Maybe it was a state requirement... but I had to be 15 1/2 for permit and 16 to get licence. Since I was one of the older kids in my class (born in Oct), I took private lessons instead of going through the school program... so I was one of the first in my class to get my license a few weeks after my 16th birthday. It was a HUGE deal for us... mainly because then I didn't have to ride the bus to school!
