Wis. Admin. Code Department of Transportation Trans 105.07 - Special rules for instruction of students under 18 years of age

(1)

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a licensed driver school may not offer courses in driver education specified in s. 343.06, Stats., without first obtaining the department's approval which shall be evidenced by an endorsement on the license certificate. The endorsement shall specify whether the licensee is authorized to provide classroom instruction or behind-the-wheel instruction, or both to persons under 18 years of age.

(b) Requests for initial approval under this section shall be accompanied by a course summary. After the course summary has been initially approved, the licensee shall submit to the department for approval any substantial proposed changes prior to their implementation.

1. The course summary shall specify a minimum of one main topic or more for each hour. The classroom course shall cover, but is not limited to the following:

b. Responsibility of vehicle operation.

c. Mechanical and control features of the vehicle.

d. Environmental dynamics of driving.

e. Driving procedures: Pre-driving skills and basic maneuvers.

f. City driving.

g. Rural driving.

h. Freeway driving.

i. Psychophysical aspects of driving.

j. Vehicle ownership.

k. Traffic citizenship and highway safety progress.

l. Instruction required under s. 343.71(5), Stats.

Note: This includes hazards posed by farm machinery, 30 minutes of instruction on organ and tissue donation, and information on motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian awareness.

2. The behind-the-wheel course shall cover, but is not limited to the following:

a. Introduction to the automobile.

b. City driving.

c. Left and right turns.

d. Backing and Y turns.

e. Parking.

f. Rural driving (including multiple lane and freeway if possible).

3. Each classroom lesson plan shall cover no more than 2 hours. Each behind-the-wheel lesson plan shall cover no more than one hour. Lesson plans shall be kept on file with the driver school. The lesson plan shall specify the following:

a. Title of lesson.

b. Session number.

c. Time allotted to this lesson.

d. Type of lesson (method; such as lecture, demonstration, informal discussion, role playing, laboratory, drill and practice, test, etc.).

e. Training aides (chalkboard, slide projector, etc.).

f. Statement of objectives.

g. Reference material (textbooks, pamphlets, movies, film strips, slides, charts, etc.).

h. Detailed lesson outline (which includes an introduction, development and summary with assignment for next lesson).

(c) A student who satisfactorily completes the approved course and satisfies all financial obligations required by the student's contract with the school shall be given a certificate of completion on a form approved by the department.

(2)

(a) In order to be eligible for approval under this section, a classroom phase of instruction shall consist of 30 clock hours in the classroom, extending over a minimum of 3 weeks for each student at no more than 2 clock hours per day. A course is not approved when students begin the class on alternate days. All students must be present for every session except if a student is absent for any legitimate reason, the absence must be marked on the student's record and the lessons missed must be made up. Classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel instruction may be given concurrently only if both phases are given by the same school.

(b)

1. In order to be eligible for approval under this subsection, a behind-the-wheel phase of instruction shall consist of 6 clock hours of observation in the vehicle and 6 clock hours of actual vehicle operation. This phase shall extend over a minimum of 3 weeks for each student with no more than 1 hour of behind-the-wheel driving and no more than 2 hours of observation each day.

2. Behind-the-wheel instruction may be substituted for observation if the agreement specifies the hours and cost of both the basic course and the alternate. This substitution may be on a ratio of 1 hour of driving to 2 hours of observation.

Note: Example: 7 hours driving and 4 hours observation or 8 hours driving and 2 hours observation or 9 hours driving and no observation.

(3) For behind-the-wheel only instruction, a licensee may not begin behind-the-wheel training with a new student unless certified proof of completion of an approved classroom phase is on file with the agreement in the licensee's office. However, this subdivision does not apply if the student is either enrolled in an approved behind-the-wheel phase at a different school or has completed the approved course, and the agreement specifies that the instruction does not qualify the student to apply for a license under s. 343.06(3), Stats.

(4)

(a) Licensees not meeting the requirements of sub. (2) (a) and (b) shall be restricted to instruction of students who are 18 years of age or over.

(b) Licensees meeting the requirement of sub. (2) (b) but not (2) (a) shall be restricted when instructing students under 18 years of age to a behind-the-wheel course only.

(c) Licensees may employ instructors who are licensed to teach adults only, so long as those instructors are not involved directly or indirectly in the instruction of persons under 18 years of age.

(5) All applicants for an instructor's license shall have satisfactorily completed 40 clock hours of classroom instruction in safety and driver education as given by an approved driving school instructor training program as a minimum requirement to teach students except that:

(a) Instructors licensed prior to January 1, 1971 with more than 1 year experience teaching students in a complete course of instruction as set forth in sub. (2) (a) and (b) are exempt from this requirement.

(b) Instructors licensed prior to January 1, 1971 with more than 1 year experience teaching students in a behind-the-wheel course as set forth in sub. (2) (b) are exempt from this requirement only to continue teaching a behind-the-wheel course.

(c) Teachers who are at the time of application certified to teach driver education in secondary schools or technical colleges by current rules of the department of public instruction or the technical college system board are exempt from this requirement.

(6) Applicants for instructor's license renewal whose license has been expired for 4 years or more must satisfactorily complete the course specified in sub. (5), unless certified as specified in sub. (5) (c).

(7) An applicant for an instructor's license renewal shall attend at least one approved traffic safety related workshop or conference per licensing period.

Notes

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Transportation Trans 105.07

Cr. Register, November, 1979, No. 287, eff. 12-1-79; corrections in (5) made under s. 13.93(2m) (b) 6, Stats., Register, August, 1996, No. 488; CR 06-089: am. (1) (b) (intro.), 1. (intro.), 3. (intro.), (c), (2) (a), (3) and (5) (intro.), r. (1) (b) 1. a. and (5) (d), cr. (1) (b) 1. L. and (7) Register December 2006 No. 612, eff. 1-1-07. Amended by, CR 22-048: am. (1) (c) Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8/1/2023