PermitPal
What Age Can You Get a Learner's Permit?
All 50 states · Verified against official driver manuals · Updated July 12, 2026
The learner's permit age ranges from 14 (Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota) to 16 (Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island), with 15 the most common minimum. 33 states require 50 or more supervised practice hours before the license stage, and New Hampshire famously issues no learner's permit at all — teens there simply practice supervised from 15½. Pick your state for the full graduated-licensing (GDL) ladder.
Learner's permit
Restricted license
Full license
Practice hours
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The full 50-state table
| State | Permit age | Restricted | Full license | Practice hrs | Permit hold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 16 | 17 | 50 | 6 mo | Stage II (Restricted, 16+, permit held ≥ 6 months if under 18): no driving midnight-6am, no more than one non-family passenger, no handheld devices |
| Alaska | 14 | 16 | 18 | 40 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Provisional (16-17) drivers may not drive 1:00am-5:00am or carry passengers under 21 unless a parent/guardian/21+ adult is present, except on an 'off-system' license (areas not connected to the highway system). |
| Arizona | 15½ | — | — | 30 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Graduated (Class G) driver may not drive midnight-5am (first 6 months) and may not carry more than one passenger under 18, unless a parent/guardian is in the front seat; alt path is 20 supervised hours (6 at night) if Traffic Survival School/Defensive Driving completed instead of driver-ed. |
| Arkansas | 14 | 16 | 18 | — | 6 mo | Intermediate license (16-18) bars driving 11pm-4am (except school/church/job/emergency) and limits to one unrelated minor passenger unless a 21+ licensed driver is in the front seat; no cell phone use except emergencies. |
| California | 15½ | — | — | — | — | First 12 months of provisional license: no driving 11pm-5am, no passengers under 20 unless accompanied by a licensed driver 25+ |
| Colorado | 15 | — | — | 50 (10 at night) | 12 mo | First-year GDL restrictions after license issuance: no passengers under 21 for first 6 months (with parent/household exceptions), then one passenger under 21 for months 7-12, plus a night-driving curfew. |
| Connecticut | 16 | — | — | 40 | — | First 6 months post-licensure: no passengers except instructor/parent/qualified trainer; months 7-12: immediate family only; curfew 11pm-5am; under-21 zero tolerance BAC .02%. |
| Delaware | 16 | — | — | 50 (10 at night) | 12 mo | Level One permit auto-converts to full Class D after 12 months; passenger limit is adult supervisor + one other passenger for the first 12 months; unsupervised driving allowed 6am-10pm only after the first 6 months (supervision required 10pm-6am). |
| Florida | 15 | 16 | — | 50 (10 at night) | 12 mo | 16-yr-old licensed: no driving 11pm-6am; 17-yr-old: no driving 1am-5am (unless to/from work or with a 21+ licensed driver) |
| Georgia | 15 | 16 | — | 40 (6 at night) | 12 mo | Joshua's Law requires 30 classroom hours + 6 on-road hours with a certified instructor + 40 cumulative practice hours (incl. 6 at night) plus ADAP completion for the Class D Provisional at 16/17. |
| Hawaii | 15½ | 16 | 17 | — | 6 mo | Provisional license restricts driver to only one under-18 non-household passenger, and requires a licensed parent/guardian accompaniment 11pm-5am (exceptions for work/school). |
| Idaho | 14½ | 15 | — | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | GDL license (issued at 15) is a single tier carrying restrictions - under-16 daylight-only driving unless a licensed 21+ adult rides front seat, and max 1 passenger under 17 for the first 6 months; the credential expires 5 days after the licensee's 18th birthday. |
| Illinois | 15 | 16 | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 9 mo | Nighttime driving restriction Sun-Thu 10pm-6am, Fri-Sat 11pm-6am; wireless devices (hands-free included) banned for all drivers under 19. |
| Indiana | 15 | 16 | 21 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Any license issued before age 21 is 'probationary' - first 180 days ban unsupervised nighttime driving (10pm-5am) and most non-family passengers; probationary status doesn't lift until 21. |
| Iowa | 14 | 16 | 17 | 10 (2 at night) | 12 mo | The 10-hour/2-night figure is the supervised driving required during the intermediate stage (age 16) before advancing to full licensure at 17, not a permit-phase total; unusually low compared to other states' 50-hour requirements. |
| Kansas | 14 | 15 | 17 | 50 (10 at night) | 12 mo | 16-yo track: 50 hrs supervised (10 night); a separate 15-yo track requires only 25 hrs + a Driver's Ed course instead. Also: no non-sibling minor passengers at 14-15, one allowed at 16; farm permit exists age 14-<17. |
| Kentucky | 15 | 16 | 17 | 60 (10 at night) | 6 mo | No driving midnight-6:00am on permit/intermediate (good-cause exception); intermediate must also be held 180 days (age 17) plus a 4-hour graduated licensing course before full license. |
| Louisiana | 15 | 16 | 17 | 50 (15 at night) | 6 mo | R.Y.A.N. Act GDL. TIP (Temporary Instructional Permit) available at 14 as a separate earlier stage; Stage 1 Learner's Permit is 15, must hold ≥180 days (6 months) and cannot advance before 16th birthday. |
| Maine | 15 | — | — | 70 (10 at night) | — | Driver ed required for all applicants under 18. Intermediate License (issued to under-18 licensees) must be held 270 days before an unrestricted license, but the manual does not state a fixed minimum age to obtain the Intermediate License or a permit-hold-in-months figure. |
| Maryland | 15 years 9 months | — | 18 | 60 (10 at night) | 9 mo | Under-25 pathway: 60 practice hours (≥10 at night); permit hold before Provisional is 9 months (under 18) or 3 months (18, HS diploma/GED, or 19-24); Provisional License held ≥18 months before full Driver's License (age 18+ required). Age-25+ pathway: 45-day permit hold + 14 practice hours (≥3 at night) instead. |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 16½ | 18 | 40 | 6 mo | Junior Operator License (JOL) restrictions apply 16½–18; permit at 16 needs parent/guardian consent if under 18 |
| Michigan | 14¾ | 16 | 17 | 50 (10 at night) | 3 mo | GDL: Segment 1 driver-ed enrollment at 14 years 8 months, Level 1 Learner's License apply age 14 years 9 months; Level 2 Intermediate at 16 (after driving skills test); Level 3 Full at 17 (after 12 clean months); GDL ends at 18. Segment 2 requires holding Level 1 ≥3 consecutive months. 50-hour supervised-driving log includes 10 at night. |
| Minnesota | 15 | 16 | — | 50 (15 at night) | 6 mo | Provisional (2nd GDL phase) requires being ≥16, permit held 6 months (3 months if 19+) with no moving/alcohol convictions, and a supervised driving log: 40 hours (incl. 15 at night) if a parent completes the parent-awareness class, else 50 hours (incl. 15 at night). No fixed age is stated for an unrestricted/full license beyond the provisional stage. |
| Mississippi | 15 | — | 16 | 50 | 12 mo | Regular Learner's Permit at 15, valid 2 years, must be held 1 year before upgrading to Class R at 16; OR apply directly at 17+ regardless of prior permit. Under-17 applicants must submit a 50-hour parent/teacher/guardian affidavit (road-test waiver) rather than a state-mandated supervised-hours-with-night-hours ladder; no separate night-hours figure is published. |
| Missouri | 15 | 16 | 18 | — | — | 3-step GDL: Step 1 Instruction Permit @15 (drive only with a qualified licensed driver 21+, front seat); Step 2 Intermediate License (Class F) @16 with passenger/night restrictions; Step 3 Full License @18. The Driver Guide does not publish a supervised-hours count, a night-hours figure, or a permit-hold-in-months requirement. |
| Montana | 14½ | — | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | NCLP (Non-Commercial Learner Permit) at 14½ only via a state-approved traffic-education program (online courses not approved); otherwise 16 without driver ed or 15 with it. Must hold NCLP ≥6 months + 50 supervised hours (≥10 at night) before the First-Year Restricted License (no fixed age stated). Full-Privilege License restrictions end on the license's stated date or at age 18, whichever is first. |
| Nebraska | 15 | 16 | 17 | 50 | 6 mo | Learner's Permit (LPD) at 15 (a separate rural School Learner's Permit/LPE exists at age 14). Provisional Operator's Permit (POP) at 16 requires holding LPE/SCP/LPD ≥6 months with no 3+ points, plus a driver-safety course OR a 50-hour certification form (no separate night-hours figure published). Operator's License (Class O) at 17 requires holding the POP ≥12 months with no 3+ points in the prior 12 months. |
| Nevada | 15½ | — | — | 50 (10 at night) | — | Instruction permit at 15½, valid 1 year. Under-18 pathway requires 50 supervised hours (10 at night), driver education, and being free of alcohol/drug convictions for 6 months prior to licensure; no fixed licensing age or permit-hold-in-months figure is published beyond the permit minimum. |
| New Hampshire | — | 16 | 18 | 40 (10 at night) | — | New Hampshire issues NO learner's permit for cars; a person 15½+ practices driving accompanied by a licensed adult 25+ in the front seat (RSA 263:25). Any licensed person 16-20 gets a Youth Operator "Under 20" license with restrictions (no driving 1-4am, passenger limits, no device use) that apply to holders under 18. Required driver ed: 30 hrs classroom + 10 hrs practice with instructor + 6 hrs observation + 40 hrs additional supervised driving with a parent/guardian (10 of those at night). |
| New Jersey | 16 | — | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Three GDL roads: Option A Special Learner Permit at 16 (enrolled in approved driver training) — 6 months supervised practice (≥50 hrs incl. 10 at night) → Probationary → Basic license at ≥18; Option B Examination Permit at 17, same 6-month/50-hour structure; Option C Examination Permit at 21+ needs only 3 months supervised practice before the road test. Kyleigh's Law requires red GDL decals for permit/probationary holders under 21. |
| New Mexico | 15 | 15½ | — | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Instructional Permit at 15 must be held ≥6 months before the Provisional License (minimum age 15 years 6 months), which requires ≥50 hours of practice driving (≥10 at night) and no violation conviction in the prior 90 days. Unrestricted license requires holding the Provisional for the preceding 12 months (no fixed minimum age stated beyond that duration). |
| New York | 16 | 16 | 18 | — | — | Minimum age to apply for a learner permit at a DMV office is 16 (Junior Operator, Class DJ, for under-18 applicants); under-18 applicants may take the permit test online from age 15 years 11 months. 18+ = full Class D. Supervised-hours, night-hours, and permit-hold-in-months figures are not stated in this skeleton (region-specific NYC/Long Island/upstate junior restrictions vary and must be re-read from MV-21 Ch 1/2 at authoring time). |
| North Carolina | 15 | 16 | 18 | 60 (10 at night) | 9 mo | Level One Limited Learner Permit at 15 (approved driver ed required) held ≥9 months before Level Two; 60-hour driving log (≥10 at night). Level Two Limited Provisional License at 16, held ≥6 months before Level Three. Level Three Full Provisional License removes time/supervision/passenger limits; upgrades to a regular Class C at 18. Separate adult (18+) Learner Permit pathway exists without the GDL ladder. |
| North Dakota | 14 | 15 | 16 | 50 | 6 mo | Instruction permit at 14 (parent/guardian sponsor required if under 18); hold period is 12 months or to age 16 (whichever first, but no less than 6 months) for 14-15 year-olds, or 6 months / to age 18 (whichever first) for 16-17 year-olds. Under-16 applicants complete 50 hours of supervised practice in variable conditions (no separate night-hours figure published) plus a driver's-ed Certificate of Training. Restricted Class D license available at 15, transitions to unrestricted at 16. |
| Ohio | 15½ | 16 | — | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Move Over Law covers waste-collection vehicles too, broader than most states. |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 16 | — | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Permit age is 15 with driver ed (16 without); intermediate restriction removed after 6 months with driver ed or 1 year without, so fullAge is duration-based, not a fixed age. |
| Oregon | 15 | 16 | — | 100 | 6 mo | 100 supervised hours required (or 50 with an approved driver-ed course); no night-hour split is published. |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | — | — | 65 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Cannot apply before the 16th birthday; under-18: 65 practice hours incl. 10 night + 5 bad-weather before the road test |
| Rhode Island | 16 | — | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | RIDMV publishes neither the real knowledge-test question count nor the passing score -- only the 90-minute limit, 8-day retake wait, and languages are official. |
| South Carolina | 15 | 15½ | 17 | 40 (10 at night) | 6 mo | SC's real knowledge test genuinely uses 3 answer choices, verified by both the manual's sample test and the official SCDMV practice exam. |
| South Dakota | 14 | — | 16 | 50 (10 at night) | — | Instruction permit at age 14 is among the youngest minimum ages in the nation; Restricted Minor's Permit requires holding the instruction permit 275 days (or 180 with driver ed), not a clean fixed age. |
| Tennessee | 15 | 16 | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | State law requires alcohol/drug questions to make up at least 25% of the real knowledge test. |
| Texas | 15 | — | 18 | — | 6 mo | Learner license at 15 requires driver-ed classroom hours first; GDL Phase One/Two applies only under 18 |
| Utah | 15 | 16 | — | 40 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Utah's .05% BAC limit is the strictest DUI threshold in the nation (adopted 2018), not the usual .08%. |
| Vermont | 15 | 16 | 18 | 40 (10 at night) | 12 mo | The real VT knowledge test is 4-choice and taken online only -- there is no in-office written test to match. |
| Virginia | 15½ | — | — | — | 9 mo | Two-part knowledge exam: all 10 road-sign questions must be answered correctly (100%) before part two (30 general questions, 80% to pass) even opens. |
| Washington | 15 | 16 | 18 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | For drivers under 21, any detectable THC above 0.00 ng is a DUI, versus a 5 ng threshold for drivers 21+. |
| West Virginia | 15 | 16 | 17 | 50 (10 at night) | 6 mo | Passing score is 19-of-25 (76%), not the 80% some prep sites cite -- 80% is actually the WV motorcycle standard, not the car standard. |
| Wisconsin | 15 | — | — | 50 (10 at night) | — | Wisconsin is a leading deer-collision state; the handbook has a dedicated 'Watch for Deer' section and teaches a 4-second following rule (not the usual 3-second). |
| Wyoming | 15 | 16 | 17 | 50 (10 at night) | — | WYDOT publishes neither the knowledge-test question count nor the passing score -- even the widely-cited 25Q/80% is unverified prep-site info; intermediate license only requires a 10-day permit hold, not months. |
A dash (—) means that step isn't defined by a fixed age or number in the state's official manual — most often because the restriction is time-based (e.g. “12 months after the permit”) rather than age-based. The notes column carries the specifics.
📥 Download this table as CSV — permit / restricted / full-license ages, practice-hour and holding-period requirements, with per-state source citations. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: just credit “GetPermitPal.com” with a link.
How we verified this
Every figure was extracted from the state's official driver manual or licensing-agency publication — the same source-verified dataset that powers the PermitPal app. Where a state defines its graduated-licensing steps by elapsed time instead of age, we show a dash rather than forcing a misleading number into the cell (most reference tables online do the latter). The CSV download includes the specific manual citation for every state.
Common questions
What's the youngest age you can get a permit in the US?
14, in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota. Idaho and Michigan and Montana follow at 14½–14¾.
Which states make you wait until 16?
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island — the strictest minimums in the country.
Do practice hours have to be logged?
Most states require a parent or guardian to certify the hours, and several require an official log. The number shown is the state minimum; night-hour requirements are shown in parentheses where the state sets one.
Does driver's ed change the ages?
Often, yes — several states lower the permit or license age, or reduce required hours, for applicants who complete an approved driver-education course. The notes column flags the big ones.