HB 5978 amends Michigan’s graduated driver licensing provisions in the Michigan Vehicle Code. The bill keeps the basic three-level graduated licensing structure, but it updates the rules governing who may qualify for a level 1, level 2, and level 3 license, what training is required, and when restrictions can be lifted or extended. It also clarifies that the Secretary of State may approve third parties to administer driving skills tests, subject to fingerprint-based criminal history checks, and it adds detailed definitions for “authorized activity” and “qualified home-schooled student.”
Under the bill, a 14-year-9-month-old may receive level 1 status if they meet vision and health standards, complete segment 1 driver education or qualify as a home-schooled student, and have parent or guardian approval. Level 2 eligibility still requires six months at level 1, segment 2 or home-school equivalent, a clean recent driving record, 50 hours of supervised driving, and a passing driving skills test. The bill preserves the existing nighttime and passenger limits for level 2 drivers, and it continues to extend provisional periods when violations, accidents, or suspensions occur. It also requires written notice to parents or guardians when violations occur and maintains civil infraction penalties for violations of the graduated licensing restrictions.
The bill’s impact on state law is primarily to revise and clarify Section 310e of the Michigan Vehicle Code, which governs teen and novice driver licensing. It would affect the Secretary of State’s licensing procedures, driver education providers, parents and guardians, home-schooled students, and young drivers subject to graduated licensing restrictions. It also creates explicit immunity for parents or guardians who submit required driver education certifications in good faith and limits the Secretary of State from imposing extra documentation or procedural requirements on qualified home-schooled students beyond what the bill and related driver education law require.
Overall sentiment appears generally supportive or at least procedural, as the bill was placed on third reading and there is no recorded committee transcript or vote history showing opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s structure suggests a focus on modernizing and clarifying licensing rules rather than making a major policy shift. However, the text does contain a notable area of potential contention: the special treatment of home-schooled students and the restriction on additional documentation requirements may draw interest from education, licensing, and administrative stakeholders. The broad definition of “authorized activity,” including religious events and emergency transport, may also be relevant to debate over how far teen driving exceptions should extend.
HB 5978 would amend MCL 257.310e in the Michigan Vehicle Code to revise graduated driver licensing rules for minors and novice drivers. It would affect licensing eligibility, driver education requirements, provisional restrictions, extension of provisional periods after violations, civil infraction enforcement, parental notification, and Secretary of State administration of driving skills tests. It also adds protections for home-schooled students and immunity for parents or guardians who certify driver education completion in good faith.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so the bill’s sentiment must be inferred from the text and status. The measure appears generally technical and administrative, with no obvious partisan framing in the available record. Its placement on third reading suggests it had advanced through the House process without documented controversy in the supplied materials.
The main points of possible contention are the bill’s treatment of home-schooled students, including the prohibition on extra documentation or procedural requirements, and the expanded definition of “authorized activity,” which includes school, sports, vocational, religious, and emergency-related travel exceptions. Stakeholders concerned with traffic safety may focus on whether the bill preserves sufficient restrictions on young drivers, while education and parental-rights advocates may support the home-school provisions and the immunity for parent certifications.