Guides/All states
What Age Can You Get a Driver's License? Every State
Minimum learner's permit age, intermediate license age, and when teen restrictions end, for all 50 states and DC, from the IIHS licensing table.
In most states, teens can get a learner's permit at 15 or 15½ and an intermediate (provisional) license at 16. The range is wide, though: six states allow a permit at 14, while New Jersey doesn't issue an intermediate license until 17.
"Getting a license" also happens in stages. Under graduated driver licensing (GDL), a teen moves from a permit, to a license with limits on night driving and passengers, to full privileges. The table below shows the earliest age for each stage in every state and DC.
- The most common permit age is 15; a handful of states start at 14 or wait until 16.
- Almost every state allows an intermediate license at 16, after a permit holding period.
- Full privileges usually come between 16½ and 18, often depending on how long the teen has been licensed.
- Minimum ages often depend on driver education.
- Rules change. Confirm with your state's licensing agency before you plan.
How to read the table
- Learner's permit: the youngest age to start supervised driving.
- Intermediate license: the youngest age to drive alone, with restrictions. Teens also have to hold the permit for a set time and log practice hours, so many get it later.
- Limits can end: the earliest age at which both night and passenger restrictions can lift. In many states this depends on time licensed (for example, "12 months or age 18, whichever comes first"), so it is the earliest possible age, not a guarantee.
Ages come from the IIHS graduated licensing laws table, dated October 2026. IIHS notes that its table is not guaranteed to be current and should be checked independently. "15½" means 15 years and 6 months. The Governors Highway Safety Association keeps a similar state-by-state summary if you want a second reference.
Driving age by state
| State | Learner's permit | Intermediate license | Limits can end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Alaska | 14 | 16 | 16½ |
| Arizona | 15½ | 16 | 16½ |
| Arkansas | 14 | 16 | 18 |
| California | 15½ | 16 | 17 |
| Colorado | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 16 and 4 months | 18 |
| Delaware | 16 | 16½ | 17 |
| District of Columbia | 16 | 16½ | 18 |
| Florida | 15 | 16 | 18 (no passenger limit) |
| Georgia | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Hawaii | 15½ | 16 | 17 |
| Idaho | 14½ | 15 | 16 |
| Illinois | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Indiana | 15 with driver ed, otherwise 16 | 16 | 18 |
| Iowa | 14 | 16 | 17 (no passenger limit) |
| Kansas | 14 | 16 | 16½ |
| Kentucky | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Louisiana | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Maine | 15 | 16 | 16 and 9 months |
| Maryland | 15 and 9 months | 16½ | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 16½ | 18 |
| Michigan | 14 and 9 months | 16 | 17 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Mississippi | 15 | 16 | 16½ (no passenger limit) |
| Missouri | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Montana | 14½ | 15 | 16 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Nevada | 15½ | 16 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | 15½ | 16 | 18 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| New Mexico | 15 | 15½ | 16½ |
| New York | 16 | 16½ | 17 with driver ed, 18 without |
| North Carolina | 15 | 16 | 16½ |
| North Dakota | 14 | 16 (15 for a parent-requested restricted license) | 16 (no passenger limit) |
| Ohio | 15½ | 16 | 18 |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 16 | 16½ |
| Oregon | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 16½ | 17 with driver ed, 18 without |
| Rhode Island | 16 | 16½ | 17½ |
| South Carolina | 15 | 15½ | 16½ |
| South Dakota | 14 | 14 and 9 months (14½ with driver ed) | 16 |
| Tennessee | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Texas | 15 | 16 (18 without driver ed) | 18 |
| Utah | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Vermont | 15 | 16 | 16½ (no night limit) |
| Virginia | 15½ | 16 and 3 months | 18 |
| Washington | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| West Virginia | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 16 | 16 and 9 months |
| Wyoming | 15 | 16 | 16½ |
Source: IIHS. For the night hours and passenger limits themselves, see Teen Driver GDL Restrictions Explained for Parents.
Patterns worth knowing
Youngest and oldest. Six states in the table allow a permit at 14: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. Michigan allows it at 14 and 9 months. Idaho and Montana allow it at 14½. At the other end, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island start at 16.
New Jersey is the outlier. IIHS calls New Jersey the only state that licenses at 17, and says its combined crash rate for 16 and 17 year olds is far below neighboring states. New Jersey also requires a supervising driver at least 21 with three years of experience during the permit stage.
Driver ed changes the timeline. In several states, driver education lets a teen start earlier or finish sooner. Texas requires the classroom phase of an approved driver education course for a permit at 15. In New York, a driver education certificate lets a 17-year-old get a senior license; otherwise the minimum is 18. See Online vs In-Person Driver's Ed: How to Choose if you are weighing course options.
Holding periods add time. The minimum intermediate age assumes the teen got a permit on the first possible day and met every requirement. Most states also require a holding period and supervised practice hours; see Learner's Permit Practice Hours by State: A Log Guide.
Does licensing age matter for safety?
Research says yes. IIHS reports that raising the licensing age from 16 to 17 is associated with a 13% lower fatal crash rate among 15 to 17 year olds and a 9% lower collision claim rate among 16-year-old licensed drivers.
The CDC describes best-practice GDL as a permit at 16 held for at least 12 months, with at least 70 supervised hours, and full licensure at 18. Most states are more lenient. That is one reason many parents set later or stricter family rules than the law requires.
NHTSA says GDL systems can reduce teen crash risk by as much as 50%.
Moving between states
If your family moves, your teen generally has to meet the new state's rules. New York, for example, says no one under 16 can drive there, even with a valid out-of-state license. Call the new state's licensing agency early to see what transfers.
FAQ
What is the youngest age you can get a learner's permit?
In the IIHS table, 14 is the youngest permit age, allowed in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
What age can you get a driver's license in most states?
Most states allow an intermediate, restricted license at 16. Full privileges usually come between 16½ and 18, depending on the state and how long the teen has been licensed.
Which state has the highest driving age?
New Jersey is the only state that issues the intermediate license at 17, according to IIHS. Restrictions there can't end before 18.
Do I need driver's ed to get a license?
It depends on the state. In Texas, teens under 18 without driver education can't get an intermediate license until 18, and in New York and Pennsylvania driver education can shorten the time to full privileges.
Plan the path early
Knowing your state's ages helps you plan driver education, practice hours and the road test. When you're ready for lessons, choose a school your state has licensed. You can search our directory and look for the verified-school check mark.
Find a verified driving school in your state.
Sources
- iihs.org/research-areas/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table
- iihs.org/topics/teenagers
- ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/teens-novice-drivers
- cdc.gov/teen-drivers/prevention/index.html
- nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving
- dmv.ny.gov/new-york-state-drivers-manual-and-practice-tests/chapter-1-driver-licenses
- nj.gov/mvc/license/youngadult.htm