Alaska Online Driver Education and Alaska Licensing Procedures

So you are looking to get a learners permit to drive in Alaska? Well, you’ve come to the right place. You will find the following information very helpful as you go through the process of learning how to be a safe and smart driver in Alaska.

Since teen-agers are relatively new at driving, Alaska has a graduated driver license program set up which gives increases your driving privileges (or lessens the restrictions on them) as you become a safer, smarter, and more experienced driver.
So, let’s go over a few important things you’ll need to know:

Alaska Instruction (or Learners) Permit

You can apply for an Alaska instruction permit (or learners permit) after you turn 14. Your instruction permit is valid for 2 years (unless you get it when you’re 19 or 20, in which case it will expire 90 days after you’re 21st birthday) . A learners’ permit may only be renewed once.

When you are ready to take your instruction permit test, you will need to take the following documents with you to the local drivers license office:

• $15 (to cover the instruction permit application fee)
• Personal ID Card
  
• Birth Certificate (original or a certified copy)
• A completed & signed parental consent form
  
• A social security card

Additionally, you will need to bring one (1) of the following items:

• Proof of school enrollment or graduation from high school
• Employee ID
• IRS or State Tax Form
• Medical Records
• Military Dependent Identification
• Pilot’s License
• School ID Card

To get your instruction permit, you will need to pass both a vision test and your written test (details can be found on Alaska’s DMV website). Once you receive your instruction permit, you may begin driving, but you must always have a licensed Alaska driver who’s at least 21 years old sitting in the front passenger seat whenever you drive.

You may never drive alone with only a instruction permit!

Alaska Provisional Drivers License

If you are at least 16 years old (but under 18) and you have had your instruction permit for at least six (6) months you may be eligible to apply for a provisional drivers license if you meet the following conditions:

• You must have completed at least 40 hours of supervised driving (signed off on by your parent/guardian or your employer). 10 of these hours must have been done at night or during inclement weather.
• You must not have been convicted of a traffic law violation within the six (6) months prior to your applying for a provisional drivers license (if you have, you will have to wait an additional 6 months from the date of the offense before trying to move up to a provisional drivers license)
  You must have your parent’s or guardian’s consent

When you go to take your road test, you will need to bring the following items with you to the test site:

• $15 to cover the application fee
• Your learner's permit
• Your written test scores
• 2 forms of identification
• Your social security card
• If you’re under 18, a notarized parental consent form

With a provisional license, some restrictions still apply to you:

• Passengers--if you want to transport non-family passengers, one of those passengers must be a parent, guardian, or an adult who’s over 21 years of age. You may drive your brother(s) and sister(s) around without a parent in the car.
• Hours of Driving--you may not drive between the hours of 1:00am and 5:00am without a licensed parent, guardian, or 21-year-old adult sitting next to you in the front passenger seat. This restriction does not apply if you are driving to and from work.

Once you turn 18, all provisional restrictions are lifted. However, if you’re 16 or 17, after six (6) months of safe, conviction-free driving with your provisional license and have had no convictions of illegal alcohol or drug use, the provisional restrictions may be removed. Removing the restrictions will require another trip to the local drivers license office, a new notarized parental consent form, and-yes-another $15. If you are driving with a provisional license when you turn 18, you will need to go to the drivers license office and pay $15 to have the provisional restrictions removed.

Alaska Mandatory Auto Insurance Coverage

You must have auto insurance coverage on the car you drive (if you drive your parents’ car, then they need to have coverage on the vehicle). The minimum coverage requirements are as follows:

• $50,000 for personal injury
• $100,000 for death
• $25,000 for property damage

If you drive without proper insurance coverage, you very likely you won’t be driving again for a long time.

Alaska Drunk Driving Laws

You probably don’t need any lectures on the dangers of driving drunk—DON’T do it! Upon your first DUI conviction in Alaska, in addition to having your license suspended, you will face a $1,500.00 fine and—yes—time in jail!

Alaska Cell Phone & Text Messaging Laws

As of 2008, texting while driving is a crime in Alaska. You will be charged with a felony if you are involved in an injury-causing crash while texting & driving at the same time, You will be charged with a misdemeanor if you are caught texting while driving without causing a crash. Don’t do it thinking you can’t be caught—your cell phone records can be requested by law enforcement who will check to see when/if you were engaged in texting at a specific time.

Alaska Online Drivers Education

If you are 16 or 17, you must have completed at least 40 hours of supervised driving practice (signed off on by a parent, guardian, or certified driving instructor) or have completed a state-approved drivers education course.

Please contact the Alaska DMV to get a complete list of approved drivers education classes. We’ve included a partial list below:

Anchorage
AA Drivers Educational School
American Association of Retired Persons
Anchorage Driver Training
Center for Employment Education

Fairbanks
Alaska Peace Officers Association
American Association of Retired Persons
Cherokee Riders
Center for Employment Education

Juneau
American Association of Retired Persons
 
Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, and Seldovia
Manny's Driver Education
Peninsula Driving Academy
American Association of Retired Persons

Ketchikan
Alaska Driving Instruction

Mat-Su Valley
American Association of Retired Persons
Northern Industrial Training (NIT)

Petersburg
Petersburg Community School (no classes offered in the summer months)