32, and I was 24 when I finally got mine (public transportation between Laurel and Columbia is actually pretty good, so it wasn't life or death).

The changeover happened about six years ago. You could get your learner's permit at 15 years 6 months, and with a certification from a driver's education course in high school, net your provisional license in three months. Learners permits used to have a 6 or 8 week duration, enough to get some practice, and theoretically take the driving test three times (twice back to back, fail #2 and you wait two weeks).

And yes, it varies state to state. Since driver's licenses are issued by the state and road laws are allowed some variation from state to state, its a state's rights matter as to how you get them.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.