Drivers License Requirements by State
Permit ages, holding periods, practice hours and night limits for teen drivers in every state and Washington DC.
Teen graduated licensing rules
Source: IIHS graduated licensing laws table, September 2026. Adult applicants often follow a shorter path.
| State | Permit age | Holding period | Supervised hours | Intermediate age | Night limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 6 months | 50 (waived with driver education) hrs | 16 | midnight to 6 a.m. |
| Alaska | 14 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 16 | 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Arizona | 15 and a half | 6 months | 30 (waived with driver education) hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Arkansas | 14 | 6 months | none required | 16 | 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. |
| California | 15 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Colorado | 15 | 12 months | 50 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Connecticut | 16 | 6 months (4 months with driver education) | 40 hrs | 16 and 4 months | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Delaware | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 and 6 months | 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| District of Columbia | 16 | 6 months | 40 in the learner stage hrs | 16 and 6 months | September to June: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday to Saturday nights; July and August: 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Florida | 15 | 12 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for 16-year-olds and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for 17-year-olds |
| Georgia | 15 | 12 months | 40 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Hawaii | 15 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Idaho | 14 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 15 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Illinois | 15 | 9 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, until 6 a.m. |
| Indiana | 15 (16 without driver education) | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the first six months, then later hours |
| Iowa | 14 | 12 months | 20 hrs | 16 | 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Kansas | 14 | 12 months | 50 in total, 25 of them in the learner stage hrs | 16 | 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Kentucky | 15 | 6 months | 60 hrs | 16 | midnight to 6 a.m. |
| Louisiana | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Maine | 15 | 6 months | 70 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Maryland | 15 and 9 months | 9 months | 60 hrs | 16 and 6 months | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 16 and 6 months | 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Michigan | 14 and 9 months | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Minnesota | 15 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Mississippi | 15 | 12 months | none required | 16 | 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday |
| Missouri | 15 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 16 | 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Montana | 14 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 15 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Nebraska | 15 | 6 months | 50 (waived with driver education) hrs | 16 | midnight to 6 a.m. |
| Nevada | 15 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| New Hampshire | 15 and a half | none (no learner's permit is issued) | 40 hrs | 16 | 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. |
| New Jersey | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 17 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| New Mexico | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 15 and a half | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| New York | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 and 6 months | 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (different rules in New York City and on Long Island) |
| North Carolina | 15 | 9 months | 60 hrs | 16 | 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| North Dakota | 14 | 12 months (under 16) | 50 (under 16) hrs | 16 | the later of sunset or 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. |
| Ohio | 15 and a half | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | midnight to 6 a.m. for the first 12 months, then 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Oregon | 15 | 6 months | 50 (100 without driver education) hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 6 months | 65 hrs | 16 and 6 months | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Rhode Island | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 and 6 months | 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| South Carolina | 15 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 15 and 6 months | 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in standard time and 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in daylight time |
| South Dakota | 14 | 9 months (6 months with driver education) | 50 hrs | 14 and 9 months | 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Tennessee | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Texas | 15 | 6 months | 30 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Utah | 15 | 6 months | 40 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Vermont | 15 | 12 months | 40 hrs | 16 | no night restriction |
| Virginia | 15 and a half | 9 months | 45 hrs | 16 and 3 months | midnight to 4 a.m. |
| Washington | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. |
| West Virginia | 15 | 6 months | 50 (waived with driver education) hrs | 16 | 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 6 months | 50 hrs | 16 | midnight to 5 a.m. |
| Wyoming | 15 | 10 days | 50 hrs | 16 | 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
These are summaries for teen drivers. Exceptions and details are in the state’s own rules, so check with your licensing agency. Read the IIHS table
Study guides and articles
Read a little more before you test.
How Many Supervised Driving Hours Do Teens Need? A State Comparison
From 20 hours to 70, here is how the required practice time varies across all 50 states and DC.
ReadGraduated Driver Licensing Explained: The Three Stages
Why new drivers move through a permit and an intermediate license before a full license, and what to check for your state.
ReadLearner's Permit vs Driver's License: What Actually Changes
Supervision, tests and limits: the practical differences between a learner's permit and a driver's license.
ReadWhat to Bring to the DMV for a Permit Test: A Checklist
A practical checklist of documents and preparation for your permit visit, plus what to check before you leave.
Read