Driving Age by State 2026: Permit, Provisional and Full
Learner permit at 15 and provisional licence at 16 in most states; night and passenger limits end at 17 or 18. All 50 states and DC, with sources.
Most states: learner permit at 15 (26 states), intermediate licence at 16, night and passenger limits lifted at 17 or 18. Earliest permit age is 14; latest is 16.
| Stage | Most common minimum age | Range across states |
|---|---|---|
| Learner permit | 15 (26 states) | 14 to 16 |
| Intermediate (provisional) licence | 16 | 14, 9 months to 17 |
| Night and passenger limits lifted | 17 or 18 | 16 to 18 |
In most US states a teenager can get a learner permit at 15 and an intermediate (provisional) licence at 16, and the last night-time and passenger limits end at 17 or 18. The exact ages differ by state, from a learner permit at 14 in states such as South Dakota to 16 in others. These stages apply to licences issued by the state.
How graduated licensing works
Every state uses a three-stage graduated driver licensing (GDL) system. A learner permit allows supervised driving only. An intermediate licence allows solo driving with limits, usually on night-time driving and on carrying young passengers. The limits fall away at a minimum age or after a set time with the licence, whichever the state’s rule specifies.
The table uses the IIHS graduated licensing table (November 2026). The last column shows the earliest age at which both the night and the passenger limits have ended; IIHS does not list a single “full licence” age, and some state agencies describe the licence change at a different age, so check the state’s DMV page before relying on it.
Driving ages by state
| State | Learner permit | Intermediate licence | Restrictions lifted (earliest age) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Alaska | 14 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Arizona | 15, 6 months | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Arkansas | 14 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| California | 15, 6 months | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Colorado | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Connecticut | 16 | 16, 4 months | 18 | IIHS |
| Delaware | 16 | 16, 6 months | 17 | IIHS |
| District of Columbia | 16 | 16, 6 months | 18 | IIHS |
| Florida | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Georgia | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Hawaii | 15, 6 months | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Idaho | 14, 6 months | 15 | 16 | IIHS |
| Illinois | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Indiana | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Iowa | 14 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Kansas | 14 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Kentucky | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Louisiana | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Maine | 15 | 16 | 16, 9 mos. | IIHS |
| Maryland | 15, 9 months | 16, 6 months | 18 | IIHS |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 16, 6 months | 18 | IIHS |
| Michigan | 14, 9 months | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Minnesota | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Mississippi | 15 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Missouri | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Montana | 14, 6 months | 15 | 16 | IIHS |
| Nebraska | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Nevada | 15, 6 months | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| New Hampshire | 15, 6 months | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| New Jersey | 16 | 17 | 18 | IIHS |
| New Mexico | 15 | 15, 6 months | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| New York | 16 | 16, 6 months | 17 | IIHS |
| North Carolina | 15 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| North Dakota | 14 | 16; 15 for a parent requested restricted license | 16 | IIHS |
| Ohio | 15, 6 months | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Oregon | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 16, 6 months | 17 | IIHS |
| Rhode Island | 16 | 16, 6 months | 17, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| South Carolina | 15 | 15, 6 months | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| South Dakota | 14 | 14, 9 months (14, 6 months with driver education) | 16 | IIHS |
| Tennessee | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Texas | 15 | 16 | 18 | IIHS |
| Utah | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Vermont | 15 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
| Virginia | 15, 6 months | 16, 3 months | 18 | IIHS |
| Washington | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| West Virginia | 15 | 16 | 17 | IIHS |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 16 | 16, 9 mos. | IIHS |
| Wyoming | 15 | 16 | 16, 6 mos. | IIHS |
Visiting with a teenage driver
Graduated licensing covers state-issued licences; car hire companies set their own minimum ages for renters. For other countries, see driving age by country and the driving age checker.
Sources
- IIHS-HLDI, Graduated licensing laws table, November 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the state. Learner permits start at 14 to 16, and most states issue an intermediate (provisional) licence at 16.
In most states the night and passenger limits end at 17 or 18; a few lift them at 16 and a half.
Graduated licensing applies to state-issued licences. Hire companies set their own minimum renter ages.