers go in the chat.

Unit 12 teacher's key (PDF)

★ Five steps to a license

Five steps, in order. Read them with your teacher. Your language is under every line.

  1. 1Get your papers readyYou need papers. They show who you are. They show where you live. Most people stop at this step. Start early.
  2. 2Pass the written test and the eye testThe written test is about the road signs and the rules. You also read letters on a chart. Glasses are fine. In most states you now get a learner permit.
  3. 3Practice with a licensed driverA licensed driver is in the front seat with you. Do not drive alone. You need your license first.
  4. 4Pass the driving testYou drive. An examiner is in the car with you. In most states you bring your own car. It must have plates and insurance.
  5. 5Get your licenseYou pass the driving test. Now you can drive alone.

Some states also want a short class first. Your age can change this. A few states let you take both tests in one day. Check your own state.

★★ Say it with "have to"

Look at the words. Say the whole sentence with have to. Then tap to hear it.

Review from Class 9. Have to means there is no choice. You have to = it is the rule.

  1. a written test
  2. a licensed driver
  3. the road test
  4. your papers
  5. all in one day?

★★★ Every state is different

Some things are the same everywhere. Some things you have to look up.

The same in every state

  • You take a written test about signs and rules.
  • You take an eye test. Glasses are fine.
  • You take a driving test in a car.
  • You bring papers that show who you are.
  • The road signs are the same in all fifty states.

Different in every state

  • How old you have to be.
  • How much it costs.
  • If you have to take a class.
  • How long you have to practice.
  • Who is allowed to sit with you.
  • If you need a learner permit first.
  • Which languages the written test is in.

Look for your state's free website. Search the name of your state and the letters DMV. The rules and the practice tests are there.

Some states give a driver license to all the people there. Immigration status is not important. You do not need a Social Security number. New York is one example. Other states are different. One state's license may not work in another state. Ask your own state.

★★★ Check yourself

Read the five steps again. Answer with one or two words in the chat.

  1. 1What is the FIRST step, before any test?
  2. 2What test is first? Written, or driving?
  3. 3Who is in the car with you?
  4. 4What do you bring to the driving test?
  5. 5Where can you find the rules for YOUR state?