Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain a learner's permit. This will enable you to legally practice driving if you are in a car with a licensed driver over 21 (who must be your parent if you're under 18). Verify which forms of identification you'll need. They could include a passport or Social Security card. If you're under 18, you'll need a parent or guardian there to sign the forml.You may need to pay a fee to receive your permit. Be aware that many DMV offices only accept cash and, in rare cases, personal checks. You'll probably have your picture taken for your permit as well.You should receive a permit and a Traffic Laws and Regulations handbook. Some states require you to keep your photo ID permit and ermit forms with you in the car whenever you're driving; others require only the photo ID permit.
Read the handbook you received with your permit thoroughly and try to visualize different scenarios. If you don't understand a particular section or idea, try to draw a diagram or ask a licensed driver to help you. Pay specific attention to speed limits, the legal blood-alcohol concentration level and the meanings of common traffic signs. These will all be on the written test.In most states, you must take your written test before operating a vehicle. Contact your local Driver's Exam Station to see when testing hours are scheduled and if you need to make an appointment for the test. Many states now have computerized tests. If you answer a certain number of questions right (usually 75%), you'll pass. You'll also have to take vision and hearing tests to ensure that you can safely operate a motor vehicle.
Find an open space to practice driving — empty parking lots work very well. Have your licensed driver help you find the gas pedal, brake pedal, gear stick (if your car is manual), turn signals, and other important parts of the car. Then ask your licensed driver to help you adjust the seat and mirrors so that you are comfortable and can see clearly. Buckle your seat belt — if you forget this on the driving test, you'll fail automatically!Start the car, and check all of your mirrors before putting the car in drive. Slowly ease off of the brake pedal and allow the car to move forward. Practice applying gas and then slowing down. Then practice turning the wheel, using your turn signals, and then practice backing up with the car in reverse, using your mirrors.
When you've mastered the basics of vehicle operation, try driving on a quiet back road, preferably somewhere in the country with little or no traffic. Your licensed driver must be in the car with you. Follow all of the traffic rules you studied in your handbook, and keep calm. If you're nervous or make jerky movements, it'll only make you more likely to mess up. You're going to make mistakes — just learn from them and move on.
Once you've practiced driving on the back roads, move your way up to more frequently traveled roads. Then, if you've been practicing for a long time and feel very confident, and if your licensed driver feels you are ready, try driving on the freeway. Remember: On freeways, you need to be going as fast as the other cars coming in your direction in order to merge with traffic.
If you're under 18 (or in some states, under 21), you may need to fulfill certain requirements in order to get your license (a certain number of hours at driving school, for example, or a certain number of hours spent driving at night). Make sure you've fulfilled all of the requirements before you take the final test.
Schedule your road skills test with a driving examiner. Use the car you've been practicing with the whole time. Some driving schools will even let you borrow a vehicle from them for the test.The examiner will sit in the passenger seat while you drive, and he will observe what you do. If you make a mistake, he will deduct a number of points from your score; the more dangerous or glaring the mistake, the more points will be subtracted. Depending on your area, the examiner may ask you to drive on a nearby road or through a special testing course. Some states also require you to show off how well you can maneuver your vehicle around a series of orange pylons.At the end, the examiner will tell you what your score was, what mistakes you made (and how to correct them), and whether you passed. If you failed, you must wait a certain amount of time, usually 24 hours, before taking the test again.