It's different in every state, but here in Illinois, you can take drivers ed when you're 15, and then you get your slip and when you have that for 3 months, you can get your license (if you're 16 by then), so it worked out I was able to get my license on my 16th birthday. You can take it privately at a driving school or you can take the class at your high school but that takes a whole semester. If you don't take driver's ed then you have to wait till your 18th birthday and just take the test at the DMV.