St. Marys West Virginia Online Driver Education and St. Marys West Virginia Licensing Procedures
The process of applying for your St. Marys West Virginia learner's permit or first St. Marys West Virginia driver's license can be nerve-racking, but it doesn't have to be if you have the right information. We want you to get as much out of this experience as possible, and have designed this guide to help guide you through the process. St. Marys West Virginia has a a Graduated Driver License Program for St. Marys West Virginia teen drivers, and there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure that applying for your first St. Marys West Virginia driver’s license goes as smoothly as possible. So here's what you need to know.
The St. Marys West Virginia Learner’s Permit or St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit
When you turn 15, you can apply for a St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit. In order to apply, you’ll need:
Once you’re ready, make an appointment, then head on down to your local St. Marys West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle Office (DMV) with your parent or guardian and submit your application. Then, you’ll have to take a written knowledge test. If you survive, then congratulations! You’ve just earned your St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit, which is valid until your 18th birthday.
St. Marys West Virginia Learner’s Permit or St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit Restrictions
Remember, the Graduated License Program is designed to allow you to gain skills and maturity before graduating to a less restrictive license. In other words, there are a few restrictions on driving with a St. Marys West Virginia Learner's Permt that are fairly easy to follow. They are:
- You must practice driving with your parent, guardian, driving instructor, or a licensed driver who is over 21
- You can only drive between the hours of 5AM and 10PM, and with 2 non-family member passengers (in addition to the supervising adult)
- All passengers must wear seatbelts
- Be sure to carry your St. Marys West Virginia Learner’s Permit with you at all times
- Finally, no cell phones while driving--talking or text!
If you can responsibly use your St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit for 6 months and meet a few more requirements, you’ll be more than ready for the next step in the St. Marys West Virginia Graduated License Program, the St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver’s License.
The St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver License or St. Marys West Virginia Provisional License
You can apply for your St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver’s License once you’ve held your St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit for 6 months in good standing. However, you’ll need to make sure you meet these requirements:
- Hold a St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit for 6 months
- No St. Marys West Virginia traffic violations for 6 months preceding application
- Be at least 16 years old
- Complete 50 hours of driving practice -10 of these hours must be at night
- Your parent/guardian must certify your completed hours
Then, make an appointment and head on down to your local St. Marys West Virginia DMV Office again. Remember to bring your parent/guardian, the $5 fee, your identification documents, and your St. Marys West Virginia Instruction Permit. Next is the dreaded St. Marys West Virginia road test, but it shouldn't pose a huge obstacle if you've studied and practiced consistently. If you pass, then congratulations: you’ve just earned your St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver’s License! Now you're just a few more months of good behavior away from getting your full license.
St. Marys West Virginia Teen Driver License Restrictions and Penalties
There are still a few restrictions you’ll have to keep in mind now that you have your St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver’s License:
- All passengers and the driver must wear seat belts
- For the first 6 months, no passengers under 20 (unless family)
- For the second 6 months, no more than 1 passenger under 20 (unless family)
- No driving between the hours of 10PM and 5AM unless:
- you are going to/from employment
- you are going to a school or religious activity
- it's for an emergency situation
- No cell phone/texting while driving
If you receive two St. Marys West Virginia moving violations, your St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver License will be suspended until you turn 18. On the bright side, once you turn 18 and have had your St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver License for 1 year, you can apply for your St. Marys West Virginia Full Class E License, and these restrictions will be removed. Freedom!
St. Marys West Virginia Auto Insurance Financial Responsibility Laws
Once you receive your St. Marys West Virginia Provisional Driver license, you’re ready to drive--or so you may think. But hold your horses, because St. Marys West Virginia drivers are required by law to be covered by liability insurance. In fact, you risk the suspension of your St. Marys West Virginia Learner Permit or St. Marys West Virginia Intermediate Driver’s License if you are in an accident and found to be driving without St. Marys West Virginia mandatory liability insurance. If you don't have insurance already, getting it should be a top priority.
The minimum liability insurance coverage is:
- $10,000 for property damage per accident
- $20,000 bodily injury for one person
- $40,000 bodily injury two or more people
St. Marys West Virginia Drunk Driving, Cell Phone, and Text Messaging Laws
As a St. Marys West Virginia teen driver, it’s important for you to learn the St. Marys West Virginia drunk driving, cell phone, and text messaging laws and follow them to the letter. After all, younger drivers tend to be killed drinking, speeding, and not paying attention.
Drunk Driving. Like most states, St. Marys West Virginia has a Zero Tolerance Law for underage drinking, and if you are convicted of a St. Marys West Virginia DUI or St. Marys West Virginia DWI, your St. Marys West Virginia Learner Permit or St. Marys West Virginia Driver’s License will be suspended.
In general, upon your first conviction of a St. Marys West Virginia DUI of .08, you’ll face the following penalties:
- Jail up to 6 months
- St. Marys West Virginia License Suspension 15 days
- Fine $100 to $500
For a DUI with a blood alcohol content of .15 or above
- Jail from 2 days to 6 months
- St. Marys West Virginia License Suspension 45 days
- Fine $100 to $1,000
And, if you’re carrying a minor under 16 in your vehicle:
- Ignition Interlock installation possible
- Jail from 2 days to 12 months
- Fine $200 to $1,000
And of course, further St. Marys West Virginia DWI and DUI convictions will result in increased jail time, community service, fines, and St. Marys West Virginia license suspension or even St. Marys West Virginia license revocation.
Cell Phones. Currently, St. Marys West Virginia teen drivers are prohibited from using cell phones while driving, even with hands-free devices!
St. Marys West Virginia Online Driver Education
You will need to enroll in a St. Marys West Virginia approved driver education course fairly early in the process. St. Marys West Virginia teen drivers can find more information about approved St. Marys West Virginia online driver education on the St. Marys West Virginia Transportation website.