Teens under the age of 16 who wish to drive must complete a state-approved traffic education course offered by Big Sky Driving School or a Montana school district

 

• Teens must be at least age 14.5 to take the written knowledge exam. Upon passing, they will receive their Learner's License. 

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• Teens must be no younger than 14.5 at the completion of the driver’s education course so as to have the required 6 months with a permit to get the minimum 75 hours of drive time (15 at night) logged with a parent (or designated adult) before turning 15 +1 day to get their license.

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• Teens that will not apply for their driver’s license until they are 16 years old or older are not required to take a driver’s education class, but will greatly benefit from taking one from the licensed professionals at Big Sky Driving School. These teens are still required to log 75 hours of drive time (15 hours at night) under a learner’s permit with a parent or designated adult before applying for a license.  See: Parent Role in Teen Driving

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• Learning to drive is a complex process that requires responsibility and thousands of miles of practice to develop competence, skill, and judgment. Safety research shows that young drivers face the highest crash risk in darkness and each teen passenger doubles the crash risk. Newly licensed drivers should not transport young passengers until they have sufficient experience. Just like with sports and music, good habits and abilities grow through experience and good coaching. When teens have their full privilege license, parents should continue to drive with their teen, monitor, model, and enforce the rules, and encourage safe driving habits.