Drivers Education for Teens

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There have been some big changes to our Drivers' Education program at Blue Earth Area!

All BEA 9th graders are now required to take Drivers' Ed (DE) in school, unless they have taken the classroom portion with another accredited DE program and can show proof of completion. 

Community Ed will NOT be offering  DE classes during the school year.

The new one-quarter school  program will save families $150 for the classroom portion of DE. Once students have their learning permits, they can take their Behind-the-Wheel instruction with our DE Instructors. Students will still need to register through Community Ed for the Behind-the-Wheel portion of DE ($210).  

Community Ed will continue to offer a summer DE class, for students older than 9th grade, for students who prefer not to take it in school for whatever reason, and for students who homeschool or attend a school without a DE program. The student's family will be responsible for the full DE fee if they choose this option. Dates are not set for our Summer 2023 class yet, but will be posted here as soon as we have them.

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The road to getting your driver's license:

Register for Classroom
Register for Behind-the-Wheel
Make a Testing Appointment
Supervised Driving Log (printable)

FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

For more information, go to the Department of Vehicle Services Frequently Asked Questions

More Information

Driver's Education in Minnesota

The state of Minnesota requires all first-time drivers to complete a state-approved driver's education course. This course must consist of 30 hours of classroom instruction and 50 hours of behind-the-wheel training, including 15 hours at night. 

If parents/guardians take the parents awareness course (Point of Impact), then the required number of practice hours drops from 50 hours to 40 hours. The class is about 90 minutes and is offered by drivers education providers. You will need to record all of your practice hours on a Supervised Driving Log which must be signed by your parent or guardian.

Student Driver

Age Requirements

  • 15 years old: Eligible for learner's permit.

  • 16 years old: Eligible for provisional license.

  • 12 months with provisional license: Eligible for full license.

Student Driver

Minnesota Learner's Permit

In order to get your instruction permit in Minnesota, you must be 15 years old and have completed the 30 hours of the classroom portion of Driver's Ed. You must also be enrolled in behind-the-wheel instruction.

When you're ready to apply for your learner's permit, head to your local DVS office and:

  • Present a completed permit/license application with a parental/legal guardian signature.

  • Submit 2 documents for proof of identification (Examples: original birth certificate, social security card, passport book/card, or a school record from the school office).

  • Submit your Driver's Ed certificate of completion (blue card).

  • Give your Social Security number.

  • Pass the written test (there is no testing fee for first two tests; a third test or any thereafter will be $10). Strongly consider taking a practice test to give yourself plenty of preparation before taking the DMV written test.

  • Pay the $14.25 learner's permit fee.

Your instruction permit is valid for 2 years, and you may renew it if necessary. To renew your instruction permit, return to Driver and Vehicle Services and pay the $13.25 permit fee.

Once you have your learner's permit in hand, you're allowed to practice supervised driving under the following conditions:

  • You must be accompanied by a certified driving instructor, your parent/guardian, or other licensed driver 21 years old or older.

  • You and all of your passengers must be wearing a properly-fastened seat belt (or, if driving with children, they must use a properly-fastened child restraint system).

  • You may not use a cell phone in any capacity while driving (not even with a hands-free device).

You will need to hold your learner's permit for at least 6 months and complete a minimum 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with a professional instructor. You will also need to complete 50 hours (or 40 hours if your parents took the awareness class) of supervised driving practice. 15 hours of the practice hours must be at night. Before you are eligible to apply for your provisional license. you must submit a Supervised Driving Log that has been signed by your parent or guardian.

Drivers Ed manual