Every student must complete a short (about 20 minutes) Work Zone Safety training and send the certificate together with the RIP form. Without it, your student can't receive a completion certificate or be scheduled to drive. Take the North Carolina version and make sure your teen's legal name is on the certificate. Enroll in Work Zone Safety training
At a glance
The numbers that matter most.
The whole journey, step by step
Each step shows who is responsible for it.
- 1
Complete the online course Teen
About 30 hours of videos, quizzes, NC Driver Handbook reading, a Sign Test and a Final Exam, done week by week on a set schedule. Each week's work is due by the end of that week. The course unlocks in order, so falling behind holds everything up, and an instructor can suspend a student who misses a deadline.
How you can help: check in weekly, and read the week's Handbook chapter alongside your teen. Almost every question on the DMV permit test comes from the Handbook. NC Driver Handbook (English & Spanish)
- 2
Complete the Work Zone Safety training Teen
About 20 minutes, any time before the class ends. Print or download the certificate and keep it with the RIP form.
- 3
Fill out the Restricted Instruction Permit (RIP) Parent + Teen
Download and print the form from our RIP Form & Eye Exams page (only page 1 is required). Complete the top section, everything above the line marked "NC Division of Motor Vehicles Use Only," in blue or black ink only. The student and a parent both sign before the eye exam.
- 4
Attend a RIP screening session Teen
A short screening, including a vision check, that's required before your teen can drive. The screener signs the RIP.
No trip to a DMV office needed. Under North Carolina law, driver education instructors who have completed the state's training can do the screening. We hold screening sessions (listed as "Eye Exams" on our website) in each county we serve. Dates and locations are on our RIP Form & Eye Exams page.
Bring the completed, signed RIP and any glasses or contacts. Vision must be at least 20/40. A parent or any other adult can bring your student. An eye doctor, family doctor or school nurse cannot sign the form.
- 5
Send the RIP and the Work Zone certificate to our office Parent + Teen
Mail them to PO Box 212, Bakersville, NC 28705, or email a PDF to info@mtnpro.com. Don't hand them to a driving instructor or take them to the high school. Include your student's session and a phone number that will be answered. You'll get a confirmation email once it's processed.
- 6
Wait to be contacted to drive Parent + Teen
This usually takes 60 to 140 days, depending on your school district, winter weather, and how many students are ahead of yours. Students are scheduled by birth order, oldest first. The instructor will call the number on the RIP, so answer unknown numbers during this time.
- 7
Complete 6 hours of driving Teen
Two students ride with one instructor (12 hours in total), with no more than 2 hours of driving per day.
- 8
Receive the Completion Certificate (Form 452) Teen
The driving instructor hands this over on the last day of driving.
- 9
Go to the DMV for the Level 1 Limited Learner Permit Parent + Teen
Bring the Completion Certificate (Form 452), a certified or original birth certificate, a Social Security card and proof of NC residency. Check NCDMV's current document list before you go. The fee is $25.50, and a parent or guardian must be present and sign. Your teen takes a written test, a sign test and a vision test.
No school certificate needed: as of October 1, 2026, North Carolina no longer requires the Driving Eligibility Certificate (DEC) from your teen's school.
Parent action checklist
These are the parent's or guardian's jobs. Print this list and check items off as you go.
- Sit with your student for the course orientation, the first weekend of class.Start of the course
- Make sure coursework is finished on time each week. Falling behind can get your student suspended from the course.Every week of the course
- Make sure your student completes the Work Zone Safety training and keeps the certificate.Before the class ends
- Help fill out the top of the RIP in blue or black ink, and sign it (your student signs too).Before the RIP screening
- Make sure your student gets to one of our RIP screening sessions with the signed RIP. You don't need to go to the DMV for this; any adult can bring them.Dates are on our RIP Form & Eye Exams page
- Send the RIP and the Work Zone certificate to our office, with the session and a phone number that gets answered.After the RIP screening
- Answer calls from the driving instructor.60–140 days after the RIP is processed
- Gather the certified or original birth certificate, the Social Security card and proof of NC residency.Before the DMV visit
- Book the DMV appointment, bring all documents and the $25.50 fee, and go with your teen.After driving is done
Five things people get wrong
Avoid these and you'll avoid most delays.
1. Giving the RIP to the instructor or the school
It goes to our office: mail it to PO Box 212, Bakersville, NC 28705, or email a PDF to info@mtnpro.com.
2. Getting the RIP signed somewhere else
An eye doctor, family doctor or school nurse can't sign the RIP. Come to one of our scheduled RIP screening sessions instead. It's quicker than waiting in line at a DMV office.
3. Filling out the RIP in the wrong ink
Use blue or black ink only, with both the student's and the parent's signatures.
4. Counting on catching up later
Each week has a deadline, and an instructor can suspend a student who misses it. If something comes up, email the instructor before the deadline.
5. Listing a phone number nobody answers
The instructor calls the number on the RIP to schedule driving. A missed call can mean a longer wait.
After the permit: getting the license
North Carolina uses a graduated license. Your teen moves up a level at a time, and you stay involved through each one.
| Level | To get it | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Limited Learner Permit |
Age 15–17, driver ed complete, pass the written, sign and vision tests at the DMV. $25.50. | Must always drive with a supervising driver (licensed for at least 5 years) in the front seat. For the first 6 months, only from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. No mobile phone use. |
| Level 2 Limited Provisional License |
Age 16–17, held the permit for 9 months, a driving log with at least 60 hours, no moving violations or seat belt/phone violations in the last 6 months, and pass a road test. $25.50. | Can drive alone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. (plus driving to and from work). After 9 p.m., a supervising driver is required. Passenger limits apply when driving unsupervised. No mobile phone use. |
| Level 3 Full Provisional License |
Held the Level 2 license for 6 months with no moving violations or seat belt/phone violations in the last 6 months. $32.50 at age 16, $26.00 at age 17. | Can drive unsupervised at any time. Still no mobile phone use while driving until age 18. |
Fees and rules come from NCDMV and can change. Check the official pages for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 before each DMV visit.
Those 60 hours of supervised practice are what actually make a safe driver, and the log is required for the Level 2 road test. Start logging as soon as your teen has the permit.
Questions we get asked most
Tap a question to see the answer.
The course
Can I log in to see my teen's progress?
The course account belongs to your student, so parents don't have a separate login. The easiest way to keep up is to sit down with your teen once a week and look at the course together, or read that week's Handbook chapter alongside them.
What if something comes up and my teen can't finish on time?
Email the instructor before the deadline with the reason. Deadlines flagged in advance are often workable. Missing a deadline without a word can get a student suspended from the course.
The course contains graphic material. Why?
The course uses real scenarios, including images, videos and accounts of crashes, to show what's truly at stake on the road. Some of it may be distressing. Students are asked to acknowledge this before they begin.
Work Zone training
Does my teen really have to do the Work Zone Safety training?
Yes. It's a short (about 20 minute) online course, and your teen can take it any time before the class ends. Send the certificate with the RIP, not separately to an instructor. Without it, your student can't receive a completion certificate or be scheduled to drive. Make sure it's the North Carolina version and that your teen's legal name is on it. Enroll here.
The RIP form
What is the RIP and why does it matter?
It's the form that puts your student on the list to drive. No one can be scheduled until the RIP is filled out, the RIP screening is done, and the form is sent in. You can do all of this while the course is still in progress.
Which part do I fill out?
Only the top section, everything above "NC Division of Motor Vehicles Use Only," in blue or black ink. The student and a parent both sign. The driving instructor fills in the "Record of Lessons in the Car" section later.
Where do I send it?
To our office: mail it to PO Box 212, Bakersville, NC 28705, or email a PDF to info@mtnpro.com. Don't give it to the driving instructor or the high school. Include the session and a phone number that gets answered. You'll receive a confirmation email once it's processed.
RIP screening
What is the RIP screening? Do we have to go to the DMV?
It's a short screening, including a vision check, that's required before your teen can drive. No DMV visit is needed. Under North Carolina law, driver education instructors who have completed the state's training can do the screening and sign the RIP, so our instructors handle it at scheduled sessions in your county. An eye doctor, family doctor or school nurse can't sign the form. Bring the completed, signed RIP and any glasses or contacts. Vision must be at least 20/40.
When is it, and what if we miss it?
Screenings run every 4 to 6 weeks in each county (more often in larger counties). Dates and locations are posted on our RIP Form & Eye Exams page. If you miss one, go to the next one in your area.
Timing
How long until my teen drives after finishing the course?
Usually 60 to 140 days after we receive and process your RIP. The wait depends on many things, including your school district, winter weather, and how many students are ahead of yours. Students are scheduled by birth order, oldest first.
Why is another student driving before mine?
We serve nine districts, and some are further behind than others, so the wait varies by location. Scheduling also goes by birth order (oldest first) and by how many students are already on the list.
The permit and license
What do we bring to the DMV for the permit?
The Completion Certificate (Form 452), a certified or original birth certificate, a Social Security card and proof of NC residency. Check NCDMV's current list before you go. The fee is $25.50, and a parent or guardian must be present and sign.
Do we still need a Driving Eligibility Certificate (DEC) from the school?
No. As of October 1, 2026, North Carolina no longer requires the DEC for a learner permit. This applies to public, private, homeschool and out-of-state students alike.
How long does my teen have to hold the permit?
At least 9 months, with a completed 60-hour driving log, and the student must be at least 16, before moving up to a Level 2 Limited Provisional License. See After the permit above.
Still need to reach us?
Check above first, since the answer is usually here. If it has been more than 140 days since your RIP was confirmed and you haven't heard from us, email us with your student's name.
Phone / Text
Office hours
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
Mountain Professionals Driving School
PO Box 212, Bakersville, NC 28705