Summit Driving Lessons, From Downtown Parking to Route 24

A downtown split by the railroad

Summit's downtown is divided by the railroad, which runs through a sunken cut separating the commercial district from the town green. Summit station is where NJ Transit's Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch merge, and parking downtown is a long-running issue, with meters on the main streets and free two-hour shopper lots. The northernmost city in Union County, Summit borders Millburn in Essex County and the Chathams in Morris County. For a learner, all of that adds up to a lot of close-quarters driving, which is exactly what our driving lessons in Summit, NJ focus on early. From our Union office, Summit is roughly 5.3 miles, or 14 minutes when traffic is light.

Where we practice in Summit

• Springfield Avenue (CR 527). The main street, with metered parking and pedestrians, and a natural place for parallel parking practice.
• The Route 24 interchange. Here CR 527 and Broad Street (CR 512) split into one-way pairs and share the road with Route 124 for a stretch. Picking the right lane early is the lesson.
• Route 124 and Morris Avenue. Route 124 runs along the city's eastern edge.
• JFK Parkway (CR 649). Another county route through the city.
• I-78. It forms the southern boundary and is the next step for highway practice.

Newark is your nearest test site

Newark is Summit's nearest licensing center and road test site by road: 228 Frelinghuysen Avenue, about 10.5 miles and 17 minutes without traffic. Elizabeth's licensing center, 17 Caldwell Place, is about 22 minutes away, and the Rahway road test site, 1140 Woodbridge Road, about 31. Closer to home, the office at 271 Route 22 East in Springfield is a REAL ID-only office (by appointment) and vehicle center, so it is not the place for a permit or road test. Required on the test: parallel parking, a three-point (K) turn and roughly 100 feet of straight backing.

From 16 to a probationary license

The process begins with our teen driver education course: 6 hours behind the wheel with a licensed driving school, which is what a 16-year-old needs for the special learner permit. After at least 6 months of supervised practice, and 50 supervised hours with 10 after dark for permits issued on or after February 1, 2025, your teen can take the road test for a probationary license from 17. Until 21, passengers are limited to dependents plus one unless a parent is riding along.

Students, hospital staff and commuters

Summit High School students are picked up after classes, and adults at home or work in 07901 or 07902, including staff at Overlook Medical Center. If you ride the Morris & Essex Lines, a lesson can start near Summit station. Home pickup covers the whole city, from the Reeves-Reed Arboretum to Briant Park and Hidden Valley Park.

Book a lesson

Parallel parking is a required test skill and worth drilling with a Summit driving instructor; road test preparation covers it, and our road test checklist covers the rest. Choosing a driving school in Summit? New Providence and Springfield, just across the city line, have their own pages.

This school is licensed by the State of New Jersey. License #000184. Fully insured.