Which state has the lowest minimum age to drive in the U.S.?

The lowest minimum age to drive with a learner’s permit is 14 years old. This is the minimum in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

What is the minimum age to drive in California?

The minimum driving age in California is 15 years and 6 months old with a learner’s permit.

What is the minimum age to drive in Florida?

With a learner’s permit, the minimum age to drive in Florida is 15 years old.

What is the minimum age to drive in Texas?

The minimum driving age in Texas is 15 years old with a learner’s permit.

What is the minimum age to drive in New York?

With a learner’s permit, the minimum age to drive in New York is 16.

How Old Do You Have to Be to Drive in Each State?

Driving can be an exciting milestone for new drivers. However, only a few teenagers can take their new vehicle out for a spin the day they turn 16. In 2020, only 5.1% of drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 had their licenses in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).^[1]

As a parent or teen driver, you should know your state’s age limits for different licensing levels.

Quick Facts

The graduated licensing program gradually lifts driving restrictions as new drivers gain more experience on the road.
Limitations for young drivers include designated driving hours and passenger limits.
Adding your teen driver to your car insurance policy may be costly, but you can find ways to reduce your rates.

Driving age by state: 2023

Every state has different regulations regarding when a teen can get their learner’s permit and their full driver’s license. A teenager can typically obtain a driver’s license at 16 and drive unrestricted at 18, but some states have less stringent driving restrictions for teens.

Be aware of driving restrictions like a nighttime curfew and passenger limits if your teen only has a learner’s or provisional license. These restraints will be removed upon obtaining their full license.

Here are driving ages and restrictions for all 50 states.

State	Learner’s Permit Minimum Age	Driver’s License Minimum Age	Restrictions
Alabama	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted at age 17 and license held for 6 months
Alaska	14 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers under 21 Both restrictions lifted at age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Arizona	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 18 licensed for 6 months Both restrictions lifted at age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Arkansas	14 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted at age 18
California	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 20 (limited exceptions for immediate family) Both restrictions lifted 12 months after license
Colorado	15 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers during first 6 months of permit; after 6 months, no more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted at age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
Connecticut	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months (with 4 months of driver’s education)	16 years, 4 months	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers other than parents or driving instructor in the first 6 months of licensure; no passengers other than parents, driving instructors, or immediate family members in second 6 months of licensure Both restrictions lifted at age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
Delaware	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years, 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted after 6 months of initial license or issuance of class D license
Florida	15 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for 16-year-olds; 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for 17-year-olds, lifted at age 18
Georgia	15 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers in the first 6 months of licensure; no more than three passengers and one passenger younger than 21 after license held for 6 months Both restrictions lifted at age 18
Hawaii	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 18 (except household members) Both restrictions lifted at age 17 and license held for 6 months
Idaho	14 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	15 years	Nighttime restrictions: Sunset to sunrise, lifted at age 16 Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 17 for licensees 16 and younger, lifted at age 17, or 6 months of licensure, whichever comes first
Illinois	15 years and must hold permit for 9 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, lifted at age 18 Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than age 20 within the first 12 months of permit, lifted at age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
Indiana	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the first 6 months; then Sunday to Friday, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. until age 18 and license held for 6 months or age 21, whichever comes first Passenger limits: No passengers, lifted after license held for 6 months or age 21, whichever comes first
Iowa	14 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m., lifted after age 17 and license held for 12 months or at age 18, whichever comes first Passenger limits: Parental discretion
Kansas	14 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 18 Both restrictions lifted after age 17 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Kentucky	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 20 (unless supervised by driving instructor) Both restrictions lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Louisiana	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. Both restrictions lifted at age 17
Maine	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 18 Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 9 months
Maryland	15 years and 9 months, must hold permit for 9 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m., lifted at age 18 Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 18, lifted after age 18 or license held for 5 months, whichever comes first
Massachusetts	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m., lifted at age 18 Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 18, lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Michigan	14 years and 9 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted at age 17 and license held for 6 months or at age 18, whichever comes first
Minnesota	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m., lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first Passenger limits: First 6 months — no more than one passenger younger than 20; After 6 months — no driving more than three passengers younger than 20, lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Mississippi	15 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Sunday to Thursday: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; Friday to Saturday: 11:30 pm to 6 a.m., lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Missouri	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: First 6 months — no more than one passenger younger than 19; after 6 months — no more than three passengers younger than 19 Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 12 months
Montana	14 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	15 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: First 6 months — no more than one passenger younger than 18; after 6 months — no more than three passengers younger than 18 Both restrictions lifted after age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
Nebraska	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 6 a.m., lifted at age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 19, lifted at age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
Nevada	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., lifted at age 18 Passenger limits: No passengers younger than age 18, lifted at age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
New Hampshire	15 years and 6 months, no mandatory holding period for permit	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., lifted at age 18 Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 25, lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
New Jersey	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	17 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger with the exception of driver’s dependents Both restrictions lifted after age 21 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
New Mexico	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	15 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted after age 18 or license held for 12 months, whichever comes first
New York	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. except for NYC and Long Island Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted at age 17 (with driver’s education) and age 18 (without driver’s education)
North Carolina	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than age 21 Both restrictions lifted after age 18 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
North Dakota	14 years and must hold permit for 12 months (only 6 months if 16 and older)	16 years (15 for a parent-requested restricted license)	Nighttime restrictions: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. or after sunset, whichever is later, lifted at age 16
Ohio	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 6 a.m. for the first 12 months, then 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for the second 12 months, lifted after license held for 24 months Passenger limits: No more than one passenger for the first 12 months, lifted after license held for 12 months.
Oklahoma	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 6 months (with driver’s education), 12 months (without driver’s education), or age 18
Oregon	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 20 for the first 6 months, no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 for the second 6 months Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 12 months or age 18, whichever comes first
Pennsylvania	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 18 for the first 6 months, then no more than three passengers Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 12 months and age 17 (with driver’s education) or age 18, whichever comes first
Rhode Island	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 12 months or age 18, whichever comes first
South Carolina	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	15 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than two passengers younger than 21, unless transporting students to and from school Both restrictions lifted after licensed for 12 months and at age 17
South Dakota	14 years and must hold permit for 6 months	14 years and 9 months, or 14 years and 6 months with driver’s education	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. until age 16 Passenger limits: No passengers for the first 6 months, then no more than one passenger younger than 18,. lifted after holding license for 6 months or age 16, whichever comes first
Tennessee	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 12 months or age 18, whichever comes first
Texas	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 Both restrictions lifted at age 18
Utah	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m., lifted at age 17 Passenger limits: No passengers, lifted after holding license for 6 months or age 18, whichever comes first
Vermont	15 years and must hold permit for 12 months	16 years	Passenger limits: No passengers for the first 3 months without family exceptions, then no non-family passengers for next 2 months, lifted after holding license for 6 months or age 18, whichever comes first
Virginia	15 years and 6 months, must hold permit for 9 months	16 years and 3 months	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 4 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 21 for the first 12 months, then no more than three passengers younger than 21, lifted at age 18
Washington	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 20 for the first 6 months, then no more than three passengers younger than 20 Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 12 months or age 18, whichever comes first.
Washington, D.C.	16 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years and 6 months	Nighttime restrictions: September to June: Sunday to Thursday: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Saturday to Sunday: 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m.; July to August: 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers Both restrictions lifted after age 21 or license held for 6 months, whichever comes first
West Virginia	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No passengers younger than 20 for the first 6 months, then no more than one passenger younger than 20 Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 12 months and age 17 or at age 18, whichever comes first
Wisconsin	15 years and must hold permit for 6 months	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: Midnight to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 9 months or at age 18, whichever comes first
Wyoming	15 years and must hold permit for 10 days	16 years	Nighttime restrictions: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Passenger limits: No more than one passenger younger than 18 Both restrictions lifted after holding license for 6 months or at age 17, whichever comes first

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Learner’s permit vs. driver’s license

Learner’s permits and driver’s licenses allow drivers to drive on public roads. However, a learner’s permit usually has restrictions, while a driver’s license doesn’t, except for traffic rules.

A learner’s permit allows new drivers to get comfortable with the road and practice traffic safety under some guidance. A permit usually has driving restraints, including a driving curfew and passenger limits as specified by your state. You may need to take a written exam and pass a vision exam to obtain your learner’s permit.

After getting your learner’s permit, you may have to take state-sponsored driver’s education courses and drive a certain amount of time under supervision before you can take a driving exam to get your driver’s license. Even with a learner’s permit, you generally can’t drive a car on public roads without another fully licensed driver with you.

Once you have a driver’s license, you can drive a car on public roads by yourself, with some restrictions that vary among states. You can upgrade to an unrestricted driver’s license by holding your intermediate license for a specific time, reaching a specific age, or both.

Keep Reading: Do I Have to Add My Teenager to My Car Insurance?

What is a graduated driver’s licensing program?

A graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) program is a series of restrictions for young and newly licensed drivers.

While drivers ages 15 to 20 only accounted for 5.1% of all licensed drivers, 8.5% of all fatal car crashes in 2020 involved these drivers.^[1] Therefore, this requirement is necessary for states to promote safety on the road among new young drivers.

All drivers go through three stages of the GDL system. In the first stage, the driver obtains a learner’s permit. They can then trade that in for an intermediate license (also known as a provisional license) and, finally, a full driver’s license.

You typically have to be a minimum of 14 years old to apply for a learner’s permit, 16 for a provisional license, and at least 17 or have held your driver’s license for several months before it is unrestricted.

Good to Know:

Graduated drivers license programs were first implemented in the 1990s. By 2011, nighttime driving restrictions for teens had cut fatal nighttime crashes among 16- and 17-year-old drivers by 10%, researchers concluded.^[2]

State driving restrictions

Many states established driving limitations to curb traffic fatalities and collisions, particularly for young drivers with less road experience. Drivers with permits have more restrictions than those with a full license, though limitations vary by state.

One driving restriction is a nighttime curfew, meaning new drivers can’t drive during certain night hours. Passenger restrictions are also in place, and many states will limit teens from carrying more than one passenger in their car below a specific age, usually younger than 18 or 21.

Adding a teen driver to a car insurance policy

You’ll likely see a spike in rates when you add a teen to your insurance policy. Insurance providers generally consider younger drivers riskier to insure because they have less experience operating a vehicle.^[3] Still, adding a teen driver to a parent’s policy is almost always cheaper than getting them their own car insurance.

The average car insurance premium for teenagers is approximately $574 per month, two times more than insuring drivers older than 25.

Fortunately, you can take steps to lower your rates if you add a teenager to your car insurance policy:

Look for student-centric discounts, like for good grades, taking defensive driving courses, or college students who are away at school.
Encourage safe driving habits so your teen avoids accidents when possible — this can also decrease premiums if they remain claims-free.
Insure your teen’s car with your current policy to potentially get a multi-car discount.
Raise your deductible, which can lower your premiums. However, this will increase the amount you pay out of pocket when filing a claim.^[4]

Check Out: Car Insurance Discount Guide

Driving age FAQs

Driving can be exciting for young drivers. So we’re dedicated to providing accurate information to ensure you abide by your state’s regulations and your child stays safe on the road.

The lowest minimum age to drive with a learner’s permit is 14 years old. This is the minimum in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The minimum driving age in California is 15 years and 6 months old with a learner’s permit.
With a learner’s permit, the minimum age to drive in Florida is 15 years old.
The minimum driving age in Texas is 15 years old with a learner’s permit.
With a learner’s permit, the minimum age to drive in New York is 16.

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Sources

National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. "Traffic Safety Facts: 2020 Data." Accessed February 2, 2023
Journal of Safety Research. "A national evaluation of the nighttime and passenger restriction components of graduated driver licensing." Accessed February 8, 2023
III. "Auto insurance for teen drivers." Accessed February 2, 2023
III. "Nine ways to lower your auto insurance costs." Accessed February 2, 2023