Cobb County Drivers under 17 and Juvenile Court Traffic Cases
Cobb County Juvenile Court is between the State Court and Superior Court buildings right off the Marietta Square at 32 Waddell Street, Marietta Georgia 30090. Juvenile Court has jurisdiction on most cases for children under 17 years of age and jurisdiction for all traffic cases occurring within the Cobb County limits for any driver under 17 years of age.
Once you turn 15 years of age in Georgia, you are eligible for a Georgia Class CP license, also known as a learner’s permit. To obtain a Class CP license you must pass written and vision tests as well as be enrolled in school. While holding a class CP license there must be a person over 21 years of age who has a valid drivers license in your car at all times who can take over the driving responsibilities if necessary. While holding a class CP provisional license all the rules of the road apply and Cobb County children holding CP licenses can be stopped for all traffic violations. After holding a CP license for one year and one day, 16 year old drivers are eligible for a class D provisional license if they have not had any major traffic violations while holding a class CP license, have completed a driver’s education course including classroom and behind the wheel training, meet schooling requirements and pass a road test.
A Class D license has limitations:
You cannot be driving between the hours of 12am and 6am
During the first six-month period after issuance, cannot operate a motor vehicle with any passenger who is not a member of the driver’s immediate family (defined as the license holder’s parents and step-parents, grandparents, siblings, and step-siblings, children, and any other person who resides at the license holder’s residence
During the second six-month period after issuance, cannot operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger under the age of 21 who is not a member of the driver’s immediate family
For the remainder of the Class D license period, cannot operate a motor vehicle when more than three passengers under the age of 21 are not members of the driver’s immediate family
If you are cited with a traffic violation and are under 17 years of age, your court date will be in the Cobb County Juvenile Court. You will receive a letter in the mail to the address on your driver’s license notifying your of the specific charge or delinquency as well as a court date. The Cobb County Solicitor’s Office handles all juvenile court traffic cases while the Cobb County District Attorney’s office handles more serious juvenile delinquency violations.
If you or a child in your family has been charged with a juvenile court traffic violation it may be helpful to speak with an attorney about your case. The procedure in Juvenile Court is slightly different than in State or Municipal courts. An experienced Cobb County Juvenile Court Attorney may be able to avoid your appearance in court by working out your case in advance. If you would like to speak about a Cobb County Juvenile Court traffic case, call me at 678-753-6431.
