It’s possible to get one when you are 17 1/2 if you meet these conditions:
- You have passed an approved 30-hour classroom course (Aceable)
- You have completed a 6-hour behind-the-wheel training course at a local driving school
- You have no violations or accidents on your driving record
- You have held your junior license for at least one year
- You have the consent of your parents, guardian, or spouse.
If you meet those conditions, you can apply for the senior license by mailing in Form DL-59 to PennDOT, PO Box 68272, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8272. If your application is approved, you will receive an updated card to carry with your junior license.
Otherwise, you’ll need to wait until you are 18. When you turn 18, your junior license will automatically turn into a senior license. You don’t need to go back to the Driver License Office to get anything changed unless you want a license that doesn’t say JR anymore. Even though it says JR, if you’re 18, it will be treated as a senior license by anyone who asks to look at it. Your license expires 4 years later on the day after your birthday. Your expiration date on your junior license is the same even when it becomes a senior license on your 18th birthday.
