Nebraska Driver’s License 2026: Permits, POP and Class O

How do you get a Nebraska driver’s license as a teen?

Permit	From age	What you need
School learner’s permit (LPE)	14	Vision and written tests. You must qualify for a school permit. Lasts 6 months
School permit (SCP)	14 and 2 months	2 months on an LPE or LPD, plus a driver safety course or the 50-hour form. Ends at 16 and 3 months
Learner’s permit (LPD)	15	Vision and written tests. Lasts 1 year
Provisional operator’s permit (POP)	16	6 months on a permit with fewer than 3 points, plus a driver safety course or the 50-hour form. Ends at 18
Class O license	17	Under 18: 12 months on a POP with fewer than 3 points in the last 12 months

A school permit is only for teens who live outside a city of 5,000 or more, or go to school outside one. It lets you drive alone between home and school, and to school activities, by the most direct route, and anywhere with a licensed driver 21 or older. Everyone riding with an SCP or POP holder must wear a seat belt.

Nebraska DMV says the school permit needs 2 months on an LPE or an LPD, and either the course or the 50-hour form. The statute, § 60‑4,124, names only the LPE, and its wording asks for the course as well as either the instructor’s tests or the 50-hour form, so if you don’t plan to take a course, ask Driver Licensing Services which rule applies to you before you apply.

Driver safety courses and the 50-hour form →The learner’s permit and the written test →

Driving limits while you’re under 18

Permit	When you may drive	Passengers
LPE or LPD	Only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the seat beside you	Not listed
SCP	Alone to and from school and school activities; anywhere with a licensed driver 21 or older	Family members who live with you, on school trips
POP	Alone from 6 a.m. to midnight; later only to or from work or a school activity, or with a licensed adult 21 or older	First 6 months: one passenger under 19 who isn’t immediate family

No permit holder may use any interactive wireless device, such as a phone, while driving. A passenger violation on a POP or SCP, a POP night-driving violation, or phone use on any permit adds a point to your record. If you break the terms of an LPE, LPD or SCP, a court can impound or revoke it, and you can’t get another permit until you’re 16.

Getting a first license at 18 or older

You take the vision, written and drive tests. If you’ve held a Nebraska learner’s permit (LPD) that’s valid or expired less than a year ago, the written test is waived. If you got a POP as a teen and apply between 18 and 21, both tests are waived and you can get the license online. A license issued before 21 expires on your 21st birthday, and after that a license lasts until your birthday in the fifth year.

REAL ID and the documents you bring

Every valid Nebraska license and State ID card is REAL ID compliant unless it’s marked not for federal identification. The REAL ID star sits in the upper right corner: a white star in a black circle on cards issued from March 2026, and in a gold circle on older ones. Cards marked not for federal identification are issued to people with a parolee immigration status, and they have no star.

For your first Nebraska document you show proof of US citizenship or lawful status once, two proofs of your Nebraska address from different sources, and your Social Security number. If you prove lawful status, DMV checks your immigration documents with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which can take up to 20 federal work days, and you bring them at every visit. The full list is on the permit test page.

What to bring to the DMV →

What each permit and license costs

Item	Fee
School learner’s permit (LPE)	$13
School permit (SCP)	$13
Learner’s permit (LPD)	$13
Provisional operator’s permit (POP)	$20
Class O license, 5 years	$29
Replacement permit or license	$16
Change of class, endorsement or restriction	$10

Each fee includes DMV’s $5 security fee. A Class O license that runs for less than 5 years, for example because you turn 21 sooner, costs less, from $10 for one year or less.

Renewing your license

State law changed on July 18, 2026 (LB972): if you’re 21 or older and your license expires before your 72nd birthday, the law lets you renew a Class O or Class M license online or in person, as long as you renew in person at least once every 16 years. DMV’s renewal page, its online renewal FAQ and the January 2025 Driver’s Manual still gave the older limit of two online renewals in a row in October 2026, so if the online service turns you away, renew at a driver licensing office or call Driver Licensing Services. You can renew up to 90 days before your birthday, and DMV mails a reminder postcard 30 days before your license expires.

Sources: Nebraska DMV · Nebraska Legislature and 15 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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