Minnesota Driver Education

The state of Minnesota recognizes the need for driver's education for young and inexperienced drivers. Many of these teenage drivers lack the experience and reliability needed to make sound decisions where driving is concerned, due to peer pressure, road conditions, or weather problems. While most states have in place similar laws that require driver's education, there are more that need to adopt similar laws. In addition, teens should also be required to pass courses that show the consequences of driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Lawmakers drafted "Vanessa's Law" in Minnesota in honor of a teen passenger killed while riding in a vehicle driven by another teen without a license. This law places many restrictions on teen drivers who get caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or without a driver's license. You should be at least 15 years old. State-approved driver's education is also a requirement, consisting of 30 hours of classroom instruction.

Those in authority (parents, step parents, or legal guardians) should be ready and willing to provide 30 hours of driving instruction, 10 at night, or arrange for another licensed adult age 21 or older to provide said instruction. Farm permits are available for those who meet the minimum driving requirements and other requirements for farm driving. A minimum of 6 months safe driving is required in order to advance to the next stage of driving privileges.

If you are a teenager in Minnesota at least 15 years old but younger than 18, you must adhere to the state's Graduated License program. That program requires that an Instruction Permit and Provisional License be held before obtaining a Full License.

Identification Requirements

To apply for a driver's license, you must provide either two Primary forms of identification or one Primary and one Secondary.

Primary

* A valid foreign passport with either a current I-94 form or an I-551 stamp.

* A Canadian birth or naturalization certificate with an attached current I-94 form. If you opt for this form of identification it must also be accompanied by photo proof (Secondary) issued by the Canadian government.

* An Employment Authorization Card (I-688 or I-766 series).

* A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-570, N-578).

* A Permanent Resident or Resident Alien Card (I-551, I-151).

* A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560, N-561, N-645).

* A re-entry Permit/Refugee Travel Document (I-327, I-571).

* A United States Citizen Identification Card (I-179, I-197).

Secondary

* A Canadian social insurance card.

* A certified Canadian court order with full name and date of birth.

* A Canadian government employee photo identification card.

* A certified birth certificate issued from a government jurisdiction other than the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.

* A photo driver's license, identification card, or permit issued by Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or a Canadian province or territory that's current or has been expired for less than five years.

Keep in mind that licensing officials have the authority to request additional identification.