Teen and Novice Drivers
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs allow young drivers to safely gain driving experience before obtaining full driving privileges. Most programs include three stages:
- Learner Stage: supervised driving, cumulating with a driving test;
- Intermediate Stage: limiting unsupervised driving in high risk situations; and
- Full Privilege Stage: a standard driver's license.
During the 1990s, many states began enacting GDL laws. The programs and types of restrictions vary from state to state. Below are some highlights:
- Cell Phones/Texting: 37 states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers. (See GHSA's Cell Phone laws page for more information.)
- Nighttime Driving Restriction: All states except Vermont restrict nighttime driving during the intermediate stage.
- Passenger Restriction: 47 states and D.C. restrict the number of passengers during the intermediate stage.
- Novice Driver Decal: New Jersey is the only state with a measure requiring those younger than 21 without full-privilege licenses to display a decal on their vehicle identifying them as new drivers.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on GDL laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2023.
16
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 18
16 years, 6 months
15
10 days
50 (10)
16 years, 9 months
15 / 6
6
30 (10)
16
Midnight - 5 a.m.
No more than 1
6
50 (10); 0 with driver's ed.
16
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers under 20 Second 6 months: no more than one passenger under 20
17 years
15
18 years
15 15 / 6 without driver's ed.
6
50 (10)
16
1 a.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 6 months: no passengers under 20 Remainder: no more than 3 passengers under 20 (secondary enforcement)
18 years
15 / 6
9
45 (15)
16 / 3
Midnight - 4 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 12 months: no more than 1 under 21 (secondary enforcement) Thereafter: no more than 3 under 21 under certain conditions (secondary enforcement)
None
16
None
None
None
None
None
16 years, 6 months
15
12
40 (10)
16
No restriction
First 3 months: no passengers Second 3 months: no passengers except family (secondary enforcement
Midnight - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers (secondary enforcement)
Nighttime driving: 17 years Driving with passengers: 16 years, 6 months
15
18
40 (10)
16
18 years
15
6
30 (10)
16
Midnight - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
No more than 1 under 21 (secondary enforcement)
50 (10)
16
11 p.m. - 6 a.m.
No more than 1
17 years
15
6
16 years
14
275* days (or 180 days after passing driver's ed.)
*effective July 1, 2021
50 (10 at night and 10 in inclement weather)*
*effective July 1, 2021
14 + minimum of 6 months
10 p.m. - 6 a.m. (exemption for going directly to or from school event, work or church event and driving agricultural machinery)*
*effective July 1, 2021
No passengers outside of household for first 6 months; 1 passenger outside of household after 6 months.*
*effective July 1, 2021
15
6
40 (10)
15 / 6
EST: 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. EDT: 8 p.m. - 6 a.m.
No more than 2 under 21 unless to/from school
16 years, 6 months
17 years, 6 months
16
6
50 (10)
16 / 6
1 a.m. - 5 a.m.
First 12 months: no more than 1 under 21
17 years with driver's ed. and 12 months free of crash or conviction 18 without driver's ed.
16
6
65 (10) + 5 in inclement weather
16 / 6
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 18 Thereafter: no more than 3 under 18
First 6 months: no passengers under 20 Second 6 months: No more than 3 passengers under 20
17 years
15
6
50; 100 without driver's ed.
16
Midnight - 5 a.m.
16 years, 6 months with driver's ed. 17 years without driver's ed.
15 / 6 with driver's ed; 15 without driver's ed
6
50 (10)
16
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1
16
Age 16: Midnight - 6 a.m. Age 17: 1 a.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 12 months, no more than 1 unless supervised
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 17 years
15 / 6
6
50 (10)
16
15 / 6
None
None
n/a
n/a
n/a
12 for drivers under 16; otherwise, 6 months or until age 18 (whichever comes first)
50 for drivers under 16; otherwise none
16; 15 for a parent-requested restricted license (restricted license may only operate a vehicle owned by their parents or legal guardian and may not drive a car with more passengers than the vehicle's manufacturer recommends)
Sunset or 9 p.m. (whichever is later) - 5 a.m.
No restriction (other than vehicle manufacturer recommendations)
16 years
14
16 years, 6 months
15
6
60 (10) during Learner Stage 2 (6) during Intermediate Stage
16
9 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 21; if passenger under 21 is family, no other non-family passengers under 21
17 years with driver's ed. 18 years without driver's ed.
16
6
50 (15)
16 / 6
9 p.m. - 5 a.m. except NYC (unsupervised driving prohibited at all times) and Long Island (limited daytime unsupervised allowed)
No more than 1 under 21
16 years, 6 months
15
6
50 (10)
15 / 6
Midnight - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 21
18 years
16
6
None
17
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 (exception limited to drivers' dependents)
1 a.m. - 4 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 25
Nighttime driving: 17 years, 1 month Driving with passengers: 16 years, 6 months
15 / 6
None
40 (10)
16
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 16 years, 6 months
15 / 6
6
50 (10); 100 (10) if driver's ed not offered within 30 miles
16
10 p.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 6 months: no passengers under 18 (secondary enforcement)
50 (10); 0 with driver's ed.
16
Midnight - 6 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 19 (secondary enforcement)
Nighttime driving: 17 years Driving with passengers: 16 years, 6 months
15
6
16 years
14 / 6
6
50 (10)
15
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 18 Second 6 months: no more than 3 under 18
15
6
40 (10)
16
1 a.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 19 Thereafter: no more than 3 under 19
18 years
18 years
15
12
None
16
Sun-Thurs: 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. Fri-Sat: 11:30 p.m. - 6 a.m.
None
Nighttime driving: 16 years, 6 months Driving with passengers: 17
15
6
50 (15) or 40 (15) if parent completes 90 minute class
16
Midnight - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 20 Second 6 months: no more than 3 under 20
No more than 1 under 21
17 years
14 / 9
6
50 (10)
16
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 17 years
16
6
40; 30 with advanced driver training
16 / 6
12:30 a.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement 12:30 a.m. - 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. - 5 a.m.)
First 6 months: no passengers under 18
16 / 6
Midnight - 5 a.m.
First 5 months: no passengers under 18 (secondary enforcement)
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 16 years, 11 months
15 / 9
9
60 (10)
16 years
15
6
70 (10)
16
Midnight - 5 a.m.
First 270 days: no passengers
6
50 (15)
16
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 21 between 6 p.m. - 5 a.m.
17 years
15
17 years
16
6
60 (10)
16 / 6
Midnight - 6 a.m.
No more than 1 under 20 unless supervised by instructor (secondary enforcement)
16 years, 6 months
14
12
50 (10)
16 (at 15, can drive without supervision to and from work or school)
First 6 months: 9 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 non-sibling
17 years
14
12
20 (2) during Learner Stage 10 (2) during Intermediate Stage
16
12:30 a.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 18, parents may waive
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 16 years, 9 months with drivers ed.; 17 years, 3 months without driver's ed.
15 with driver's ed. 16 without driver's ed.
6
50 (10)
16 / 3 with driver's ed. 16 / 9 without driver's ed.
First 180 days: 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. After 180 days: 11 p.m. - 5 a.m. (Sun-Thurs); 1 a.m. - 5 a.m. (Fri-Sat)
First 180 days: no passengers
Sun-Thurs: 10 p.m. - 6 a.m Fri-Sat: 11 p.m. - 6 a.m.
First 12 months: no more than 1 under 20
Nighttime driving: 18 years Driving with passengers: 17 years
15
9
50 (10)
16
Nighttime driving: 16 Driving with passengers: 15 years, 6 months
14 / 6
6
50 (10)
15
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 17
50 (10)
16
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 18
17 years
15 / 6
6
No data
16
No data
No data
18 years
15
12
40 (6); 0 with behind the wheel training
16
Midnight - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 6 months: no passengers Second 6 months: no more than 1 passenger under 21 Thereafter: No more than 3 passengers (secondary enforcement)
Age 16: 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. Age 17: 1 a.m. - 5 a.m.
None
18 years
15
12
50 (10)
16
18 years
16
6
40 (10 in intermediate stage)
16 / 6
September through June: 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. (Sun-Thurs); Midnight - 6 a.m. (Fri-Sat) July through August: midnight - 6 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers Thereafter: No more than 2 passengers under 21
50 (10)
16 / 6
10 p.m. - 6 a.m.
No more than 1 (law also includes a seat belt provision: if a teen driver w/ permit or their passenger <18 is found unbelted, the permit holder's license suspended for 2 months)
17 years
16
6
Nighttime Driving: 18 Driving with Passengers: 17 years, 4 months
16
4 with driver's ed 6 without driver's ed
40
16 / 4
11 p.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers except parents or instructor Second 6 months: no passengers except parents, instructor or immediate family
15 with driver's ed 15 / 6 with driver awareness program 16 without driver's ed. or program
12
50 (10)
16
Midnight - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 6 months: no passengers Second 6 months: no more than one passenger (secondary enforcement)
17 years
17 years
15 / 6
6
50 (10)
16
11 p.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 12 months: no passengers under 20 (secondary enforcement) unless accompanied by parent, guardian or other adult 25 years or older
18 years
14
6
None
16
11 p.m. - 4 a.m.
No more than 1 under 21
First 6 months: no more than 1 under 18 (secondary enforcement)
16 years, 6 months
15 / 6
6
30 (10); 20 (6) with defensive driving course; 0 with driver's ed.
16
Midnight - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
16 years, 6 months
14
6
40 (10)
16
1 a.m. - 5 a.m.
First 6 months: no passengers under 21
16
Midnight - 6 a.m.
No more than 1
17
15
6
50; 0 with driver's ed.
States Receive Funds to Tackle Teen Driver Safety
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2018
CONTACT: Madison Forker, mforker@ghsa.org
202-789-0942 x120
Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, and Tennessee Awarded More than $70,000
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) have awarded State Highway Safety Offices in five states funding to support teen safe driving programs.
Ford Driving Skills for Life program
As the Ford Driving Skills for Life Summer Tour heads to Chicago, this story profiles the program and demonstrates DSFL's "drunk driving suit."
Ford Driving Skills for Life program
July 15, 2018
Countermeasures That Work, 10th Edition
Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices is a basic reference to assist State Highway Safety Offices in selecting effective, evidence-based countermeasures.
Ford DSFL Teen Driving Grant Results: Georgia
Ford DSFL Teen Driving Grant Results: Nebraska
Ford DSFL Teen Driving Grant Results: New Hampshire
Through a grant from GHSA and Ford Driving Skills for Life, the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety worked with the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock's Injury Prevention Center to host a teen driver safety conference in October 2017.
Georgia AutoCoach App
The Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety recently partnered with the Shepherd Center, one of the nation's top rehabilitation hospitals, to develop AutoCoach, a driver's education app for parents.
Ford DSFL Teen Driving Grant Results: Massachusetts
With funding from a Ford Driving Skills for Life teen safe driving grant, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Highway Safety Division created a video introducing parents to the driver education and licensing process.
Highlights of Association Activity, FY 2017
GHSA's latest Annual Report highlights the association's activities and accomplishments throughout the 2017 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017).