Everyone eventually has to go through the hassle of trying to get a driver’s license.

This usually causes stress and possibly panic when you realize you forgot the paperwork or showed up to the building on the one day of the week it was closed. This is without mentioning the actual tests.

When you are going to get your license, be prepared for something to go wrong. Plan ahead and be prepared to work around the problems. On the bright side, the problems that arise can end up being funny stories later.

“When I went to Lovell to take my driver’s test. I turned the key in the ignition just so that the car was on so I could turn on the lights, not to make the engine run,” junior Kiya McIntosh said. “The lady checked the lights and everything is going great and she tells me to get in so we can leave. Once we are buckled in, I am feeling confident as ever and she tells me to put it in reverse. I do so and the car goes coasting off.

“I press the gas pedal and notice nothing is happening. I begin to get nervous and frantically slam on the brakes, freaking out, because I thought I broke the car. Turns out I never turned the car on. Surprisingly, after that, I passed my test.”

The stories ensure anyone who hears them laughs at a least a little.

“I didn’t miss a single question until No. 19,” sophomore Trevor Groves said, “Then I missed the [next] six, so I failed.”

The Wyoming Department of Transportation website (wyoroad.info) has the information new drivers need to know.

For the convenience of the new drivers at PHS, the following is what you need to know in order to get a license:

• Present proof of your identity. This can include your birth certificate, a valid U.S. or foreign passport, certificates of either naturalization or citizenship or U.S. Visa.
• Present proof of your current residence which is the easiest proof of this is any recent mail addressed to your address.
• Present proof of social security. This can be your social security card, any government or official document that includes your name and full social security number, a bank document that includes full social security number or a W-2 form.
• Minors must have a parent or legal guardian sign the application.
• Pass the written test. This is only when you are getting your full license.
• Pass a driving skills test. For this, you should be prepared to drive in your own car because the examiners do not provide a car. Since there are only a few people working at the office each day, most driving skills tests should be scheduled ahead of time to ensure they can be taken. This is also only taken when you are getting your full license.
• Pass the vision screening. If you normally wear glasses or contacts, wear them for the screening.
• The Cody office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,  from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Lovell office is open Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Some of the requirements for a license can be removed if you take a Driver’s Education Class, which also may lower your insurance rate. Passing the class means you don’t have to take the driving skills and written tests when you go in to get your license as well as getting your full license at sixteen and a half.
• Do not study for the written test from the online free practice test because it has wrong answers and will mess you up during the actual test. Instead, go in and grab a WYDOT Safety booklet from the Driver Services office.