Carteret County Driver Education Program

The Carteret County Public School System and its driver education contractor, NC Driving School, provide a quality basic Driver Education program to all students. The goal of the program is to provide new drivers with a base of knowledge and safe motoring skills so that parents can continue the state-required additional instruction and supervision of their young driver, as they develop the knowledge, skills, and experience essential to becoming a safe driver.

Driver Education Age Requirement:

The state of North Carolina requires anyone under the age of 18 to complete a certified driver education course consisting of at least 30 hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of 6 hours of behind-the-wheel experience.

To be eligible to register for a class session, students must be14 years and 6 months old by the first day of class. Once a student is age eligible, parents and students should review the schedule of upcoming class sessions and determine which will work best for the student and family schedule. Because class registrations fill very quickly, it is important to plan ahead and make certain that the student will be available for each day of instruction.

During the school year students must register for class at the school that they attend. Students may register for a different school only during the summer sessions.

Driver Education:

  • is a state supported service reserved for students legally domiciled in Carteret County and enrolled in school whether public, private, charter, or home school; and
  • is included within an area called, "a part of school life;" and
  • is required for any person under the age of 18 desiring to receive a North Carolina driver license or learner's permit; and
  • is a course that consists of 30 hours of class work and 6 hours behind-the- wheel training.

Registering for Driver Education:

Until the new online registration process is implemented for each school, the schools will have a designated sign-up process for each scheduled class. For the upcoming classes in July at East Carteret and Croatan High Schools, students or parents may still sign up in the school office or show up on the first day of class. For the August 1st classes at West Carteret and Croatan, the new online registration system will be activated approximately21 days prior to the first day of class. Only registrations made online for the August 1st classes at West Carteret and Croatan will be seated.

On the first day of class, students must have a copy of their birth certificate and will pay a registration fee of $65.00 (payable to NC Driving School) when they begin the 'Behind the Wheel' portion of their training.

During the school year, students may only sign up to take the driver education class at their own school. Other legally domiciled students attending private, home, or charter schools will sign up at the school the student would attend were they attending a Carteret County school. For the summer classes only, legally domiciled students may sign up at any one of the three high schools but are prohibited from registering for a session at more than one school.