How licensing works in Nebraska
Nebraska uses a step-by-step system for young drivers. You begin with a learner's permit, may add a school permit if you live or go to school outside a big city, then move to a Provisional Operator's Permit (POP) and finally a full Class O license.
| Permit or license | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| LPE (school learner's permit) | 14 | Supervisor 21+ beside you. Expires after six months |
| LPD (learner's permit) | 15 | Supervisor 21+ beside you. Expires after one year |
| SCP (school permit) | 14 years 2 months | Must have held an LPE or LPD for two months, plus a driver safety course or 50 certified hours. Expires at 16 years 3 months |
| POP (provisional operator's permit) | 16 | Six months on a permit, fewer than three points, course or 50 hours (10 at night). Night and passenger limits. Expires at 18 |
| Class O operator's license | 17 | Tests waived if you held a POP for 12 months with fewer than three points |
You may apply for an LPD up to 60 days before your 15th birthday and for a POP up to 60 days before your 16th birthday, but the permit is only issued on or after the birthday.
POP limits
- You may drive alone from 6 a.m. to midnight.
- From midnight to 6 a.m. you may drive only to or from home-work or school activities, unless a parent, guardian or licensed driver aged 21 or older is with you.
- For the first six months, you may carry only one passenger under 19 who is not an immediate family member.
- Breaking the night or passenger rule adds one point to your record.
Phones and seat belts for permit holders
Permit and POP holders may not use any interactive wireless device while the vehicle is moving, even hands-free. When a permit holder drives, everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt.
The Nebraska written test
To get a permit you must pass a vision test and a written test. The vision test checks how clearly you see and your side (peripheral) vision. If you need glasses or contacts to pass, you must wear them when you drive, and your permit will say so.
The written test covers the Nebraska Driver's Manual: traffic laws, safe driving and road signs. The Nebraska DMV says more than 32% of first-time applicants fail it, so take the time to study. The DMV suggests reading the manual and trying the sample test.
If you fail, you cannot retake the test on the same day. Come back another day after more study.
Rules specific to Nebraska
Alcohol and implied consent
- Under 21: it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.02% or higher. Nebraska calls this its zero tolerance law.
- 21 and over: the limit is 0.08%. Commercial drivers: 0.04%.
- Refusing a chemical test is a separate crime and brings a one-year administrative revocation.
- An open container of alcohol is illegal inside a vehicle on a public road or public parking area, for drivers and passengers alike.
Seat belts and child seats
Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts. For adults this is a secondary law, which means police need another reason to stop you. Child seat rules are stricter. Children should ride rear-facing until age 2 or the seat's limit. Children up to age 8 must ride in an approved child safety seat, and this is a primary law. Ages 8 through 17 must use a seat belt or child seat, and no one under 18 may ride in a cargo area.
The point system
Nebraska adds points to your record for traffic convictions. Twelve points in two years brings an automatic six-month revocation. Points stay on your record for five years, but they stop counting two years after the violation.
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| Driving under the influence (DUI) | 6 |
| Reckless driving | 5 |
| Careless driving | 4 |
| Passing a stopped school bus | 3 |
| Child restraint violation | 1 |
Drivers under 21 who get six or more points in one year must finish a driver improvement course within three months.
On a two-lane road, traffic in both directions stops for a school bus with red lights flashing and its stop arm out.
- School bus with stop arm out
- Car behind the bus: stop
- Oncoming car: stop
Deer
Deer are common on Nebraska roads, especially at dawn and dusk. The manual's advice is don't veer for deer: brake firmly and stay in your lane. Swerving can send you off the road or into oncoming traffic.
Test tips
- Make flash cards for the key numbers: 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 50 hours, 10 at night, 12 points, 0.02%.
- Know which rules apply to permit holders only, such as the full phone ban.
- Study road signs by shape and color.
- Read every option. Wrong answers are often close to the right number.
Next: the general rules of the road
This guide covers Nebraska's own rules. The written test also asks about right-of-way, turning, passing, parking and road signs. Study those in our national US driving study guide, then take the full practice tests.