Young Driver Licensing Systems in the U.S.

State	Learner stage			Intermediate stage: restrictions on driving while unsupervised			Unrestricted stage: minimum age at which restrictions may be lifted
	Minimum entry age	Mandatory holding period	Minimum amount of supervised driving	Minimum age	Unsupervised driving prohibited	Restriction on passengers (family members excepted unless otherwise noted)	Nighttime restrictions	Passenger restrictions
AL	151	6 months1	30 hours1 (none with driver education)	16	midnight-6 a.m.; duration: at least 6 months and age 17 secondary enforcement	no more than 1 passenger; duration: at least 6 months and age 17 secondary enforcement	172	172
AK	14	6 months	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night or in inclement weather	16	1 a.m.-5 a.m.; duration: 6 months	no passengers younger than 21; duration: 6 months	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
AZ	15, 6 months3	6 months	30 hours, 10 of which must be at night (none with driver education)	16	midnight-5 a.m.; duration: 6 months secondary enforcement	no more than 1 passenger younger than 18; duration: 6 months secondary enforcement	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
AR	144	6 months4	none	165	11 p.m.-4 a.m.; duration: until age 18	no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; duration: until age 18	18	18
CA	15, 6 months6	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	166	11 p.m.-5 a.m.; duration: 12 months secondary enforcement	no passengers younger than 20 (limited exception for immediate family) duration: 12 months secondary enforcement	17	17
CO	157	12 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16	midnight-5 a.m.; duration 12 months secondary enforcement	no passengers younger than 21; duration: first 6 months; no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; duration: second 6 months secondary enforcement	17	17
CT	168	6 months8 (4 months with driver education)	40 hours8	16, 4 months8	11 p.m. - 5 a.m.; duration: until age 18	no passengers other than parents or a driving instructor; duration: first 6 months; no passengers other than parents, driving instructor, or members of the immediate family; duration: second 6 months	18	17, 4 months
DE	169	6 months9	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night9	16, 6 months9	10 p.m.-6 a.m.; duration: at least 6 months and until the issuance of a class D operator's license9	no more than 1 passenger; duration: at least 6 months and until the issuance of a class D operator's license9	17	17
DC	1610	6 months	40 hours in learner’s stage; 10 hours at night in intermediate stage	16, 6 months11	September–June: 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Sun.–Thur., 12:01 a.m.-6 a.m. Sat.–Sun.; July–August: 12:01 a.m.-6 a.m.; duration: entire provisional license stage12	no passengers; duration: first 6 months; thereafter, no more than 2 passengers; duration: entire provisional license stage12	18	18
FL	1513	12 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16	11 p.m.-6 a.m. for 16 year-olds; 1 a.m.-5 a.m. for 17 year-olds	none	18	no
GA	15	12 months	40 hours, 6 of which must be at night	1614	midnight-6 a.m.; duration: at least 12 consecutive months and age 18 secondary enforcement	no passengers for the first 6 months; no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 for the second 6 months; thereafter no more than 3 passengers younger than 21; duration: at least 12 consecutive months and age 18 secondary enforcement	18	18
HI	15, 6 months	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1615	11 p.m.-5 a.m.; duration: at least 6 months and age 17	no more than 1 passenger younger than 18 (household members excepted); duration: at least 6 months and age 17	17	17
ID	14, 6 months16	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1516	sunset to sunrise; duration: until age 16	licensees younger than 17 may have no more than 1 passenger younger than 17; duration: 6 months	16	15, 6 months
IL	1517	9 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1618	starts 10 p.m. Sun.-Thur., 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., ends 6 a.m.; duration: until age 18	no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; duration: first 12 months or until age 18	18	17
IN	1519	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16, 6 months (16, 9 months without driver education)19	First 180 days, 10 p.m.-5 a.m.; thereafter, 11 p.m.-5 a.m. Sun.–Fri.; 1 a.m.-5 a.m. Sat.–Sun.	first 180 days-no passengers	18	17 (17, 3 months without driver education)
IA	14	12 months	20 hours, 2 of which must be at night20	1621,20	12:30 a.m.-5 a.m.	parental discretion 22	1723	no
KS	1424	12 months	25 hours, in learner phase; 25 hours before age 16; 10 of the 50 hours must be at night24	1624	9 p.m. - 5 a.m.	first 6 months - no more than one passenger younger than 18	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
KY	1625	6 months25	60 hours, 10 of which must be at night25	16, 6 months26	midnight-6 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 20 unless supervised by a driving instructor secondary enforcement	17	17
LA	1527	6 months	50 hours, 15 of which must be at night	1627	11 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than one passenger younger than 21 between the hours of 6 pm-5 am; no passenger restriction from 5 am-6 pm	17	17
ME	1528	6 months28	70 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1628	midnight-5 a.m.28	first 9 months—no passengers28	16, 9 months	16, 9 months
MD	15, 9 months	9 months29	60 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16, 6 months	midnight-5 a.m.30	first 5 months—no passengers younger than 18 secondary enforcement	18	16, 11 months
MA	1631	6 months31	40 hours32	16, 6 months33	12:30 a.m.-5 a.m. (between 12:30 a.m.-1 a.m. and 4 a.m.-5 a.m. the night driving and passenger restrictions are subject to secondary enforcement; enforcement is primary at all other times)	first 6 months—no passengers younger than 18 (between 12:30 am–1 am and 4 am–5 am the night driving and passenger restrictions are secondarily enforced; enforcement is primary at all other times)	18	17
MI	14, 9 months34	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1635	10 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 21	17	17
MN	1536	6 months37	30 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1638	midnight-5 a.m.	first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20	16, 6 months	17
MS	15	12 months39	none	1640	10 p.m.-6 a.m. Sun.-Thur., 11:30 p.m.-6 a.m. Fri.-Sat.	none	16, 6 months	no
MO	15	6 months	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16	1 a.m.-5 a.m.	first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 19; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 19	17, 11 months	17, 11 months
MT	14, 6 months41	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1542	11 p.m.-5 a.m.	first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 18; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 18	16	16
NE	1543	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night (none with driver education)	16	midnight-6 a.m. secondary enforcement	first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 19 secondary enforcement	17	16, 6 months
NV	15, 6 months	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1644	10 p.m.-5 a.m. secondary enforcement	first 6 months—no passengers younger than 18 secondary enforcement	18	16, 6 months
NH	15, 6 months45	none	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16	1 a.m.-4 a.m.	first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 25	18	16, 6 months
NJ	1646	6 months46	none	1746	11 p.m. - 5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger (exception is limited to drivers' dependents)	18	18
NM	1547	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	15, 6 months48	midnight-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 21	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
NY	1649	6 months	50 hours, 15 of which must be at night	16, 6 months49	prohibited at all times in NYC (five boroughs); all times in Nassau and Suffolk Counties except for limited (5 a.m.-9 p.m.) travel to work, school and driver’s education, proof required; otherwise 9 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 2149	17 (18 without driver education)49	17 (18 without driver education)49
NC	1550,51	12 months51	60 hours, 10 of which must be at night, learner phase; 12 hours, 6 of which must be at night, intermediate phase	1652,53	9 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; if a family member younger than 21 is already a passenger then no other passengers younger than 21 who are not family members	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
ND	14			16; 15 for a parent requested restricted license	The holder of a restricted license may only drive a car belonging to a parent or guardian and may not drive between the later of sunset or 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.	none	16	none
OH	15, 6 months	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1654	midnight-6 a.m. (age 16), 1 a.m.-5 a.m. (age 17) secondary enforcement	no more than 1 passenger unless supervised	18	17
OK	15, 6 months55	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night56	16	10 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger57	16, 6 months (17 without driver education)	16, 6 months (17 without driver education)
OR	15	6 months	50 hours58(100 hours without driver education)	1658	midnight-5 a.m.	first 6 months–no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months–no more than 3 passengers younger than 20	17	17
PA	16	6 months	65 hours, 10 of which must be at night and 5 of which must be in inclement weather	16, 6 months	11 p.m.-5 a.m.	first 6 months— no more than 1 passenger younger than 18; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers	17	17
RI	1659	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	16, 6 months60	1 a.m.-5 a.m.	first 12 months–no more than 1 passenger younger than 21	17, 6 months	17, 6 months
SC	15	6 months	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night	15, 6 months	6 p.m.-6 a.m. EST; 8 p.m.-6 a.m. EDT	no more than 2 passengers younger than 21 unless transporting students to and from school	16, 6 months	16, 6 months
SD	1461	6 months (3 months with driver education)	none61	14, 6 months (14, 3 months with driver education)	10 p.m.-6 a.m.	none	16	no
TN	1562	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night62	16	11 p.m.-6 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger	17	17
TX	1563	6 months	30 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1664	midnight-5 a.m. secondary enforcement	no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 secondary enforcement	18	18
UT	1565	6 months	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night65,66	1667	midnight-5 a.m.	first 6 months—no passengers68 secondary enforcement	17	16, 6 months68
VT	15	12 months	40 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1669	none	first 3 months—no passengers without exception; second 3 months—no passengers secondary enforcement	no	16, 6 months
VA	15, 6 months70	9 months70	45 hours, 15 of which must be at night	16, 3 months71	midnight-4 a.m. 70 secondary enforcement	first 12 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 21 secondary enforcement	18	18
WA	1572	6 months	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1673	1 a.m.-5 a.m. secondary enforcement	first 6 months—no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 secondary enforcement	1774	1774
WV	1575	6 months75	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night (none with driver education)	16	10 p.m. - 5 a.m.	first 6 months—no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months–no more than 1 passenger younger than 20	17	17
WI	15, 6 months76	6 months76	30 hours, 10 of which must be at night76	1677	midnight-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger	16, 9 months	16, 9 months
WY	15	10 days	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night	1678	11 p.m.-5 a.m.	no more than 1 passenger younger than 18	16, 6 months78	16, 6 months78

⁹In Delaware, a driver education student does not need a permit to drive with a driver education instructor. After completing the on-road requirements of driver education, a driver education student who is at least 15 years, 10 months may apply for a Driver Education Learner's Permit, which allows the student to drive while supervised by an experienced driver. Upon completion of driver education, and if the student passes both the road and written tests, the student receives a Level 1 permit that for the first six months allows driving only while supervised. There also is a passenger restriction during the first six months of the Level 1 permit. No more than one passenger (family members excepted) is permitted in addition to the supervising driver. The Level 1 permit for the second six months is the equivalent of an intermediate license. During that period, holders may drive unsupervised between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and may only carry one passenger. Applicants for a driver's license who are younger than 18 must have held a Driver Education Learner's Permit and/or a Level 1 permit for at least 12 months. Driver education is required for all license applicants younger than 18.

¹⁰In the District of Columbia, the learner's stage is mandatory for all license applicants, regardless of age. A nighttime restriction (9 p.m.-6 a.m.) applies in the learner stage.

¹¹In the District of Columbia, license applicants younger than 21 must go through the intermediate stage until they have completed it or until they turn 21.

¹²Provisional license holders who are younger than 21 are required to adhere to the night and passenger restriction for the duration of the stage, six-month minimum. Drivers younger than 18 who hold a full license with conditions must also adhere to the night and passenger restrictions.

¹³In Florida, learners permit holders may not drive after sunset for the first three months and thereafter may not drive after 10 p.m.

¹⁴In Georgia, license applicants younger than 17 must have completed driver education.

¹⁵In Hawaii, license applicants younger than 18 must have completed driver education.

¹⁶In Idaho, license applicants younger than 17 must have completed driver education. There are three classes of learner's permits — a training instruction permit for people 14, 6 months taking driver education; a supervised instruction permit for practice driving with a nonprofessional supervisor; and an instruction permit for people younger than 17 who have completed driver education and supervised driving or for people 17 and older without either driver education or supervised driving.

¹⁷In Illinois, enrollment in driver education is required for permit applicants.

¹⁸In Illinois, license applicants 18 through 20 years of age who did not take driver's education in school must complete a 6 hour adult driver education course.

¹⁹In Indiana, driver education determines the minimum age for permits and the intermediate license. People enrolled in or who have completed driver education must be age 15 to have a permit; otherwise, they must be age 16. The minimum age for an intermediate license is 16, 6 months with driver education and 16, 9 months, without.

²⁰Iowa requires a certification of 10 additional hours of supervised driving during the intermediate stage, two of which must be at night.

²¹In Iowa, driver education is required for an intermediate license and for an unrestricted license if the applicant is younger than 18.

²²In Iowa, parents are permitted to waive at the time of licensure a discretionary six-month passenger limit of no more than one unrelated passenger younger than 18, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

²³In Iowa, restrictions end after holding an intermediate license for at least one year and reaching age 17.

²⁴In Kansas, drivers age 15 but not yet 16 may be granted a restricted license if they have completed driver training. Restricted license holders younger than 16 may not drive unless supervised other than to and from school or work via the most direct route and may not carry minor passengers other than siblings. To get a restricted license, applicants must have driven at least 25 of the 50 hours required for a full license and must have held an instruction permit for 12 months.

²⁵Kentucky law prohibits learner's permit holders from driving between midnight and 6 a.m. or from carrying more than one passenger younger than 20 unless supervised by a driving instructor.

²⁶In Kentucky, license holders younger than 18 must complete a driver education course or a state-sponsored traffic school.

²⁷In Louisiana, driver education is required for a permit and an intermediate license if the applicant is younger than 18. People 18 and older must have completed a prelicensing training course including a minimum of 8 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

²⁸In Maine, driver education is required for a permit and a license if the applicant is younger than 18. The learner's permit holding period and the certification of practice driving applies to license applicants younger than 21. The period of license restrictions may extend beyond the person's 18th birthday.

²⁹In Maryland, all license applicants younger than 25 must hold a learner's permit for nine months before taking the road test and all applicants 25 and older must hold the permit for 45 days.

³⁰In Maryland, the nighttime driving restriction only applies to intermediate license holders younger than 18.

³¹In Massachusetts, the night driving restriction for permit holders younger than 18 is midnight to 5 a.m., unless they are accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian.

³²In Massachusetts, the requirement for supervised driving is 30 hours for applicants who have successfully completed a driver skills development program in a closed, off-road course licensed by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles.

³³In Massachusetts, driver education is required of license applicants younger than 18.

³⁴In Michigan, permit applicants younger than 18 must have completed the first segment of driver education.

³⁵In Michigan, license applicants younger than 18 must have completed the second segment of driver education. Neither driver education nor an intermediate license is required for license applicants 18 and older.

³⁶In Minnesota, permit applicants younger than 18 must be enrolled in driver education.

³⁷In Minnesota, the permit holding period also applies to license applicants 18 and older unless they have completed driver education.

³⁸In Minnesota, license applicants younger than 18 must have completed driver education. Provisional license holders must be crash-free to qualify for a full license.

³⁹In Mississippi, license applicants 17 and older are exempt from the 12-month learner’s permit holding period.

⁴⁰In Mississippi, license applicants 17 and older are exempt from the requirement to get an intermediate license.

⁴¹In Montana, enrollment in or completion of driver education is required for permit applicants younger than 15.

⁴²In Montana, license applicants younger than 16 must have completed driver education.

⁴³In Nebraska, 14 year-olds who live 1.5 miles or more from school and who either live outside or attend school outside a metropolitan area may be issued a learner’s permit (called an “LPE permit”) and a limited license (called a “school permit”). The LPE permit authorizes supervised driving for the purpose of preparing for the school permit, which allows driving to and from school independently or anyplace else while supervised by a parent or guardian.

⁴⁴In Nevada, driver education is required of all license applicants younger than 18 unless there is no driver education program offered within a 30-mile radius of the applicant's residence.

⁴⁵New Hampshire does not issue learner's permits. At age 15, 6 months a person can drive while supervised by a licensed driver 25 or older. License applicants who are younger than 18 must take driver education.

⁴⁶In New Jersey, the permit becomes an intermediate license after six months for drivers younger than 21 and after 3 months for drivers 21 and older. The graduated licensing law applies to adults, except that the night driving and passenger restrictions are waived for new drivers 21 and older. If the applicant has not completed driver education, the minimum permit age is 17 and the minimum intermediate license age is 17, 6 months. Learner's permit holders may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and may carry only one passenger in addition to the supervising driver or any parent, guardian or dependant.

⁴⁷In New Mexico, permit applicants younger than 18 must be enrolled in driver education.

⁴⁸In New Mexico, license applicants younger than 18 must have completed driver education.

⁴⁹In New York, the minimum age for an unrestricted driver's license is 18 (17 if the applicant has completed driver education). New York has a passenger restriction that applies to permit holders and license holders younger than 18 (17 if the applicant has completed driver education).

⁵⁰In North Carolina, driver education is required for permit applicants younger than 18.

⁵¹In North Carolina, learner’s permit holders may not drive between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first six months.

⁵²In North Carolina, driver education is required for license applicants younger than 18.

⁵³In North Carolina, a person who is at least 16 but younger than 18 must complete a minimum of 12 additional hours (six of which must be at night) of supervised driving to obtain a full provisional license.

⁵⁴In Ohio, driver education is required of license applicants younger than 18.

⁵⁵In Oklahoma, 15 year-olds may drive, but only while supervised by an instructor.

⁵⁶In Oklahoma, learner's permit holders may only operate a motor vehicle between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.

⁵⁷In Oklahoma, a person who has been issued an intermediate Class D license shall not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger unless all passengers live in the same household as the custodial legal parent or legal guardian or a licensed driver at least 21 years of age is actually occupying a seat beside the intermediate Class D licensee.

⁵⁸In Oregon, driver education is required of license applicants younger than 18. However, it is waived for applicants who certify an additional 50 hours of supervised driving. The night and passenger restrictions do not apply to the holder of a provisional driver license who is 18 or older.

⁵⁹In Rhode Island, driver education is required of permit applicants younger than 18.

⁶⁰In Rhode Island, driver education is required of license applicants younger than 18.

⁶¹In South Dakota, learner's permit holders may not drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

⁶²Learner’s permit holders in Tennessee may not drive from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

⁶³In Texas, people who are 15 or older but under 18 must satisfactorily complete and pass the classroom phase of an approved driver education course to be issued a permit.

⁶⁴In Texas, the minimum license age is 18 for applicants who have not completed driver education.

⁶⁵In Utah, permit holders younger than 18 may only drive under the supervision of a driving instructor, a parent or guardian, or a responsible adult who has accepted liability for the permit holder's driving by signing the permit application. Permit applicants younger than 19 must be enrolled in driver education.

⁶⁶In Utah, supervised driving in the learner stage may include up to five hours in a driving simulator.

⁶⁷In Utah license applicants who are younger than 19 must have completed driver education.

⁶⁸In Utah, passenger restrictions end when a driver has been licensed for six months or when the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first.

⁶⁹In Vermont, driver education is required for license applicants younger than 18.

⁷⁰In Virginia, the night driving restriction and passenger restrictions apply to learner's permit holders.

⁷¹In Virginia, driver education is required for license applicants younger than 19 (18 if applicant holds a valid license from another state). Northern Virginia and nearby counties have implemented a 90-minute segment for parents of driver education students.

⁷²In Washington, permit applicants must be enrolled in driver education; otherwise, the minimum permit age is 15, 6 months.

⁷³In Washington, driver education is required for license applicants younger than 18.

⁷⁴In Washington, intermediate license holders with a crash or violation history are ineligible for an unrestricted license until age 18.

⁷⁵In West Virginia, learner’s permit holders younger than 18 may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and may not carry more than two passengers in addition to the supervising driver.

⁷⁶In Wisconsin, enrollment in driver education is required for permit applicants younger than 18. During the learner’s stage, permit holders may carry three passengers if supervised by a driving instructor in a dual-control vehicle. Permit holders 16 and older may carry one passenger 25 or older who has been licensed at least two years.

⁷⁷In Wisconsin driver education is required for license applicants younger than 18.

⁷⁸In Wyoming, all applicants for an unrestricted license who are younger than 17 must have completed driver education and must have held an intermediate license for at least six months.