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The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program

Idaho’s Graduated Driver Licensing Program is designed to reduce the number of teen citations and collisions by giving them more driving experience before becoming fully licensed. The permit given to the teen driver after successfully completing driver education must be in the driver’s possession while driving. The permit is valid until five (5) days after the student’s eighteenth (18th) birthday.

Teen drivers are required to follow these restrictions:

  • The six (6) month period of supervised driving begins the day driver education is completed successfully, and the Instructor issues the permit.
  • Teen drivers must practice for a minimum of six (6) months, including at least forty (40) hours of daylight driving and ten (10) hours of nighttime driving.
  • The supervising driver must have a valid license and be at least 21 years of age. They also need to be in the front seat and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • All occupants must wear seatbelts and observe all alcohol and drug laws.
  • A permit can be cancelled for not following the above restrictions, for receiving a traffic violation, or for not attending school.

Idaho Traffic Laws

Though certainly not a complete list of laws, here are some to focus on while doing supervised driving:

  • Obey all traffic control devices. You must stop prior to entering the intersection when indicated by a stop sign. When a stop line is present, you must stop prior to the stop line.
  • At a 4-way stop, the vehicle who approaches first has the right-of-way. If two or more cars approach at the same time, the car on the right has the right-of-way.
  • You must stop when entering a street from an alley, parking lot, driveway, or private road.
  • You must yield to pedestrians crossing the street in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
  • The speed limit is only for ideal conditions.
  • The “Move Over” law requires you to change lanes whenever possible to provide more room for an emergency vehicle stopped with lights flashing.
  • The law requires you to stay in the right lane when there are multiple lanes except when passing.
  • You cannot exceed the speed limit to pass another vehicle.
  • You cannot pass another vehicle within 100 feet of an intersection.
  • You cannot go around a stopped vehicle in front of you if it requires you to go off the pavement.
  • When stopping behind another vehicle, you should be able to see where that vehicle’s rear tires touch the pavement.
  • The hands-free driving law bans the use of electronic devices while driving, including at stop signs and red lights.
  • Stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading students. Remain stopped until the flashing red lights are turned off. You do not need to stop for a school bus if you are traveling in the opposite direction on a road that has 4 or more lanes.

GDL systems

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems are intended to provide teen drivers with practice under the safest conditions, exposing them to more situations only as their skills and experience grow.