Delaware · Handbook chapter 1 · 6 min read

How to get a Delaware Level One Learner's Permit or adult learner's permit: driver education, sponsors, documents, the eye screening, the 32-question knowledge test, GDL limits and the road test.

Why this chapter matters

Teen drivers in Delaware learn under the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, and the knowledge test can ask about its limits. Learn the numbers here: 16, 25, 5 years, 50 hours, 10 at night, six months, 12 months, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., one passenger.

Two routes to a Class D license

Most new drivers need a Class D license, which covers cars, pickups, vans and other single vehicles up to 26,000 pounds that carry fewer than 16 people. There are two ways to get one:

• Under 18 (or under 22 on an active IEP): the GDL program, starting with a Level One Learner's Permit at age 16.
• 18 or older: a learner's permit issued after you pass the eye screening and the knowledge exam at the DMV, followed by a road test. GDL is optional for adults.

You apply in person at a DMV office in Delaware City, Dover, Georgetown or Wilmington.

The Level One Learner's Permit (ages 16 and 17)

To qualify you must:

1. Be at least 16 and under 18 (or at least 16 and under 22 with an active Individualized Education Program).
2. Present a Delaware Driver Education Certificate, the Blue or White Certificate, showing you passed a certified driver education course. An out-of-state course must be approved by the Department of Education.
3. Prove your identity, legal presence, Social Security number (if eligible) and Delaware residency.
4. Have a sponsor sign the application in front of a DMV licensing employee. The sponsor is usually a parent living with you, or a legal guardian, and is jointly liable for damage you cause. The sponsor decides who may supervise you and can withdraw consent, which cancels your driving privileges.
5. Pass an eye screening and pay the $50.00 fee for an 8-year Class D license (July 2026 manual and DMV fee schedule).

Rules for the whole permit period

• Carry the permit whenever you drive.
• You and every passenger must be buckled or in the right child seat.
• No cell phone or similar device at all, not even hands-free.
• When supervised, the supervisor must be a licensed parent, guardian or sponsor-approved driver aged 25 or older who has held a Class D license for at least 5 years. They sit beside you, and nobody else sits in the front.
• For the full 12 months, no passengers other than the supervisor and one other passenger, except immediate family when the supervisor is in the car.

The first six months

You must be supervised at all times, and your sponsor certifies 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night. The certification goes to the Department of Education after six months.

The second six months

• You may drive unsupervised from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• From 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. you need a supervisor, unless you are going directly to or from church, work, or school activities on school property.
• When no supervisor is with you, only one passenger may ride along.

Breaking a permit restriction counts as driving without a license: a two-month suspension for a first offense and four months for later offenses.

Becoming a full Class D driver

The permit converts automatically to a Class D license after a full 12 months of valid driving authority. Any time spent suspended or revoked does not count; it is added to the end, and you must then complete full testing.

Adults: the learner's permit and road test

If you are 18 or older and not using GDL, you pay when you apply, pass the eye screening and the knowledge exam, and receive a learner's permit valid for 12 months. You must pass all exams within that time. While learning you must be accompanied by a licensed driver over 21 sitting beside you, and the DMV's permit page allows no more than 2 other passengers.

The July 2026 manual says you may take the Class D road exam 30 days after passing the knowledge exam, and that after failing the road exam you must wait at least 30 days before trying again. Some DMV web pages still give 10 days, so check when you book.

The examination

The driver examination checks whether you know enough, and drive well enough, to be safe on Delaware roads. It includes:

• Vision screening: you need at least 20/40, with or without glasses or contacts. Between 20/40 and 20/50 you may be allowed to drive in daylight only. If you need lenses, your license is marked.
• Highway sign and signal questions: identify signs by shape, color or symbol and explain signs, signals and pavement markings.
• Rules of the road questions: Delaware laws and safe practices, such as speed limits, flashing signals, passing, skids and parking distances.
• Road test: about 30 minutes of normal driving, including parallel parking, a three-point turn, backing 50 feet, lane changes, merging and right-of-way.

The DMV's written test page says the actual Class D knowledge test has 32 questions and you must answer 26 correctly. Audio tests with headphones are available on request.

For the road test, bring your valid permit, the license of the accompanying driver (at least 21), and the registration and insurance card for the test vehicle, which must pass a safety check. Road tests are given every weekday except Wednesday, and you can schedule online with My Road Test or by phone.

Documents you need

• One proof of identity and legal presence, such as a certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport. Under 18, the document must name your parents.
• One proof of your Social Security number, such as your Social Security card or a W-2.
• Two proofs of Delaware residency from separate sources, showing your physical address (not a P.O. box) and postmarked within the last 60 days. This is waived for GDL applicants whose sponsor is a licensed Delaware driver at the same address.

Photocopied, expired or altered documents are refused.

Other licensing facts

• New residents must get a Delaware license within 60 days.
• Report a change of name or address within 30 days.
• Licenses are issued for 8 years and can be renewed up to 180 days early; a late renewal costs $10.00 extra.
• A replacement license costs $20.00.
• You cannot be licensed if you do not understand road signs in English.