CarGalaxies.com One Stop Placefor All Drivers! |
Below is a list of the General Driving License Laws for each US state and DC. The information is grouped in four main sections:
State | Age-related Restrictions | Nighttime Restrictions | Passenger Restrictions | Mandatory Practice Hours to be Logged | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Learner's Permit | Restricted License | Full License | ||||
Alabama | 15 years | 16 years | 16½ years | midnight-6 am | no more than 1 passenger | 30 hours or take driver training with permit. |
Alaska | 14 years | 16 years | 16½ years | 1 am-5 am | first 6 months—no passengers | 40 hours |
Arizona | 15½ years | 16 years | 16½ years | midnight-5 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 18 * secondary enforcement | 30 hours or take driver education. |
Arkansas | 14 years | 16 years | 16½ years | 11 pm - 4 am | no more than 1 passenger | |
California | 15½ years | 16 years | 18 years | 11 pm-5 am * secondary enforcement | first 12 months—no passengers younger than 20 (limited exception for immediate family) * secondary enforcement | 50 hours including 10 nighttime hours |
Colorado | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | midnight-5 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months—no passengers; second 6 months—no more than 1 passenger * secondary enforcement | 50 hours |
Connecticut | 16 years | 16 years, 4 months | 18 years | 11 pm-5 am | first 6 months—no passengers other than parents or a driving instructor; second 6 months—no passengers other than parents, driving instructor, or members of the immediate family | 40 hours |
Delaware | 16 years | 16½ years | 17 years | 10 pm-6 am | no more than 1 passenger | 50 hours |
District of Columbia | 16 years | 16½ years | 21 years | September–June: 11 pm-6 am Sun–Thu, 12:01 am-6 am Sat–Sun;July–August: 12:01 am-6 am | first 6 months—no passengers; thereafter, no more than 2 passengers | 40 hours |
Florida | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | 11 pm-6 am (age 16); 1 am-5 am (age 17) | no restrictions | |
Georgia | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | midnight-6 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months—no passengers; second 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 21; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers * secondary enforcement | 40 hours |
Hawaii | 15½ years | 16 years | 17 years | 11 pm-5 am | no more than 1 passenger younger than 18 (household members excepted) | |
Idaho | 14½ years | 15 years | 16 years | sunset to sunrise | first 6 months—licensees 16 and younger can have no more than 1 passenger younger than 17 | 50 hours |
Illinois | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | Sun-Thu: 10 pm-6 am, Fri-Sat: 11 pm-6am | first 12 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 20 | 50 hours |
Indiana | 15½ years | 16½ years | 18 years | First 180 days: 10 pm-5 am; Afterwards:Sun–Fri: 11 pm-5 am; Sat–Sun: 1 am-5 am | first 180 days-no passengers | |
Iowa | 14 years | 16 years | 17 years (with perfect driving record for first year, if not - 18 years) | 12:30 am-5 am | no restrictions | 20 hours |
Kansas | 14 years | 15 years (16 years less restricted) | 17 years | 9 pm-5 am | first 6 months - no more than one passenger younger than 18 | 20 daytime and 5 night time hours |
Kentucky | 16 years | 16½ years | 17 years | midnight-6 am | no more than 1 passenger younger than 20 unless supervised by a driving instructor * secondary enforcement | 60 hours |
Louisiana | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | 11 pm-5 am | no more than one passenger younger than 21 between the hours of 6 pm-5 am; no passenger restriction from 5 am-6 pm (effective 01/01/11) | 8 hours |
Maine | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | midnight-5 am | first 180 days—no passengers | 35 hours |
Maryland | 15 years, 9 months | 16½ years | 18 years | midnight-5 am | first 5 months—no passengers younger than 18 * secondary enforcement | 60 hours |
Massachusetts | 16 years | 16½ years | 18 years | 12:30 am-5 am | first 6 months—no passengers younger than 18 | 40 hours |
both night time driving- and passenger restrictions are secondarily enforced between 12:30 am-1 am and 4 am-5 am and primary inforced between 1 am-4 am | ||||||
Michigan | 14 years, 8 months | 16 years | 17 years | midnight-5 am | no restrictions | 50 hours |
Minnesota | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | first 6 months—midnight-5 am | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 | 30 hours |
Mississippi | 15 years | 16 years | 16½ years | Sun-Thu: 10pm-6am, Fri-Sat: 11:30pm-6am | no restrictions | |
Missouri | 15½ years | 16 years | 18 years | 1 am-5 am | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 19; thereafter, no more than 3 passengers younger than 19 | 40 hours including 10 hours at night time |
Montana | 14½ years | 15 years | 16 years | 11 pm-5 am | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 18; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 18 | 50 hours |
Nebraska | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | midnight-6 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 19 * secondary enforcement | 50 hours |
Nevada | 15½ years | 16 years | 18 years | 10 pm-5 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months—no passengers younger than 18 * secondary enforcement | 50 hours |
New Hampshire | 15½ years | 16 years | 18 years | 1 am-4 am (effective 01/01/11) | first 6 months—no more than 1 passenger younger than 25 | |
New Jersey | 16 years | 17 years | 21 years | 11 pm - 5 am | no more than 1 passenger (exception is limited to drivers' dependents) | |
New Mexico | 15 years | 15½ years | 16½ years | midnight-5 am | no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 | 50 hours |
New York | 16 years | 16½ years | 17 years with driver's education ( otherwise 18) | 9 pm-5 am | no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 | |
North Carolina | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | 9 pm-5 am | 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 | |
North Dakota | 14 years | 14½ years | 16 years | no restrictions | no restrictions | |
Ohio | 15½ years | 16 years | 18 years | midnight-6 am (age 16), 1 am-5 am (age 17) * secondary enforcement | no more than 1 passenger unless supervised | 50 hours |
Oklahoma | 15½ years | 16 years | 16½ years (with perfect driving record for first six months, if not, 18 years) | 10 pm-5 am | no more than 1 passenger | 40 hours |
Oregon | 15 years | 16 years | 18 years | midnight-5 am | first 6 months – no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months – no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 | 50 hours |
Pennsylvania | 16 years | 16½ years | 17½ years (with perfect driving record for first year, if not, 18 years) | 11 pm-5 am | no restrictions | 50 hours |
Rhode Island | 16 years | 16½ years | 17½ years | 1 am-5 am | first 12 months–no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 | 50 hours |
South Carolina | 15 years | 15½ years | 16½ years | 6 pm-6 am EST; 8 pm-6 am EDT | no more than 2 passengers younger than 21 unless transporting students to and from school | |
South Dakota | 14 years | 14 years, 3 months (with driver's education, otherwise: 14½ years | 16 years | 10 pm-6 am | no restrictions | |
Tennessee | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | 11 pm-6 am | no more than 1 passenger | 50 hours |
Texas | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | midnight-5 am * secondary enforcement | no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 * secondary enforcement | |
Utah | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | midnight-5 am | first 6 months — no passengers * secondary enforcement | 40 hours |
Virginia | 15½ years | 16 years, 3 months | 18 years | midnight-4 am * secondary enforcement | first 12 months — no more than 1 passenger younger than 18; thereafter - no more than 3 passengers younger than 18 * secondary enforcement | 45 hours including 15 hours at night |
Vermont | 15 years | 16 years | 16½ years | no restrictions | first 3 months - no passengers without exception; second 3 months - no passengers except family members | 40 hours |
Washington | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years (with perfect driving record for first year, or if not - 18 years) | 1 am-5 am * secondary enforcement | first 6 months — no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months — no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 * secondary enforcement | 50 hours |
West Virginia | 15 years | 16 years | 17 years | 10 pm - 5 am | first 6 months — no passengers younger than 20; second 6 months – no more than 1 passenger younger than 20 | 50 hours |
Wisconsin | 15½ years | 16 years | 16 years and 9 months | midnight-5 am | no more than 1 passenger | 30 hours |
Wyoming | 14½ years | 16 years | 16½ years | 11 pm-5 am | no more than 1 passenger younger than 18 | 50 hours |
* Secondary enforcement means that police must stop motorists for other violations first before enforcing this law.