Driving Tests

Taylor's Law: How School Suspensions Can Delay an Alabama Driver License

informational·how to guide·Published September 15, 2026

Can a school suspension delay an Alabama learner's permit or driver license?

Yes, it can delay it. Under Taylor's Law (Code of Alabama Section 32-6-7.4), school discipline gives points: 1 for a day of in-school suspension, 2 for a day of out-of-school suspension, 6 for alternative school placement and 20 for expulsion. Each point adds one week to the age at which you can get a permit or license, up to one year from the date you first apply.

Where the Taylor's Law rules come from

Alabama sets the rules in Code of Alabama Section 32-6-7.4, called Taylor's Law. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) explained them in a news release of August 6, 2026, and the DL-1/93 enrollment form carries the point total to ALEA. The school-enrollment rule for people under 19 is in Code of Alabama Section 16-28-40. The learner license age and document details come from the ALEA Graduated Driver License page and the ALEA document requirements page. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (alea.gov) before you drive.

How many points each school action gives

How many points each school action gives
School action	Points	Weeks added (1 point = 1 week)
One day of in-school suspension	1	1 week
One day of out-of-school suspension	2	2 weeks
Alternative school placement	6	6 weeks
Expulsion	20	20 weeks

Who Taylor's Law covers

Taylor's Law covers each student over age 12 who is enrolled in a public or private secondary school. The points come from an infraction on school property. They start to build up in the school year, including summer school, in which the student turns 13. The points decide the age at which the student may apply for a learner's permit, motor driven cycle operator's license or driver's license.

How points become weeks

Each point adds one week to the age at which the student can be issued a permit or license. The law also sets a limit: that age "shall not be extended ... beyond one year from the date the student initially applies." Worked example: one out-of-school suspension of 3 days gives 6 points (2 points for each day), so it adds 6 weeks.

Rules that can lower or remove points

In-school suspension: points may not accrue for the first three days in a school year. From the fourth day, all days count, including the first three.
Out-of-school suspension: points may not accrue for a first suspension of two days or less in a school year. Those days count after a second out-of-school suspension in the same school year.
Points are cut in half if the student gets no new points for one school year.
If the student gets no new points for two years, the school removes all records of the points.
These four rules apply only when the school's student data management system can track, manage and coordinate the data. Ask your school how it applies them.

What if you are under 19?

You are under 19 and enrolled in a secondary school

School enrollment counts as proof under Section 16-28-40 only if you have not collected disciplinary points that would extend your age of eligibility. Your school shows your enrollment status and your point total on the DL-1/93 form.

You are under 19 and not in school, for example after an expulsion

Bring another listed proof, such as satisfactory progress in a GED or nontraditional high school diploma option program, a job training program approved by the State Superintendent of Education, or proof that you are gainfully and substantially employed. Without a diploma or a listed proof, ALEA must deny the permit or license.

You withdraw from school and ask for an exemption

Suspension or expulsion from school is not a circumstance beyond your control, so it does not give you an exemption.

How to show your school points to ALEA

1
Ask your school for the form
If you are 15 or older and properly enrolled, ask the school attendance officer for documentation of your enrollment status and disciplinary points. The form is the ALEA Enrollment / Exclusion Form (DL-1/93, also written DL-193).
2
Let the school complete it
The attendance officer or chief attendance administrator completes Part I and Part II. Part II has a field for the total number of disciplinary points imposed in school. Our guide to the Alabama permit documents and DL-1/93 form lists the other papers to bring.
3
Give it to the Driver License Examiner
Give the completed form to the area Driver License Examiner when you apply.
4
Use the school for appeals
File an appeal about school enrollment status with the local school principal, under the policy of the local board of education.

Did Taylor's Law change in August 2026?

No. House Bill 33 (2026) proposed to lower an age threshold in some license rules from 19 to 17. The House passed it, but the Alabama Senate did not, so it did not become law. ALEA said on August 6, 2026 that no amendment to Section 32-6-7.4 took effect on August 1, 2026 and that the rules it administers are unchanged. The Alabama Legislature enacted Taylor's Law in 2009 as Act 2009-713.

What to do next at age 15

Stage I of the Alabama Graduated Driver License (GDL) is the learner license, and you must be 15 or older. At 15, bring acceptable proof of school enrollment or graduation, such as the DL-1/93 form. Our guide to the Alabama Stage I learner permit at age 15 covers the full steps. Two free practice questions show what comes next: who may supervise a 15-year-old learner and how long a driver under 18 must hold Stage I.

Key takeaways

Taylor's Law (Section 32-6-7.4) gives school discipline points: 1 for one day of in-school suspension, 2 for one day of out-of-school suspension, 6 for alternative school, 20 for expulsion.
Each point adds one week to your permit or license age, and the delay cannot go past one year from the date you first apply.
Your school assesses the points and writes the total on the DL-1/93 form, which you give to the area Driver License Examiner.
HB 33 (2026) did not become law. ALEA said on August 6, 2026 that the rules are unchanged.
Next step: practice on the free Alabama Class D learner license practice test. It is free and in English only.

Taylor's Law in Alabama: common questions

What happens to my Alabama license if I drop out of school at 16?

If you are 16 or older and withdraw, the school attendance officer must tell ALEA. Withdrawal means more than 10 consecutive or 15 total days of unexcused absences in one semester. ALEA then sends you a notice, and your license or learner permit is suspended on the 30th day unless ALEA gets proof of compliance first. A transfer to another school, confirmed in writing by a parent or guardian, sends no notice.

Do school points from age 13 still count when I apply at 15?

They can. Points build up each year from the school year in which you turn 13 until you are eligible to apply under the point system. Where the school's data system can track it, one school year with no new points cuts your total in half, and two years with no new points remove the point records at the school.

Does Taylor's Law apply to a moped or boat license in Alabama?

Yes. The points decide the age at which you may apply for a motor driven cycle operator's license or any Alabama license to operate a motor vehicle or vessel, not only a car permit. ALEA lists the motor-driven cycle license for ages 14 and 15, and a 15-year-old applicant must bring proof of school enrollment or graduation.

Does ALEA decide how many Taylor's Law points I have?

No. Your school keeps the discipline records and assesses the points. ALEA does not set school discipline policy, assign points or change the eligibility rules in the law. It receives your point total on the DL-1/93 form, certified by school officials, and decides eligibility only by applying Alabama law.

Can a gun charge at school delay my Alabama license?

Yes. A person over 14 convicted of possession of a pistol on public school premises or a public school bus under Section 13A-11-72 is denied a license or learner permit for 180 days from the date the person is eligible and applies. A juvenile delinquent or youthful offender adjudication on that charge counts as a conviction.