--- title: "Another State Wants to Make It Harder for Teens to Get a Driver’s License" date: "2026-03-18" modified: "2026-03-18" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/another-state-wants-to-make-it-harder-for-teens-to-get-a-drivers-license" categories: - "News" - "Regulations" --- # Another State Wants to Make It Harder for Teens to Get a Driver’s License ![A teen driver is behind the wheel and under instruction from a driving school instructor in the passenger seat.]() *\ Ryan McFadden/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images\* Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill this month that would require [new drivers]() under the age of 21 to take driver's ed in a classroom, in addition to physical road tests, to get their licenses. If passed, the North Star State would be the fifth with such a restriction, joining Maryland and Texas, as well as Ohio and Washington, which passed similar laws just last year. Currently in Minnesota, only new drivers under 18 are required to attend 30 hours of driver's ed before getting a license. But a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study cited by the *[Minnesota Star Tribune]()* suggests that drivers between 18 and 20 who receive classroom training are 75% less likely to get a ticket within their first two years on the road. Meanwhile, data from the Washington State Department of Licensing found that the likelihood of injuries and fatal crashes are 80% higher for young drivers in that same age group who don't go through a driver's ed program. For what it's worth, that risk only dropped to 70% for drivers aged 21-24. House Representative [Andrew Myers](), who co-chairs Minnesota's Transportation Finance and Policy Committee, was the lead author of the proposal, saying that it's intended "to better protect drivers, passengers, road workers, law enforcement, pedestrians, and everyone who uses our roadways." Part of the reason that young drivers don't attend classroom training is that they can't afford it. [When Washington passed its version]() of this bill, it also included a voucher program, an option to take classes online, and an option to largely condense physical training into a single day to ease access. Myers' bill, [HF3988](), adds the new stipulation for drivers under 21 without including provisions to address the affordability question, though the lawmaker said he is "cognizant" of such concerns, according to the *Tribune*. In Minnesota, drivers under 18 must also complete six hours of training behind the wheel and 50 hours of practice under the supervision of a licensed driver aged 21 or older, beyond the driver's ed component. As someone who grew up in New Jersey and benefited from high school-run driver's ed, the idea of being similarly young but *without* that element of classroom learning seems as though it would've made my first few years on the road considerably harder. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()