Rosheika Grant, Star Writer

At 17 years old, an individual is able to begin the steps to get a driver's licence.

There are various categories of driver's licence - motorcycle, private and general licence.

Here are the necessary steps needed to obtain your driver's licence:

1.The person must apply for a learner's licence to be legally allowed on the public roads. The learner's licence permits an unlicensed individual to operate a motor vehicle on the public roads while under the supervision of a licensed driver.

2. The applicant, who must be over 17 years old, has to get two valid passport-size photographs signed by a justice of the peace, a minister of religion or a superintendent of police.

3.The photographs, along with your Taxpayer's Registration Number, must be taken to the tax office closest to where the individual lives. A fee of $1,500 will be paid, after which a provisional licence is issued.

4. After obtaining a provisional licence, the individual must complete driving lessons to develop driving skills.

5. A driving test must be taken by the individual to indicate competence around the wheel. In order to do this test, the person will need to pay the driver's licence examination fee of $2,700 at the tax office.

6. After passing the driving exam, the individual must inform the examination depot which tax office dispatch the certificate of competence to. For example, in the case of Clarendon, it would be sent to the May Pen Revenue Service Centre.

7. Once the competence certificate has been forwarded to the tax office, you are required to pay the relevant driver's licence fee. You will then be photographed and the licence issued.

The fee paid is dependent on the licence granted. For a general licence, the fee is $6,000. Private licences attract a fee of $4,500. The motorcycle licence fee is $3,450.