ALEA Clarifies Driver License Eligibility Requirements Under Taylor’s Law, Enacted in 2009

What this means

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) would like to offer clarification regarding Alabama’s driver license eligibility requirements for students subject to school disciplinary actions. Section 32-6-7.4, Code of Alabama 1975, which has been referred to as “Taylor’s Law,” was enacted by the Alabama Legislature in 2009 as Act 2009-713 and has remained in effect since that time. Recent public confusion appears to have resulted from House Bill 33 (2026 Regular Legislative Session), which proposed reducing the age threshold associated with certain driver license eligibility provisions from 19 years of age to 17 years of age.

Official release

Source material from Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) would like to offer clarification regarding Alabama’s driver license eligibility requirements for students subject to school disciplinary actions.

Section 32-6-7.4, Code of Alabama 1975, which has been referred to as “Taylor’s Law,” was enacted by the Alabama Legislature in 2009 as Act 2009-713 and has remained in effect since that time.

Recent public confusion appears to have resulted from House Bill 33 (2026 Regular Legislative Session), which proposed reducing the age threshold associated with certain driver license eligibility provisions from 19 years of age to 17 years of age. While the legislation was approved by the Alabama House of Representatives, it was not passed by the Alabama Senate and therefore did not become law. Accordingly, no amendments to Section 32-6-7.4 became effective on August 1, 2026, and the statutory requirements currently administered by ALEA remain unchanged.

Pursuant to Taylor’s Law, Alabama public and private secondary schools assess disciplinary points for specified disciplinary actions, including, but not limited to, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, placement in an alternative school, and expulsion. The accumulation of these disciplinary points may delay the age at which an eligible student may apply for a learner’s permit, driver license, or other applicable operator credential, as prescribed by Alabama law.

Local education agencies, public and private schools are responsible for maintaining student disciplinary records, assessing disciplinary points as required by law, and reporting applicable information through the established process. ALEA’s Driver License Division receives the necessary eligibility information on an applicant’s DL-193 form certified by the appropriate educational authorities and determines license eligibility solely by applying the requirements established by Alabama Law. The DL-193 also confirms the student’s compliance with act 93-368 that requires attendance or graduation standards be met before an individual under the age of 19 may be issued a learner license or driver license.

ALEA does not establish school disciplinary policies, assign disciplinary points, or modify statutory eligibility requirements. The Agency’s responsibility is to uniformly administer the licensing provisions enacted by the Alabama Legislature. For additional information regarding Alabama’s driver license laws, visit www.alea.gov.

Fatality

No

Release text attributed to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.