by Jim Thompson | Last Updated: March 1, 2021

Nebraska teenagers who wish to apply for a driver license must satisfy one of the following Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicle requirements:

• Complete an approved driver safety course
                                         OR
• Complete 50 hours of supervised driving with a parent, guardian or other licensed driver over the age of 21

If you choose the driver safety course option, it is important that you select one that is approved for teen drivers and not a driver safety course that is used to dismiss traffic citations or remove points from a driver record.

Learner Permits and Nebraska Drivers Ed

If you take a Nebraska driver safety course at a local school it is not necessary to acquire your learner permit, but it may be helpful for the following reasons:

• Before applying for your provisional driver license, you must hold your permit for at least six months
• If you already have your permit when you finish drivers ed, you can apply for your provisional license online

If you instead choose the supervised driving option, you must first obtain your learner permit. To earn this permit requires you to be 15 years old and to pass both a written and vision exam. To prepare yourself for the written exam you could either study the Nebraska driver handbook or take advantage of a permit practice test.

A permit practice test is perhaps the easiest way to increase your confidence as you take your permit test at the DMV. These practice tests are assembled using actual DMV permit test questions giving you the advantage of knowing not only the information you will need to know but exactly how the questions will be asked.

The Two Types of Nebraska Driver Education

Teen driver safety courses are offered at both junior and high schools as well as community centers across the state.

If using the parent-supervised option, you will have to complete 50 hours of practice driving with a parent, guardian or other licensed driver over the age of 21. Of the 50 hours, 10 must be completed at night. There is a helpful guide for your supervising driver available from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. This supervised driving must be documented with a Form DMV 06-91.

Next Steps after Completing Nebraska Drivers Ed

Once you’ve completed Nebraska driver education, you are ready to apply for your provisional operators permit or POP. This permit is also known as a school permit and will allow students in rural areas to drive to and from school. If you have completed an approved teen driver safety course, you may apply for this permit online and will not be required to take a driving skills test. On the other hand, if you chose the supervised driving option, the driving test will be necessary.