Can You Practice Driving Without A Permit? (Here’s How…)

In the United States, you cannot practice driving on public roads. If you don’t have a permit for driving, then you can’t drive anywhere without one. However, you can legally practice driving without a permit on your private property like land, farm, or a private parking lot. To practice driving on public roads, you also need to pass the written test for Learner’s Permit from DMV. Even after passing the learner’s permit test, you cannot drive alone on public roads. You should practice driving under a professional driver’s supervision who is above 21 years of age and who has a valid driving license. 

Also Read: Is it suspicious to buy car with cash

What happens If You Drive Without a Permit?

Driving without a valid license or permit is illegal in most countries. If you get pulled over without a license, you will be punishable by fines or even jail time. If you are caught driving without a valid driver’s license, you will face a fine of $1,000 for a first offense. The penalties for subsequent offenses are more severe.

The following penalties in different states of the US are for those drivers who have never obtained a license before:

• If you drive without a permit in Georgia, you may carry penalties of up to 12 months in jail or a maximum $1,000 fine. 
• If you drive without a permit in New York, it will be a serious misdemeanor offense that will carry a penalty of up to 15 days in jail or a $75 to $300 fine. 
• If you drive without a permit in California, you may experience a charge of traffic infraction with a fine of $250 maximum. This offense can be a misdemeanor with a $1,000 maximum fine and a maximum penalty of six months in jail.

Can You Practice Driving Without a Permit in a Parking Lot?

You can practice driving without a permit in a parking lot if it is private property. You must have permission from the owner or manager of the property to practice driving. Also, beware that you should familiarize yourself with the laws surrounding the private area. That is if a parking lot is open to public parking without restrictions, it might be considered a public road, despite being on the privately owned ground. In that case, driving practice on a parking lot without a permit would be illegal.

Requirements for People Under 18 To Drive on Pubic Roads

If you’re under 18 and want to practice driving on public roads, you should pass the learner’s permit written test conducted by DMV.

Here are the requirements for an under 18 person to practice driving on public roads:

• Most states require you to be at least 16 years of age to get a learner’s permit.
• Study your state’s DVM driver’s handbook to understand driving principles.
• You must have your parents/guardians consent to apply for the learner’s permit test.
• Take several practice written tests.
• Pass Learner’s Permit test and get your permit.
• After getting the learner’s permit, you should experience driving with a person having at least 21 years of age, and a valid driving license.
• Complete 5 or 6 hours driver’s training course in your high school. States like California require that you should complete the Driver’s Education Program before applying for a road skills test.
• Before you apply for a driving license (road skills) test, you must have held your learner’s permit for at least 6 to 9 months, depending on the state. For New York, it is six months. For Virginia, it is nine months.
• Under the supervision of a driver with a license, you are required to log a certain number of hours of driving before applying for a road skill test.
• If you are under 18, you need to practice for 50 hours, including 10 hours at night. During these practice hours, you will learn basic principles of driving like using turn signals, obeying traffic lights, applying acceleration, and negotiating corners.

Documents for Learner’s Permit Test

For Learner’s Permit test, you need to submit the following documents:

• A tuition bill that proves your residency in your state
• Your social security card
• Your birth certificate to prove your identity
• Any other additional document showing your exact name
• Proof of school enrollment

Note: All documents you submit for Learner’s Permit test should be original.

Can You Drive Without Permit If You Are Over 18?

Most states require you to pass the learner’s permit test first even if you are over 18. Also, some states also require you to complete 6 hours of pre-license driving training before you get a driving license even if you are over 18. Regardless of the state’s law, it’s a good idea to attend a driving course if you’re over 18, and an inexperienced driver.

If you’re over 18, you should need to practice driving with a licensed driver (someone 21 years or older) after getting a learner’s permit. It is still unlawful for 18-year-olds or older to practice driving alone after they get a learner’s permit. Also, if you are over 18 years old, there is no minimum hours requirement to practice driving after you get a learner’s permit. You can easily apply for a driving license test after around 2 week.