Driver's Ed | Rockingham County Schools

Driver's Education

Rockingham County School System offers Driver Education for a fee of $25 to all public, private, charter and home school students who are eligible. A student must be at least fourteen and a half years of age to enroll in Driver Education.

The program is designed and dedicated to help the students gain a basic understanding of how to operate a motor vehicle safely. It will help prepare the student for the Behind-the-Wheel Instruction and eventually the North Carolina driver’s license exam requirement.

The Driver Education program consists of two parts:

Part I: 30 hours of classroom instruction
Part II: 6 hours of driving Behind-the-Wheel training

Classroom Instruction

These 30-hour classes will be held after the school day has ended, on Saturdays, and during the summer.

The requirements for this classroom instruction are:

Must be 14 ½ years old.
Must be enrolled in a school.
ID card from DMV.
Must be present for 30 hours of instruction. A student may make-up a total of 4 hours if absent.
Must leave the campus immediately after the class has been dismissed.

Behind-the-Wheel Training

Students are scheduled to complete this part of Driver Education. The student cannot be scheduled for this until he/she has completed the classroom instruction. A student must complete 6 hours of Behind-the-Wheel Training and 6 hours of observation.

Schedule

In order to find out when the Driver Education classroom sessions are scheduled you may call the Driver Education Coordinator in the high school where the student attends school. The Coordinators are:

McMichael High School – Marty Woods - 336-427-5165
Morehead High School – Sheila Thompson – 336-627-7731
Reidsville High School – Doug Marrs – 336-349-6361
Rockingham Co. High School – George Barber – 336-616-0073

NC Graduated License Laws

NC License Law

Types of Permits & Requirements

Level One – Limited Learner’s Permit

Must complete Driver Education.
Must be 15 years of age but less than 18 years of age.
Must pass written, sign and vision tests.
All passengers must be restrained by seat belts or child safety seat.
No one except the driver and the supervising passenger are allowed in the front seat.
First 6 months authorizes the student to drive only between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
During second 6 months there are no time restraints.

How To Obtain a Level One – Limited Learner’s Permit

Certified Copy of Birth Certificate.
Driver Education Certificate.
A Driver Eligibility Certificate – This certificate may be obtained from the NCWise operator or the guidance secretary at the high school where the student attends school. A student must pass 3 out of 4 core courses to earn a Driver Eligibility Certificate. This certificate is good for 30 days. To receive a Driver Eligibility Certificate the student must present the following:
An original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate.
A Driver Education Certificate.
An application for a Learner’s Permit must be signed by both the student and another person. That person must be the student’s parent or guardian if the parent or guardian resides in North Carolina and is qualified to be a supervising driver. In all other circumstances that person must be an adult approved by DMV.
Supervising Driver must be a parent or guardian of the permit holder or license holder if a parent or guardian signed the application for the learner’s permit. If a parent or guardian did not sign the application, the supervising driver must be the adult who signed the application. A supervising driver must be a licensed driver who can prove he/she has been licensed to drive for at least 5 years.
Driver License Office is located in Wentworth and the phone number is 634-5608.

Level Two – Limited Provisional License

Must be 16 years old, but less than 18 years old.
Must have proof of insurance, Form DL-123.
Must pass the road test.
Before graduating to this level, the student must have had a permit (Level One) for 12 months and have no moving violations or seat belt infraction within the preceding 6 months.
All passengers must be restrained by seat belt or child safety seat.
Only one person under the age of 21 may be in the car when the student is driving. Exception: Sibling may ride in the car; however, no other person under 21 may then ride.

Level Three – Full Provisional License

Upon completion of 12 months with a Limited Learner’s Permit (Level One) and 6 months of driving with a Limited Provisional License (Level Two) and no violation or seat belt infraction, the student is eligible to receive a Full Provisional License (Level Three).
All passengers must be restrained by seat belt or child safety seat.

Loss of License

North Carolina law mandates that students under 18 years of age may have their learner’s permit or license revoked for the following reasons:

Dropping out of school.
Failure to pass 3 out of 4 core courses in a semester.

Parents will be notified of the revocation of the learner’s permit or driver’s license and will have the option of requesting a waiver based on a hardship. Parents will be given 10 days to return a Hardship Form and provide documentation to support the request.

Lose Your Cool, Lose Your License

North Carolina law allows for the suspension of a student’s permit or license for a period of one year for the following reasons:

The possession or sale of an alcoholic beverage or an illegal controlled substance on school property.
The possession or use on school property of a weapon or fire arm that resulted in a disciplinary action under G.S. 115C-391(d) or that could have resulted in a disciplinary action if the conduct had occurred in school.
The physical assault on a teacher or other school personnel on school property.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Does a student have to take Driver Education?

Yes, if that student wants to get a Learner’s Permit or License before he/she is 18 years old.

Does it cost anything to take Driver Education?

Yes. A $25 fee is charged in Rockingham Co. for driver education. This fee is non-refundable and must be paid within 3 days after starting the class.

How old must a student be before he/she can take Driver Education?

The student must be 14 ½ years of age by the first day of class.

How does a student register for Driver Education?

Contact the Driver Education Coordinator at the high school the student attends. The coordinators are:

Marty Woods (McMichael) 336-427-5165
Sheila Thompson (Morehead) 336-627-7731
Doug Marrs (Reidsville and Rockingham Early College) 336-349-6361
Adrian Doss (Rockingham Co. High) 336-634-3220

Must a student complete the classroom instruction before he/she can start the Behind-the-Wheel Training?

Yes

Is a dropout eligible to take Driver Education?

No, the student must be enrolled in a public, private, or home school.

If a student goes to private school or is home schooled, how do they take Driver Education?

Call the Driver Education Coordinator at the high school that is closest to their home. The coordinators are:

Marty Woods (McMichael) 336-427-5165
Sheila Thompson (Morehead) 336-627-7731
Doug Marrs (Reidsville) 336-349-6361
Adrian Doss (Rockingham Co. High) 336-634-3220

What should the student do with his/her Driver Education Certificate?

This certificate is good as long as you need it. After receiving the Learner’s Permit or Drivers License, put the certificate in a place where important papers are filed to keep for future use. If you lose it, you can contact the high school that issued the certificate or contact Gregg Slate, Rockingham County Schools, 511 Harrington Hwy, Eden, NC 27288 or call at 336-627-2690.

When can a student get a Learner’s Permit?

15 years old, if he/she has completed the classroom and Behind-the-Wheel phases of Driver Education.

What items should a student take to the driver license office to get a Learner’s Permit?

Driver Education Certificate.
Original or Certified Birth Certificate.
Driver Eligibility Certificate.
1 parent or guardian to sign the permit.
$10.00 cash for the permit fee.

Can a student get a Learner’s Permit without having taken Driver Education?

No, unless the student is 18 years old.

Does a student have to get a Learner’s Permit before he/she gets a License?

Yes, unless the student is 18 years old.

Where can students get a Driver Eligibility Certificate?

If the student attends a high school in the Rockingham County School System, then the student may contact the Data Manager operator or the guidance secretary. If the student is in a private school in North Carolina, the student may contact the principal of the private school. If the student attends a home school or attends a school outside of North Carolina, then the student should contact Gregg Slate, Rockingham Co. Schools, 511 Harrington Hwy., Eden, NC 27288 or call at 336-627-2690.

How long is the Driver Eligibility Certificate valid?

30 days

How long does a student have to drive on a Learner’s Permit?

The student must drive for one full year.

Who can a student drive with when he/she has a Learner’s Permit?

The student will have one or two designated supervisors that are designated by DMV, usually the parents of the student.

After driving a year with a Learner’s Permit, can a person get a License?

Yes, but the last 6 months must be ticket free and his/her License will only allow the student to drive between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. This is called Level Two-Limited Provisional License.

How long does a student on the Level Two-Limited Provisional License drive on the 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. curfew?

Six months and the student must be ticket free for the six months to move to the next level.

When can a student get a regular License?

After a student successfully completes Level One and Level Two, a regular License can be obtained. This is called Level Three.

What is a Form DL-123?

This form shows proof of financial responsibility (Proof of Insurance) on the vehicle that the student is driving when he/she gets a Driver License. Obtain this form from the insurance company in advance of the visit to the driver license office. A student does not need this form when getting a Learner’s Permit.

A student who is not 18 moves to North Carolina from another state and has a Drivers License. Does North Carolina permit the student to use the License?

If the student is a new resident moving to North Carolina and is 15 but less than 18 years old and has a Learner’s Permit, a Restricted License, or an Unrestricted License, the student should contact the local driver license office. The DMV office will determine which type of License or Learner’s Permit the student would be eligible to apply for. Driver License Office is located in Wentworth @ 634-5608.

What if a student has taken Driver Education in another state and moves to Rockingham County before he/she has a chance to get a Learner’s Permit, does the Driver Education in another state automatically pass the driver education requirement in North Carolina?

No, it does not. The student will need to obtain written documentation from the school system or driving school where the student completed the Driver Education course. The documentation must state how many hours of each type of instruction the student received and passed (classroom, Behind-the-Wheel, and other type instruction). It must also state how many of these hours were in drug and alcohol prevention. This documentation should be taken to the Driver Education Coordinator at the high school the student attends. If the requirements are as much or more than are required in North Carolina, the student will be issued a North Carolina Driver Education Certificate. If the requirements from the state from which the student came are less than is required in North Carolina, the Coordinator will advise the student as to what phase(s) of Driver Education the student will need to complete.