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An applicant, who is age 18 and possesses an instruction permit, must hold an instruction permit for at least six months before taking a skills (road) test. Applicants, who are 19 or older, must hold an instruction permit for at least three months before taking a skills (road) test.
Applicant Qualifications:
Pre-Apply for a Driver's License - This will reduce the time you spend at the driver's license office.
Note: Drivers under age 18 cannot apply for an instruction permit until their 18th birthday, unless they have completed driver education requirements.For more information, visit the Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety Website.
Vanessa's Law In memory of Vanessa Weiss, killed just days before her 16th birthday in May 2003, Vanessa's Law was passed a year later. She was a passenger in a vehicle driven by an unlicensed 15-year-old. Under Vanessa's Law, your provisional license will be revoked because of an impaired driving crime or crash-related moving violation; you lose your license until you are at least 18. If you commit these crimes as an unlicensed driver, you cannot apply for a permit until you are 18. Provisions of this law: An unlicensed teen who was convicted of a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol/controlled substance-related violation (a violation of one or more statutes, including DWI, Implied Consent, Open Bottle or Underage Drinking and Driving/Not a Drop Law will not be given a license, an instruction permit or provisional license until age 18. After turning 18, s/he must meet the reinstatement requirement listed on the withdrawal notice(s), pass the knowledge (written) test for a class D driver's license and then make application for a Minnesota instruction permit. Once in possession of a valid instruction permit, the person must hold this instruction permit for at least six months before taking the skills (road) test (or at least three months if age 19 or older). A provisional license holder whose driving privilege is revoked due to a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol/controlled substance-related violation cannot regain a license until age 18 or until the withdrawal period has concluded, whichever is longer. At that time, the person must complete these steps to obtain a full driver’s license: Comply with all requirements for reinstatement listed on the withdrawal notice. In most cases, this will be:serving the withdrawal period passing DWI knowledge (written) test paying $680 reinstatement fee applying for a Minnesota driver's license Complete a 30-hour classroom driver education course (an online computer course is unacceptable) Apply for a Minnesota instruction permit (in addition to the driver's license, as above) Once reinstated, hold the instruction permit for three months During this three-month period, complete six hours of a behind-the-wheel driver education If you have questions about Vanessa's Law, call (651) 296-2025. Read the letter sent to violators.Not A Drop Law (Underage Drinking and Driving Law)Not a Drop says that if an officer observes you operating or in physical control of a motor vehicle and determines that you have been drinking, and the court determines that you committed this offense, your driving privileges will be suspended for either 30 or 180 days. The length of suspension will depend on your prior record. Provisions of this law: It is illegal for a person under age 21 to operate a motor vehicle while consuming alcoholic beverages or in the physical condition of having ingested an alcoholic beverage. If a person's alcohol concentration level is 0.08 or more, regular DWI laws may apply instead of the underage consumption-while-driving offense.
In memory of Vanessa Weiss, killed just days before her 16th birthday in May 2003, Vanessa's Law was passed a year later. She was a passenger in a vehicle driven by an unlicensed 15-year-old. Under Vanessa's Law, your provisional license will be revoked because of an impaired driving crime or crash-related moving violation; you lose your license until you are at least 18. If you commit these crimes as an unlicensed driver, you cannot apply for a permit until you are 18.
Provisions of this law:
Identification Requirements
Requisitos de Identificacion
Instruction Permit FAQ
Full Face Photo Example
Medical Conditions and Your License - Just the Facts
Expedited (Fast Track) Driver's License - Just the Facts
Minnesota Driver's Manuals:
Minnesota Driver's Manual
Minnesota Commercial Driver's License Manual
Motorcycle Manual
El Manual del Conductor de Minnesota (Spanish Driver's Manual):
El Manual del Conductor de Minnesota
Minnesota Class D Driver's Manaul - Audio Files (In English):Section 1 - Knowledge and Skills Tests ChecklistsSection 2 - New Laws
Effective January 1, 2014, the driver’s license filing fee which pays for the costs of the services provided in the driver’s license/ID card issuance process, increases from $5 to $8, as required by Minn. Stat. 171.061, HF 1444, Chapter 117.
Mail:Driver and Vehicle Services – Central OfficeTown Square Building445 Minnesota Street, Suite 190Saint Paul, MN 55101-5190Email:Driver Services DVS.driverslicense@state.mn.usPhone:Driver’s Licenses: (651) 297-3298Office Locations: (651) 297-2005Driver’s License Status: (651) 284-2000 or onlineSchedule a Skills (Road) Test: (651) 284-1000 or onlineAssistance for Hearing Impaired Callers (TDD/TTY): (651) 282-6555
