by Jim Thompson | Last Updated: January 11, 2021

For the average young person, getting a drivers license is an exciting time. Arizona teens that are 15 years and six months old can begin the journey toward their license with an Arizona drivers ed course.

Eligibility Requirements for Arizona Drivers Ed

Before you can start the behind the wheel portion of a drivers ed course, you must first get your Arizona graduated learners permit. To obtain this permit will require you to pass both a written and vision test.

To prepare for the written test, there are three approaches that could really help:

• Study the Arizona driver manual available at the Department of Motor Vehicles
• Take a driver prep course
• Take advantage of an Arizona permit practice test

An Arizona permit practice test  can really boost your confidence before going in to take your DMV exam. Permit practice tests are created from questions taken from real tests so that you can see exactly what you’ll be up against when you head in for your learner permit examination.

Once you have passed both written and vision test, you receive your Arizona graduated learners permit.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you already hold a valid out-of-state license, you do not need to satisfy the drivers education, driving practice and learners permit requirements of the Arizona graduated driver licensing program.

Next Steps to Arizona Drivers Ed

Once you have obtained your graduated learners permit, you are ready to prepare for getting your Arizona graduated license. There are two avenues you can take, completing a drivers ed course or completing 30 hours of supervised driving, with 10 of those being at night. To receive credit for a drivers ed course, the student must complete 30 hours of classroom lessons along with six hours behind the wheel training with a certified instructor.

Types of Arizona Drivers Ed Courses

A drivers ed course goes well beyond preparing you for your permit test. You will also learn valuable defensive driving tips and hazard prevention techniques that will keep you safe as you take to the road. For this reason, many parents and teens choose the extra step of completing a drivers education program.

In Arizona, you have three options for completing a driver education course. You may take a course from:

• A professional driver education school
• A certified public high school driver education program
• A state approved online drivers ed course

Taking to the Road After Arizona Drivers Ed

To move from a graduated permit to graduated license, you must meet these qualifications:

• You must be more than 16 but less than 18 years of age
• You must have held a graduated learners permit for a minimum of six months
• You must have completed an approved drivers ed program OR have completed 30 hours of supervised driving time

IMPORTANT NOTE: To take the 30-hour option, your parent or guardian must confirm in writing that you have completed this behind the wheel training.