Section 1. Section 53-3-210.5 is amended to read:53-3-210.5. Learner permit.(1)The division, upon receiving an application for a learner permit, may issue a learner permit effective for 18 months to an applicant who is at least 15 years old.(2)(a)The learner permit entitles an applicant that is 18 years old or older to operate a class D motor vehicle only if a person an individual 21 years old or older who is a licensed driver is occupying a seat beside the applicant.(b)The learner permit entitles an applicant that is younger than 18 years old to operate a class D motor vehicle only if:(i)an approved driving instructor is occupying a seat beside the applicant;(ii)the applicant's parent or legal guardian, who must be a licensed driver, is occupying a seat beside the applicant;(iii)a responsible adult who has signed for the applicant under Section 53-3-211 and who must be a licensed driver, is occupying a seat beside the applicant; or(iv)a responsible individual 21 years old or older who is not the parent or legal guardian is occupying a seat beside the applicant and:(A)the parent or legal guardian is not a licensed driver;(B)the individual occupying the seat beside the applicant has in the individual's immediate possession evidence that the individual is authorized by the parent or legal guardian to accompany the applicant while operating the motor vehicle; and(C)the individual occupying the seat beside the applicant is a licensed driver.(c)The applicant shall have the learner permit in the applicant's immediate possession while operating the motor vehicle.(3)The division shall issue a learner permit to an applicant who:(a)is at least 15 years old;(b)has passed the knowledge test required by the division;(c)has passed the physical and mental fitness tests; and(d)has submitted a nonrefundable fee for a learner permit under Section 53-3-105.(4)(a)The division shall supply the learner permit form.(b)The form under Subsection (4)(a) shall include:(i)the applicant's full name, date of birth, sex, Utah residence address, height, weight, and eye color;(ii)the date of issuance and expiration of the permit; (iii)an indication of where the applicant will complete the driver education course as described in Subsection (6)(a)(i); and(iii)(iv)the conditions and restrictions contained in this section for operating a class D motor vehicle.(c)If an applicant's parent as defined in Section 53G-10-509 signs the form described in Subsection (4)(a) and indicates that the applicant will complete the driver education course requirement with the applicant's parent, the division shall inform the parent that the parent can contact a local education agency for parent-taught driver education resources as described in Subsection 53G-10-508(2)(b).(5)An application and fee for a learner permit entitle the applicant to:(a)not more than three attempts to pass the knowledge test for a class D license within one year; and(b)a learner permit after the knowledge test is passed.(6)(a)If an applicant has been issued a learner permit under this section or an equivalent by another state or branch of the United States Armed Forces, the applicant may be issued an original or provisional class D license from the division upon:(i)completing a driver education course in a:(A)in a commercial driver training school licensed under Part 5, Commercial Driver Training Schools Act; or(B)in a driver education program approved by the State Board of Education or the division; or(C)with the applicant's parent as described in Section 53G-10-509;(ii)passing a knowledge test approved by the division that complies with the requirement of Subsection (6)(d);(iii)passing the skills test approved by the division;(iv)reaching 16 years old; and(v)paying the nonrefundable fee for an original or provisional class D license application under Section 53-3-105.(b)In addition to the requirements under Subsection (6)(a), an applicant who is 17 years old or younger is required to hold a learner permit for six months before applying for a provisional class D license.(c)An applicant is exempt from the requirement under Subsection (6)(a)(i) if the applicant:(i)is 19 years old or older;(ii)holds a learner permit for three months before applying for an original class D license; and(iii)certifies that the applicant, under the authority of a permit issued under this chapter, has completed at least 40 hours of driving a motor vehicle, of which at least 10 hours were completed during night hours after sunset.(d)Fifty percent of the test questions included in the knowledge test required under Subsection (6)(a)(ii) shall cover the topic of major causes of traffic related deaths as identified in statistics published by the Highway Safety Office.

Section 2. Section 53-3-505.5 is amended to read:53-3-505.5. Behind-the-wheel training requirements.(1)Except as provided under Subsection (2) and Section 53G-3-509, a driver education course under this part or Title 53G, Chapter 10, Part 5, Driver Education Classes, that is used to satisfy the driver training requirement under Section 53-3-204 shall require each student to complete at least six hours of behind-the-wheel driving a dual-control motor vehicle with a certified instructor seated in the front seat next to the student driver.(2)Up to three hours of the behind-the-wheel driving may be substituted as follows:(a)two hours of range driving on an approved driving range under Section 53G-10-502 equals one hour of the behind-the-wheel driving required under Subsection (1);(b)two hours of driving simulation practice on a driving simulation device that is fully interactive as set forth in rules made under Section 53-3-505, equals one hour of the behind-the-wheel driving required under Subsection (1); and(c)four hours of driving simulation practice on a driving simulation device that is not fully interactive as set forth in rules made under Section 53-3-505, equals one hour of the behind-the-wheel driving required under Subsection (1), with a maximum of one hour of the behind-the-wheel driving required under Subsection (1) that may be substituted under this Subsection (2)(c).(3)The behind-the-wheel driving required under Subsection (1) shall include, if feasible, driving on interstate and other multilane highways.

Section 3. Section 53G-10-508 is amended to read:53G-10-508. Programs authorized -- Minimum standards.(1)A local education agency may:(a)allow a student to complete the classroom training portion of driver education through home study;(b)provide each parent with driver education instructional materials to assist in parent involvement with driver education including behind-the-wheel driving materials;(c)(a)offer driver education outside of school hours in order to reduce the cost of providing driver education;(d)(b)offer driver education through community education programs;(e)(c)offer the classroom portion of driver education in the public schools and allow the student to complete the behind-the-wheel portion with a private provider:(i)licensed under Section 53-3-504; and(ii)not associated with the school or under contract with the school under Subsection 53G-10-503(3); or(f)(d)offer any combination of Subsections (1)(a) through (e).(c).(2)A local education agency shall:(a)allow a student to complete the classroom training portion of driver education through home study; and(b)upon request, provide a parent with driver education instructional materials to assist in parent involvement with driver education including behind-the-wheel driving materials without cost to the parent.(2)(3)In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall establish in rule minimum standards for the school-related programs under Subsection (1).Subsections (1) and (2).

Section 4. Section 53G-10-509 is enacted to read:53G-10-509. Parents as driver education instructors.(1)As used in this section:(a)"Driver education requirement" means the requirement for driver education described in Subsection 53-3-204(1)(a)(ii).(b)"Observation time" means an individual observing another individual's operation of a motor vehicle while the operator:(i)follows all traffic laws;(ii)comments out loud about driving behaviors and decisions made to safely operate a motor vehicle; and(iii)answers the observing individual's questions about the safe operation of a motor vehicle.(c)"Parent" means an individual's parent, stepparent, grandparent, foster parent, or legal guardian.(2)A local education agency, in connection with the Driver License Division, shall provide material as described in Section 53G-10-508 to a parent to allow the parent to complete a driver education requirement for the parent's own child or grandchild.(3)A parent completing a driver education requirement for an individual shall:(a)sit beside the individual during all driving hours completed by the individual to fulfill behind-the-wheel driving hours requirements as described in Section 53-3-505.5;(b)complete 40 hours total of supervised driving time with the individual;(c)complete 10 of the hours described in Subsection (3)(b) at night;(d)complete six hours of observation time with the individual; and(e)complete classroom instruction time requirements as described in Section 53G-10-502.(4)An individual completing a driver education requirement by parent instruction:(a)is not required to use a dual-control motor vehicle as described in Section 53-3-505.5 to complete the driving hours requirement as described in Subsection (3)(a); (b)may complete the six hours of behind-the-wheel driving as described in Section 53-3-505.5 with a parent; and(c)shall complete the driving hours and observation hours requirements described in Subsection (3).(5)An individual's parent may complete a driver education requirement for the individual if the individual's parent:(a)has a valid class D driver license;(b)states on the form described in Subsection 53-3-210.5(4)(a) that the driver education requirement was fulfilled by parent instruction; and(c)attends with the individual, in-person or virtually, a Zero Fatalities Parent-Teen Night provided by the Department of Public Safety.

Section 5. Effective Date.This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.