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The article has been updated successfully but requires approval before it is published.Last Updated 26th of February, 2010
What are the teen driving restrictions once I pass drivers education?
Across America, a majority of states are adopting a new licensing system called Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). In most states, there is a three-stage GDL process for teen driving. Anyone under age 18 applying for an instruction permit must progress through the three-stage process to obtain a drivers license. The stages are generally as follows:
- Stage 1 Provisional Learner’s Permit. Each state has a different age restriction, but all are for drivers under age 18. Each applicant must pass the necessary testing. Once a permit is obtained, applicant must normally complete a driver education course and supervised driving time. (Some states allow drivers ed online courses to fulfill the drivers ed requirements.)
- Stage 2 Provisional License. Teens must complete Stage 1 and meet age requirements. Driver must maintain a clean driving record.
- Stage 3 Full License. In most states, a provisional license becomes a full license when driver becomes 18 years old and has no outstanding fines. Most states don’t require you to return to the DMV to obtain your full license. In some states, however, drivers under 21 are still subject to a one-year license suspension if blood alchohol concentration exceeds .01 percent will driving.
| Alabama | Restricted license achievable after reaching age 16 and holding permit for six months. No driving from midnight to 6 am and no more than three passengers for six months or reaching age 17, whichever is sooner. |
| Alaska | The license holder must log 40 practice hours of driving time, reach age 16 and have had permit for six months to get restricted license. No passengers under 21 for the first and no driving between 1 am and 5 am until holding license for six months or reaching age 18, whichever is sooner. |
| Arizona | No more than one passenger allowed in the vehicle or driving between 10 pm to 5 am until reaching age 18 or holding license for six months, whichever is sooner. |
| Arkansas | Learner's permit must be held for six months and driver must reach age 16. |
| California | Learner's permit must be held for six months and learner must log 50 practice hours of driving time. Restrictions include not being able to drive anyone under the age of 20 and not being able to drive between the hours of 11 pm to 5 am for one year after receiving the license or reaching age 18, whichever is sooner. |
| Colorado | Learner's permit must be held for one year and 50 practice hours must be logged. Drivers under 17 may carry one passenger. Driving between midnight and 5 am is prohibited until the driver has been licensed for one year or turns 18. |
| Connecticut | Learner's permit must be held for four months and driver must log 40 practice hours of driving. No passengers under 20 for six months, no driving between 11 pm and 5 am until the driver turns 18. |
| Delaware | Permit must be held for six months. Learner must have 50 practice hours. No driving from 10 pm to 6 am or more than one passenger for six months. |
| Florida | At 16, no 11 pm to 5 am driving unless with 21 year or older licensed driver or driving to and from work. At 17, no 1 am to 5 am driving unless with 21 year or older licensed driver or driving to and from work. You may only drive to school and work with permit after holding permit for at least six months if you are at least 16 and still attending school. |
| Georgia | Permit must be held for one year and learner must have 40 practice hours. No passengers for first six months, one passenger for following six months, and no more than three passengers until reaching age 18. Also, driver may not drive from midnight to 6 am until reaching age 18. |
| Hawaii | Permit must be held for six months. Only one passenger under 18. No driving from 11 pm to 5 am for one year or upon age 18, whichever is sooner. |
| Idaho | For the first six months of license possession, the driver is only able to carry one non-family member under age 17 in their car. |
| Illinois | If convicted of a moving violation during permit phase, the nine month waiting period restarts. Anyone under 18 has a driving curfew. Drivers under 18 for the first 12 months or until the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first, are allowed one passenger under the age of 20 unless those being transported are immediate family members or over 20. |
| Indiana | If the learner is younger than 18 years of age on receiving the driver's license, it is considered probationary. Holders of a probationary license may drive alone, but are restricted when carrying passengers. |
| Iowa | Restricted drivers can not drive between 12:30 am and 5 am unless there is a parent/guardian, immediate family member over 21, or a designated adult over 25. The driver may drive between these times if they are granted a waiver for travel to and from work or school related activities. The number of passengers is limited to the number of seat belts. Full license at 17 years old if the driver has gone violation and accident free for 12 consecutive months, otherwise they must be 18 years old. |
| Kansas | After logging 20 day and five night hours of driving, the learner has the option of getting a restricted license. The learner must then log an additional 20 day and five night practice hours and reach age 16 before getting license. Applicant must provide affidavit showing at least 50 hours of adult supervised driving, with 10 of those hours being at night, by a licensed driver at least 21 years old. |
| Kentucky | Learner's permit must be held for six months and learner must log 60 practice hours. No driving from midnight to 6 am and no more than one passenger under 20 for six months or reaching age 18, whichever is sooner. |
| Louisiana | Full license granted at age 17 if driver successfully completes Learner's Permit and Intermediate License stages or is at least 17 years of age prior to application for the first time. |
| Maine | Learner must have permit for six months, be 16, and have 35 practice hours. Only immediate family can supervise and no driving from midnight to 5 am for six months or reaching age 18, whichever is sooner. People under 18 may not use cell phones while driving. |
| Maryland | Learner must hold permit for nine months and log 60 practice hours. Anyone under 18 years of age with a provisional license may not carry passengers under 18 for the first 151 days of having the license or drive between midnight and 5 am. All new drivers hold a provisional license for 18 months. |
| Massachusetts | Junior operators cannot drive between 12:30 am and 5 am unless accompanied by their parent or legal guardian; no exceptions for employment, education, or medical reasons. For six months, junior operators cannot drive with passengers under the age of 18 who are not immediate family members unless accompanied by a licensed driver over 21. |
| Michigan | A junior license permits the holder to drive unaccompanied except between the hours of midnight and 5 am unless accompanied by a licensed driver over 21 or driving to or from employment. |
| Minnesota | Junior operators cannot drive with more than one minor passenger, except immediate family members, unless accompanied by a licensed driver over 21 within the first six months of obtaining a license. There is a driving curfew from midnight to 5 am for first six months. Exceptions to these rules are traveling from home to place of employment, school, school events that offer no transportation, or other employment reasons. |
| Mississippi | Must hold a learner's permit for one year before applying for an intermediate license. The learner’s permit is restricted for use between hours of 10 pm to 6 am |
| Missouri | Restrictions include no driving between 1 am and 5 am unless required for school and work. Limitations of one passenger under 19 for the first six months after the license is issued and three passengers thereafter. To obtain full license, there must be no alcohol or traffic offenses for one year. |
| Montana | Permit must be held for six months. Learner must log 50 practice hours of driving time. No driving from 11 pm to 5 am for one year. No more than one passenger under 18 for the first six months. No more than three passengers under 18 years old for the second six months. |
| Nebraska | Learner must log 50 hours of practice driving time, hold permit for six months, and reach age 16. Only one passenger under 19 allowed for first six months. No driving from midnight to 6 am for one year. |
| Nevada | Learners must have 50 practice hours of driving time and hold permit for six months. Underage drivers may not transport passengers under 18 for the first six months of being licensed, and may not drive between 10 pm and 5am until they turn 18 except with a letter from a school official or employer. Additional restrictions apply in Las Vegas and Reno. |
| New Hampshire | Youth Operator Licenses are issued to those between 16 and 21 years of age and expire when the person turns 21 years old, although drivers may operate unrestricted after they reach their 18th birthday. Youth Operators under 18 years are restricted from operating a motor vehicle between the hours of 1 am and 5 am and the number of occupants can't exceed the number of safety restraints in the vehicle. |
| New Jersey | Learner must reach age 17 and have had a permit for six months. No driving between 12:01 am and 5 am or driving with more than one, non family member under 18 for one year until age 18. |
| New Mexico | Learner must log 50 hours of practice driving time and hold permit for six months. No driving from midnight to 5 am and no more than one passenger under age 21 for one year after receiving license. |
| New York | ) if the driver brings a driver's ed certificate of completion to the road test or DMV. Otherwise, it will be converted on the driver's 18th birthday. |
| North Carolina | Learner's permit must be held for six months before obtaining a restricted license. Restricted license holders cannot drive between 9 pm and 5 am unless attending a school event, employment or accompanied by license holder over 21. |
| North Dakota | Those under 16 who have a license may only drive a car that is their parents' or a car with dual controls. Licensed drivers under the age of 16 may not drive with more passengers than the vehicle manufacturer's suggested capacity. |
| Ohio | Under 17 either with a learner's permit or a driver license, a driver cannot drive between 12 am and 6 am. Under 18 either with a learner's permit or a driver license, a driver cannot drive between 1 am and 5 am, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Drivers under 17 may only have one non-family member under the age of 21 in the car; no restrictions on family members or those over 21. |
| Oklahoma | Learner must have 40 practice hours of driving time and hold permit for six months. Intermediate drivers cannot drive more than a single passenger of any age (family excluded) or drive between 11 pm and 5 am for the first six months or until age 18, whichever is sooner. A single traffic violation will extend the intermediate phase until the driver turns 18. |
| Oregon | Learner must be 16, have had permit for six months and have 50 practice hours of driving time. Driving between midnight and 5 am is prohibited during the first year of holding the license. No passengers under 20 for the first six months of being licensed, unless they are family members. For the next six months, no more than three passengers under 20. |
| Pennsylvania | Those with a restricted license may not drive between 11 pm and 5 am. Exceptions to this curfew include school-sponsored events, religious events, work, and volunteer firefighters. No passenger restrictions, other than the number of seatbelts may not be less than the number of passengers. |
| Rhode Island | Learner must hold permit for six months and have 50 practice hours. A junior operator under the age of 18 may not drive between the hours of 1 am and 5 am or carry more than one passenger under age 21 for one year or until they turn 18, whichever is sooner. |
| South Carolina | Teens may only drive from 6 am to midnight if accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old or a parent/legal guardian in the front seat. You must have your beginner's permit for 180 days before you can apply for a driver's license. If you are under 18 years of age, you must practice driving with your licensed parent/legal guardian for at least 40 hours, including 10 hours night driving, before you can apply for your license. |
| South Dakota | Learner can either take driver training and hold permit for three months or not take the course and hold the permit for six months. Drivers under 16 may not drive from 10 pm to 6 am. |
| Tennessee | Learner must have permit for six months and log 50 hours of practice driving time. No driving from 11 pm to 5 am or more than one passenger for one year or until reaching age 18, whichever is sooner. |
| Texas | Learner's must complete the classroom portion of driver training to receive a permit. Permit must be held for six months and learner must reach age 16 to get restricted license. Drivers with a restricted license may drive with no more than one other person under the age of 21, may not drive from 10 pm to 5 am, and cannot use a cell phone while driving. |
| Utah | Drivers under 17 may not drive between 12 am and 5 am. If under 18, a driver must hold a learner permit for six months and log 40 practice hours of driving time. For the first six months, no passengers that are not immediate family members unless there is a licensed driver 21 years or older or driver reaches age 18. |
| Vermont | Learner must hold permit for one year and log 40 practice hours of driving time. Junior operators may not carry any passengers (including siblings) for the first 90 days after receiving their license, and immediate family members only for the second three months. (Passenger restrictions are waived if accompanied by a parent or another licensed adult aged 25 or older.) |
| Virginia | Learner must hold permit for nine months and log 45 supervised driving time hours. Drivers under 18 may not carry more than one minor passenger for the first six months of being licensed and no more than three passengers until reaching age 18. All minors are subject to a curfew between 12 am and 4 am. |
| Washington | Learner must reach age 16, hold permit for six months, and log 50 hours of practice driving time or take driver education. No passengers under age 19 or driving from 10 pm to 5 am for one year. |
| West Virginia | Learner must reach age 16, hold permit for six months, and log 50 hours of practice drive time or take driver education. No passengers under age 19 or driving from 10 pm to 5 am for one year. |
| Wisconsin | Learner must hold permit for six months and log 30 hours of practice driving time. Passenger and nighttime driving restrictions removed after 9 months, or upon reaching the age of 18. |
| Wyoming | Learner must reach age 16 and log 50 practice hours of driving time. No more than one passenger under 18 or driving from 11 pm to 5am for the first six months or until reaching age 17, whichever is sooner. |
| Washington DC | If you are under 18 years old, you can drive with no more than two passengers under age 21, unless they are your siblings. Your parent or guardian will be notified of all violations if you are under 18. |
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