Requirements for Taking the Driving Skills Test Applicants under age 18 must meet the following requirements before taking the driving skills test: • Complete Segment 1 of an approved driver education course. • Obtain a Michigan Level 1 license from a Secretary of State office and hold the Level 1 license for a minimum of 180 days prior to testing. Your driving skills test examiner must verify that you have held your Level 1 license for the required time. • Complete Segment 2 of an approved public or private driver education program. You must present your Segment 2 completion certificate to your driving skills test examiner. • Verify that you have logged a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, 10 hours of which must have occurred at night, with a parent or legal guardian (or with the permission of the parent or legal guardian, any licensed driver at least age 21). See Appendix A for the Student Driving Experience Log. • Be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (or an adult appointed, in writing, by a parent or guardian). • Be at least 15 years of age. • Have no convictions, civil infractions, license suspensions or atfault crashes during the 90-day period immediately preceding your driving skills test and application for your Level 2 license. Applicants 18 years of age or older, not previously licensed in this state or in any other state or country, must meet the following requirements before taking a driving skills test: • Pass required vision and knowledge (written) tests at a Michigan Secretary of State office. • Pay required fees and obtain a Michigan Operator or Chauffeur Temporary Instruction Permit (TIP). • Practice driving on a TIP for a minimum of 30 days to become eligible to take the driving skills test. If you have been previously licensed in any state, and your license has been expired for more than four years, you will need to obtain a temporary instruction permit (TIP) and pass the required driving skills test. Your 30-day minimum practice period may be waived by Secretary of State branch office staff. Scheduling a Driving Skills Test To take a driving skills test in Michigan, you must contact an approved third-party testing organization. Third-party testing organizations may be listed in your local area telephone book. The Department of State provides a listing of organizations, available from the following sources: • Internet: www.Michigan.gov/sos • Department of State Information Center: 1-888-SOS-MICH (1-888-767-6424) • Secretary of State offices Fees charged by third-party testing organizations are not regulated by the Michigan Department of State. Before scheduling an appointment, applicants should inquire about all third-party testing fees, including initial and retest fees, refund policies, charges for improper documents, defective equipment, and failure to keep a test appointment. What to Take to the Third-Party Testing Organization • If you are under 18 years of age, a valid Michigan Level 1 license that you have held for a minimum of 180 days, along with your Segment 2 Driver Education completion certificate. • If you are 18 years of age or older, a valid Michigan temporary instruction permit that you held for at least 30 days. The 30-day practice period may be waived by Secretary of State branch office staff if you were previously licensed in Michigan, another state, or another country. • If you are under age 18, your parent or legal guardian must verify that you have completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including a minimum of 10 hours at night, by signing the certification statement on your driving skills test score sheet. If your parent or legal guardian cannot attend your driving skills test, please use or copy the certification statement in Appendix A, have it signed and present it to the third-party examiner. • If you are from another country, you must present your home country driver license and validated road test receipt from the Secretary of State. • You must provide a vehicle that is in safe working order. The test vehicle should be one you are familiar with and have used during your practice driving. • You must show proof of valid insurance, current vehicle registration and valid license plate for the test vehicle. • Only the applicant, examiner, and any required passenger and/or interpreter may be in the vehicle. If the applicant is a minor, the minor’s parent, legal guardian or authorized designated representative must be present throughout the test. Any designated representative must be authorized in writing by the parent or legal guardian. No other passengers are allowed to be present during the test. Tests Terminated Due to Defective Equipment The following safety equipment guidelines will be used when administering the automobile driving skills test. Together, examiners and applicants will inspect and familiarize themselves with specific vehicle components. Certain defective vehicle equipment is reason for refusal of the driving skills test if it jeopardizes the safety of the vehicle’s occupants. Safety inspection includes the following equipment: Brakes Brake lights Center-mounted rear brake light on 1986 or newer models Doors (*) Fuel level Headlights Heater/Defroster Horn Lug nuts (only one can be missing per vehicle) Muffler Rearview mirror and outside left mirror Safety belts for all occupants Seats for all occupants Speedometer Suspension components Taillights Tires (properly inflated; not damaged) Turn signals (front and rear) Windshield (**) Windshield wipers and washers * The driver and passenger doors must work from the inside and outside. Doors that cannot be opened are safety hazards. ** Examiners may refuse to administer a test if the vehicle’s windshield is cracked so that it obstructs the driver’s view. When used for testing purposes, driver education vehicles must not display any warning signs used for training. This includes “Student Driver” identification signs. Other Automatic Failures Other Automatic Failures • Disregarding instructions or refusal to perform instructed maneuver. • Repeated failure to follow instructions will result in test termination. If you intentionally fail to follow an examiner’s instructions, the examiner will give you a verbal warning and ask you to repeat the exercise. If you fail to follow the same instructions twice, the test will be terminated as an automatic failure. If you do not understand the instructions the first time, the examiner will reread the instructions without penalty. • Offering the examiner a bribe or gratuity. • Refusal to wear a safety belt, unless you have a physician’s statement or waiver. • Any accident (may result in failure). • Traffic violations or hazardous actions including, but not limited to: Hazardous actions in which: • Accident is prevented by others. • Examiner prevents crash or illegal action (i.e., running a red light). • Driving over curb or sidewalk, endangering others. • Driver creates serious hazard for other traffic. • Fails to yield (adversely affecting traffic/pedestrians). Traffic violations in which the driver: • Fails to yield right-of-way to a funeral procession. • Passes a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. • Fails to properly respond when encountering an emergency vehicle. • Turns left or right on red traffic light when prohibited by law. • Makes a turn from the wrong lane. • Passes improperly. • Drives the wrong way on a one-way street. • Drives on the wrong side of the street. • Fails to stop for red light, flashing red light or stop sign. • Fails to stop for railroad signal or drives around railroad gates. • Speeds 4-9 mph over the basic speed limit (reasonable and prudent), or posted speed limit (white regulatory sign) after one warning. • Speeds 10 mph or more over the basic speed limit (reasonable and prudent) or posted speed limit (white regulatory sign) with no warning necessary. • Follows another vehicle too closely (after one warning). Dangerously Inexperienced Drivers You must obtain a passing score and finish the driving skills test without committing an automatic failure listed above. In addition, an examiner may terminate a test if you exhibit any behavior that demonstrates you may be dangerously inexperienced. For example, a test will be terminated if you: • Cannot maintain the minimum posted speed limit on the expressway (unless traffic or weather warrants lower speeds). • Drive more than 10 mph under the regulatory speed limit after one warning (unless traffic or weather conditions warrant lower speeds). • When operating a manual transmission vehicle, you are unable to shift gears properly or operate the vehicle safely. • When driving an automatic transmission vehicle, you are unable to determine the proper gear for operating the vehicle safely. • Stall the vehicle resulting in hazardous action or obstructing traffic. • Lose control of the vehicle causing the examiner to take evasive action or assume control of the vehicle. Components of the Driving Skills Test The driving skills test always includes a vehicle component familiarization and safety inspection (not scored) and two scored test segments. Each segment must be passed in sequence. A failure of any part terminates testing. On subsequent attempts, you must start over from the beginning (vehicle inspection, off-road skills test, then on-road driving test). You will be allowed only one attempt in a 24-hour period, unless the failure is due to faulty equipment or documents. The test segments must always be given in the following order: • Vehicle familiarization and safety inspection. • Basic control skills test. • On-road driving test. |