Nebraska’s Teen Driver’s License and Insurance Requirements

In Nebraska, there are a number of routes for teens to obtain a driver's license. The specific procedure required depends on the teen's experience, age, and need for transportation.

Learner's Permit

The generic introductory license in Nebraska is the learner's permit, also called an "LPD." At the age of 15, a person can submit a parent-approved application (along with the application fee and proof of residency) to obtain an instruction permit. The applicant must then take the vision exam and a written test covering local traffic signs and traffic laws.

The application and tests can be processed up to 60 days prior to the teen's 15^th birthday. But the permit won't be valid until the teen turns 15 years old.

This permit authorizes the teen to drive only under the supervision of a licensed adult. The LPD must be held for one year before applying for the provisional license.

School Learner's Permit

The school learner's permit (LPE) is available to teens who are at least 14 years old or will turn 14 by October 15 of the current year. Similar to the learner's permit, the operator must apply, submit parental consent, pay the application fee, provide proof of residency, and pass the written and vision exams. However, LPE holders can be supervised only by a certified driver training instructor. The permit is valid for three months.

School Permit

The school permit (SCP) is available to teens who are at least 14 years and two months old, live in a small town (less than 5,000 population), and have held the LPE for two months. Applicants must complete either a driver safety course or 50 hours of parent instruction.

The driver training course will require behind-the-wheel training and a written and driving test administered by the driving training course instructor.

Otherwise, the applicant will need to submit a driving log of 50 supervised driving hours (including ten nighttime hours) signed by a parent, guardian, or supervising licensed adult who's at least 21 years of age. The applicant will then need to pass the driving test and written test (unless already completed for learner's permit).

The school permit will expire three months after the teen's 16^th birthday.

School permit holders are allowed to drive directly to and from work or school activities and are permitted to drive family members to school as well. While under the supervision of a licensed adult who's at least 21 years old, the school permit holder can drive without restrictions.

Violation of any SCP, LPE, or LPD restrictions is an infraction and will result in license revocation until the teen is 16 years old.

Provisional Operator's Permit

The provisional operator's permit (POP) is available to persons who are at least 16 years old and have held the SCP, LPE, or LPB for at least six months and have less than three driving record points in the past six months. All applicants who have not already held an LPE must complete either a driver safety course (including behind-wheel-training and written and driving tests) or 50 hours home instruction (including ten nighttime hours). Applicants who do home instruction must also pass driving and written tests (unless already completed for a learner's permit).

The application and tests can be processed up to 60 days prior to the teen's 16^th birthday, but the license will not be valid until the teen turns 16 years old.

A POP holder is allowed to drive unsupervised from 6 a.m. until midnight or at any time while traveling to or from a work or school activity. For the first six months, the teen can transport only one non-family member passenger younger than 19 years old. Any violation of these restrictions is an infraction and will result in POP revocation for a court-determined period of time.

All persons under 18 years old are prohibited from using a cellphone while driving and all persons in the vehicle must wear seatbelts.

Full License

Teens who have held a POP for at least 12 months and have less than three driving points in the last 12-month period are eligible for a full driver's license. While the license restrictions and cellphone ban are lifted (though all drivers are prohibited from texting while driving), certain restrictive provisions still apply. All drivers who are under 21 years old and accumulate six driving points in a 12-month period face license suspension unless they complete an 8-hour driver improvement course.

Farm Permit

Although not applicable for passenger vehicles, younger teens are able to drive tractors with a farm permit. To be eligible, applicants must be 13 years old if they live on a farm or 14 years old if they just work on a farm. With parent approval and a valid demonstration of knowledge of operation, the teen can obtain the farm permit which authorizes the operation of tractors, mini-trucks, and farm implements along the road.

Insurance

Nebraska requires all vehicles driven to be properly insured. At a minimum, a liability insurance policy must include at least $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage per accident.

Civil. Any time the state is notified that an insurance policy has been terminated or that a person was operating a vehicle without insurance, it will suspend the driver's license until proof of insurance is provided. The Department of Motor Vehicles will also revoke the vehicle's registration unless the vehicle has been insured for at least three years

Criminal. Driving without proof of insurance is also a class III misdemeanor. The vehicle owner can face up to three months in jail and a maximum fine of $500.