Minimum Driving Age 2026 — 158 Countries, from 15 to 21

Three countries let a driver hold a car licence at 15 — El Salvador, Mexico and the Northern Mariana Islands — while Mali makes you wait until 21. Between those two poles sit 158 national rules, and 17 is commoner than most travellers expect: Argentina, Austria, the Bahamas and Chile all allow it. The age that counts is the one where you are driving, not the one on your own licence, which is why an International Driving Permit cannot lower it for you.

Key Findings

• 158 countries with defined minimum driving ages
• Most common age: 18 years (the standard across Europe, Asia, and Africa)
• Lowest: 14-15 years in some US states (learner’s permits) and a few island nations
• Highest: 21 years in certain Middle Eastern countries

Driving Age by Age Group

• Age 15: 3 countries (El Salvador, Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands)
• Age 16: 23 countries (American Samoa, Cameroon, Colombia, Guam, Guatemala…)
• Age 17: 31 countries (Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Chile…)
• Age 18: 100 countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Anguilla…)
• Age 21: 1 country (Mali)

Complete Country Table

Learner and Provisional Licences

Many countries allow supervised driving before the full minimum age:

• United States: Learner permits from age 14-16 depending on state
• United Kingdom: Provisional licence at 17
• France: Accompanied driving (conduite accompagnee) from 15
• Australia: Learner permit at 16 in most states
• Germany: Accompanied driving at 17 (BF17 programme)

These graduated licensing systems allow young drivers to gain experience under supervision before driving independently.

International Driving Permits for Young Drivers

An International Driving Permit (IDP) requires a valid home licence. If your home country issues licences at 17 but the destination requires 18, you cannot legally drive there even with an IDP. Always verify both your IDP validity and the local minimum age.

Related Tools & Guides

• Driving Age Checker — check requirements for your age
• Driving Permit Checker — IDP requirements by country
• IDP Requirements Guide — where you need an international permit