| CONTACT: | Buel C. Young
| | MVA Media Relations
(410) 768-7386 |
New State Law Aimed at Curbing Truancy
GLEN BURNIE, MD (September 19, 2007) - In an effort to encourage students to attend school, a new State truancy law takes affect October 1, 2007 and will require applicants for a Maryland Learner's Permit under the age of 16 to demonstrate acceptable school attendance.
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will not issue a learner's permit to an applicant under the age of 16 unless the student submits a completed Maryland Learner's Permit School Attendance form (DL-300) during the application process. The form must be completed by a school official or the appropriate home schooling coordinator within the applicant's jurisdiction and must indicate no more than 10 unexcused absences during the prior school semester. The following outlines the requirements for those who wish to apply for a learner's permit within the Maryland Rookie Driver: Graduated Licensing System. The law affects all public, private and home-schooled students under the age of 16. Each student must demonstrate acceptable school attendance with no more than 10 unexcused absences in the prior school semester. The student must submit a completed Maryland MVA Learner's Permit School Attendance Certification form (DL-300) during the learner's permit application process. The student completes the top portion of the form and the school official completes the bottom portion of the form.
Home-schooled students must certify, with the home schooling coordinator for the student's jurisdiction, that the student was home schooled during the prior school semester. "Students need to understand that getting a driver's license is a privilege," said MVA Administrator John Kuo. "It's a privilege that must be earned and correlates directly with responsibility. This new law will give teenagers a strong incentive to be responsible and not skip school." The new truancy law, Senate Bill 519, was passed by Maryland's General Assembly during the 2007 legislative session. Copies of the Maryland MVA Learner's Permit School Attendance Certification form (DL-300) are downloadable from MVA's website at www.marylandmva.com.
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