Permit Restrictions by State (2026)

Last UpdatedAugust 28, 2026State guide facts, source links, and DMV-day reminders are reviewed for learner permit prep.

Permit restrictions

Find your state restriction guide

Quick answer
Most learner permit drivers cannot drive alone. Provisional drivers may still have night-driving, passenger, phone, and trip-purpose limits. Select your state below for the exact restriction summary and official source links.

Use this hub when you need to know whether a learner or newly licensed driver can drive alone, at night, with friends, on highways, or while using a phone. The guide now covers all 50 states with source-reviewed state pages, a restriction checker, and official licensing links so families can compare rules without guessing.

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State permit restriction guides

Open the state page that matches your permit or provisional license. Each page explains learner supervision, night driving, passenger restrictions, phone rules, exceptions, and source links.

California
15 years and 6 months for a minor provisional instruction permit path.
For the first 12 months, provisional drivers cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless an exception applies.

Texas
Teen learner-license path begins at age 15 with driver education requirements.
Texas GDL restrictions prohibit driving from midnight to 5 a.m. except for listed exceptions.

Florida
Florida learner's license path begins at age 15.
At age 16, Florida drivers may generally drive only between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. unless driving to/from work or accompanied by a licensed driver 21+. At age 17, the listed night limit changes to 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

New York
New York learner permits generally begin at age 16.
New York junior-license night rules vary by region; do not flatten into a single statewide output.

Pennsylvania
Initial learner permit path begins at age 16 or older.
Pennsylvania junior drivers may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for listed documented exceptions.

Illinois
Illinois instruction permit path begins at age 15 with driver education enrollment/participation rules.
Nighttime driving restrictions apply to drivers under 18.

Ohio
Ohio TIPIC path begins at age 15 years and 6 months.
Ohio probationary license restrictions include no driving from midnight to 6 a.m. unless an exception applies.

Georgia
Georgia Class CP instructional permit path begins at age 15.
Georgia Class D drivers may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.; DDS states no exceptions.

North Carolina
North Carolina Level 1 Limited Learner Permit path begins at age 15 with eligibility requirements.
With a Limited Provisional License, unsupervised driving is allowed from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and for listed work/emergency-service purposes; after 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. a supervising driver is required.

Michigan
Michigan Level 1 learner's license path can begin after Segment 1 eligibility, commonly at 14 years and 9 months.
Michigan Level 2 nighttime restrictions commonly prohibit driving from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless an exception applies; spot-check current SOS wording before coding final exceptions.

Arizona
Arizona instruction permit applicants must be at least 15 years and 6 months old.
For the first 6 months of a Class G license, Arizona restricts driving from midnight to 5 a.m. unless a listed exception applies.

Virginia
Virginia learner permit applicants must be at least 15 years and 6 months old.
Virginia drivers under 18 may not drive between midnight and 4 a.m. except for listed exceptions.

Washington
Washington teen applicants can begin the permit/license process at 15 through driver training or testing routes; verify the exact path with DOL.
Washington intermediate license restrictions include no driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless a qualified exception applies.

New Jersey
New Jersey special learner permit path begins at 16; examination permit paths vary by age.
New Jersey probationary drivers may not drive after 11:01 p.m. and before 5:00 a.m. unless an exception applies.

Massachusetts
Massachusetts Class D learner permit applicants must be at least 16 years old.
Massachusetts Junior Operators may not drive between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Tennessee
Tennessee learner permit applicants in the teen GDL path must be at least 15 years old.
Tennessee Intermediate Restricted License drivers may not drive between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Indiana
Indiana learner permit age depends on driver education enrollment; many teen paths begin at 15 with driver education, or later without it.
Indiana probationary drivers have time-of-day restrictions that vary by license age and trip purpose; verify the current BMV chart before driving late.

Missouri
Missouri instruction permit eligibility begins at age 15.
Missouri intermediate license drivers may drive alone except during the late-night curfew from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., unless an exception applies.

Maryland
Maryland learner permit applicants must be at least 15 years and 9 months old.
Maryland provisional drivers under 18 generally may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

Wisconsin
Wisconsin teen instruction permit timing depends on driver education enrollment; many teen paths start at 15.
For the first 9 months, Wisconsin probationary drivers under 18 may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless traveling between home and school/work or accompanied by a qualified adult.

Colorado
Colorado minor permit age depends on the training path: teens may start at 15 with driver education, 15 years and 6 months with driver awareness, or 16 without those courses.
For the first year of a Colorado minor license, driving between midnight and 5 a.m. is restricted unless an official exception applies.

Connecticut
Connecticut learner permit applicants in the teen path must be at least 16 years old.
Connecticut teen drivers may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

Oregon
Oregon instruction permit applicants must be at least 15 years old.
For the first year, Oregon provisional drivers generally may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma learner permit eligibility generally begins at 15 years and 6 months, with earlier student-driver preparation routes available.
Oklahoma intermediate drivers may drive from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; outside those hours, school, church, work, or 21+ front-seat supervision exceptions may apply.

Utah
Utah entry-level learner permit applicants must be at least 15 years old.
Utah licensed drivers ages 16-17 may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21+, traveling to/from work, emergency, agricultural operations, or school-sponsored activities.

Louisiana
Louisiana learner permit applicants must be at least 15 years old.
Louisiana intermediate drivers are restricted between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed parent/guardian, adult 21+, or licensed sibling 18+.

Alabama
Alabama learner license eligibility begins at age 15.
Alabama restricted license drivers generally may not drive from midnight to 6 a.m. unless a listed exception or required supervision applies.

Nevada
Nevada instruction permit applicants must be at least 15 years and 6 months old.
Nevada drivers under 18 may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless traveling to or from a scheduled event such as school or work.

South Carolina
South Carolina beginner's permit eligibility begins at age 15.
A South Carolina conditional license allows solo daylight driving; after 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. during daylight saving time, a licensed adult is required, and midnight-to-6 a.m. driving requires a listed qualified person.

Kentucky
Kentucky learner permit eligibility begins at age 16.
Kentucky intermediate drivers under 18 should not drive between midnight and 6 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

Minnesota
Minnesota instruction permit eligibility generally begins at age 15 after the required driver education step is met.
During the first 6 months of a Minnesota provisional license, driving between midnight and 5 a.m. is restricted unless an official exception applies.

Iowa
Iowa instruction permit eligibility begins at age 14.
Iowa intermediate drivers may drive unsupervised from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; driving outside that window requires qualified adult supervision unless an official exception applies.

Kansas
Kansas instruction permit eligibility begins at age 14.
Kansas restricted-license driving is generally limited to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. unless an official work, school, or farm-related exception applies.

Arkansas
Arkansas learner license eligibility begins at age 14.
Arkansas intermediate drivers generally may not drive between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. unless an official exception applies or a licensed adult age 21 or older is present.

Mississippi
Mississippi regular learner's permit eligibility begins at age 15.
For 6 months after licensure or until age 17, Mississippi newly licensed teen drivers should not drive unsupervised from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday, unless an official exception applies.

Nebraska
Nebraska Learner's Permit (LPD) eligibility generally begins at age 15.
Nebraska POP holders may drive unsupervised from 6 a.m. to midnight. Midnight-to-6 a.m. driving is limited to home-to-work or school activity travel unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed driver age 21 or older.

New Mexico
New Mexico instructional permit eligibility generally begins at age 15.
New Mexico provisional drivers generally may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

Idaho
Idaho's supervised instruction permit path can begin at age 14 years and 6 months through approved driver training; a driver license cannot be issued before age 15.
Idaho young-driver sources reviewed here emphasize supervised instruction and practice-hour requirements. Verify any post-license night restrictions with ITD before solo night driving.

West Virginia
West Virginia Level 1 instruction permit eligibility begins at age 15.
West Virginia Level II drivers may drive unsupervised from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. driving is restricted unless an official exception applies.

Delaware
Delaware Level One Learner's Permit eligibility begins at age 16.
After the Level One permit period is completed and a Class D license is issued, verify whether any remaining age-based restrictions apply to your situation.

Alaska
Alaska instruction permit eligibility generally begins at age 14, but provisional license eligibility starts at age 16 after the permit-holding and practice requirements are met.
Alaska provisional drivers may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver age 21 or older or driving directly to or from work.

Hawaii
Hawaii instruction permit eligibility begins at age 15 years and 6 months.
Hawaii provisional drivers may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian or using an official work/school exception.

Maine
Maine learner permit eligibility begins at age 15.
For the first 270 days, Maine intermediate drivers under 18 may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.

Montana
Montana Traffic Education Learner License eligibility can begin at age 14 years and 6 months, while the standard learner license path is generally age 15.
Montana first-year restricted drivers generally may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

New Hampshire
New Hampshire does not issue a traditional learner permit for under-18 practice; teens may practice driving at age 15 years and 6 months under the state's supervised-practice rules.
New Hampshire youth operators under 18 may not drive between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.

North Dakota
North Dakota learner permit eligibility begins at age 14.
North Dakota restricted Class D drivers may not drive between sunset or 9 p.m., whichever is later, and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver is in the front seat or an official work, school, or religious exception applies.

Rhode Island
Rhode Island limited instruction permit eligibility for teen applicants begins at age 16 after required driver education.
Rhode Island limited provisional drivers may not drive by themselves between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless an official exception applies.

South Dakota
South Dakota instruction permit eligibility begins at age 14.
South Dakota restricted minor permit holders may drive unaccompanied from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. driving requires a legal guardian or another official exception.

Vermont
Vermont learner permit eligibility begins at age 15.
Reviewed Vermont sources do not show a general junior-operator night curfew like many other states; still verify current DMV guidance before solo night driving.

Wyoming
Wyoming instruction permit eligibility begins at age 15.
Wyoming intermediate permit holders generally may only drive between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. unless an official exception applies.

Learner permit rules

Learner permit rules usually focus on qualified adult supervision. Some states add time limits, age details, or region-specific rules.

Provisional license rules

Provisional or intermediate licenses may allow solo driving but can restrict passengers, nighttime trips, and phone use for a set period.

Verify before driving

Rules and exceptions can change. Every state page links to official DMV or licensing sources so learners and parents can verify final wording.

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