Georgia Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA): What New Drivers and Parents Should know About Graduated License Programs
The Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act (TADRA) was enacted in Georgia in 1997. The Act creates a graduated driver’s license program for driver’s age 15-18. TADRA has been credited with resulting in a 44.5% decline in teenage speed-related crashes in just 18 months. TADRA allows young drivers to begin driving in three phases: (1) instructional permit, (2) intermediate license, and (3) full license. Here’s how it works:
Phase One: Instructional Permit
A 15 year-old may apply for an Instructional Permit. To obtain the Instructional Permit, the 15-year-old must pass a written examination. With the permit, the 15 year-old may drive as long as there is a passenger at least 21 years-old in the car who has a Full License (also known as a Class C License).
Phase Two: Intermediate License (Class D License)
A 16-18 year old who has held an instructional permit for at least a year without committing any major traffic violations may apply for an Intermediate License, which can be obtained following passage of a comprehensive on road driving test. Drivers with an Intermediate License are subject to certain restrictions. They cannot drive between the hours of 12:00 am and 6:00 am, without exception. There are also graduated passenger restrictions:
For the first six-month period following the issuance of the license, the driver shall not drive a motor vehicle on public roads, streets or highways in Georgia with a passenger who is not an immediate family member.
For the second six-month period following issuance of the license, the driver shall not drive a motor vehicle on public roads, streets or highways in Georgia when more than one other passenger is less than 21 years old (except for passengers in the driver’s immediate family).
After the second six-month period, the driver shall not drive a motor vehicle on public roads, streets or highways in Georgia when more than three other passenger are less than 21 years old (except for passengers in the driver’s immediate family).
Joshua’s Law Requirement: Effective January 1, 2007, two additional requirements apply to 16 year old drivers before an Intermediate License will be issued:
- the driver must complete a driver education course called Joshua's Law, which can be done on this website.
- The driver must completed at least forty (40) cumulative hours of other supervised driving experience, of which at least six (6) hours must be at night.
If you have not satisfied this Joshua’s Law requirement, a driver cannot obtain the Intermediate License until age seventeen (17).
Effective January 1, 2007 curfew restrictions apply to drivers who received
Phase Three: Full License (Class C License)
Drivers 18 years old or older who hold a Class D license and who have not been convicted for a major traffic violation in the last twelve (12) months may apply for a Full License. The following are major traffic violations: DUI, eluding a police officer, drag racing, reckless driving, hit and run, any other violation that results in the assessment of four (4) or more points on a license.
License Suspensions
A driver’s license for a driver under 21 years old will be suspended for six (6) months for a first offense, or one (1) year for a second offense for convictions of:
Fleeing or attempting to elude a police office
Racing
Reckless driving
Hit and run/leaving the scene of an accident
Purchase of an alcoholic beverage
Misrepresenting age for the purpose of illegally purchasing an alcoholic beverage
Any moving violation for which four (4) or more points are assessable
For drivers under the age of eighteen (18), the assessment of four (4) or more points in a twelve (12) month period will result in suspension
A first conviction for DUI in which the driver’s blood alcohol concentration is .08 grams or higher will result in a twelve (12) month suspension.
