How to get a PA driver's license

The steps

1. Study the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual.
2. Have a health care provider complete the physical on the back of the DL-180.
3. Go to a Driver License Center for the vision screening and knowledge test, and get your learner's permit.
4. Practice. Under 18, that's 65 hours, with 10 at night and 5 in bad weather, over at least six months.
5. Book and pass the road test. Your photo is taken when you pass.

What are the PA driver's license requirements?

• Age 16 or older.
• The DL-180 with a completed physical. Under 18, the DL-180TD parent consent form.
• Your original Social Security card and an original proof of identity, such as a birth certificate with a raised seal or a valid US passport.
• 18 or older: two proofs of residency with your name and Pennsylvania address, such as a utility bill, a W-2 or a lease.
• Vision of 20/40 or better combined, or you may get restrictions such as glasses or daylight-only driving.
• $45.50 for the permit and 4-year license, as of October 2026.

Junior or regular license?

Under 18, you get a junior license, with a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and passenger limits. It becomes a regular license on your 18th birthday. At 18 or older, you get a regular license straight away.

Drivers ed in Pennsylvania

PennDOT's steps for a junior license don't include driver's ed, but you need a PA Department of Education-approved course to move from a junior to a regular license before 18. Up to six hours of driving with a driver's ed instructor can count toward your 65 hours. The Department of Education lists approved training courses.

Moving to Pennsylvania

If you have a valid license from another state or Canada, you must get a Pennsylvania license within 60 days of moving and hand in the old one. Holders of licenses from France, Germany, Korea and Taiwan can transfer without the knowledge or road test, but still need a vision test.