Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Jurisdictions with GDL (NHTSA) | All 50 states and the District of Columbia |
| First state to adopt GDL (IIHS) | Florida, in 1996 |
| Drop in teen crash deaths since then (IIHS) | 50%, from 5,819 in 1996 to 2,899 in 2024 |
| Crash risk reduction GDL can achieve (NHTSA) | Up to 50% |
| States issuing learner's permits before age 15 (IIHS table) | 9 |
| Only state with an intermediate license age of 17 | New Jersey |
| IIHS best practice | Permit at 16, 70 practice hours, intermediate license at 17, night limit from 8 p.m. |
What is graduated driver licensing?
Graduated driver licensing eases new drivers into higher-risk situations one step at a time. Teens get experience while the riskiest conditions, such as late-night driving and a car full of friends, are limited. NHTSA describes GDL as a 3-stage system, and every state follows the same basic pattern even though the numbers differ.
| Stage | What the teen can do | Typical limits | What it means for car insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learner's permit | Drive only with a licensed adult supervising | Minimum holding period and practice hours, often with some at night | Tell your insurer; some insurers rate permit holders, others wait until licensing |
| Intermediate (provisional) license | Drive alone with restrictions | No driving late at night; limits on teen passengers | Add the teen to the policy before the first solo drive |
| Full license | Drive without GDL restrictions | Reached by age or by holding the intermediate license long enough | Prices usually ease with age and a clean record; re-shop |
The rules work. IIHS reports that teen crash deaths fell 50% between 1996, when Florida adopted the first GDL law, and 2024. NHTSA says GDL programs can reduce a teen's crash risk by up to 50%.
IIHS best practice vs typical state law
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has studied which GDL features prevent the most crashes. Its best-practice model calls for a learner's permit no earlier than 16, at least 70 hours of supervised practice, an intermediate license no earlier than 17, a night restriction starting at 8 p.m., and no teen passengers during the intermediate stage.
Few states meet every part. Only New Jersey waits until 17 for an intermediate license. Licensing age has an insurance effect as well as a safety one: IIHS links a licensing age of 17 instead of 16 to a 13% lower fatal crash rate among 15- to 17-year-olds and 9% fewer collision claims among 16-year-old drivers. Fewer claims is exactly what insurers price on.
GDL laws by state: summary table
The table below summarizes the IIHS graduated licensing laws table (labeled October 2026). Ages are the youngest a teen can enter each stage. Holding periods and practice hours are minimums. Many states attach conditions, such as driver education, that IIHS explains in footnotes, so confirm the details with your state's driver licensing agency before you plan around them.
| State | Learner's permit at | Permit held at least | Supervised practice | Intermediate license at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours (none with driver education) | 16 |
| Alaska | 14 | 6 months | 40 hours, 10 at night or in bad weather | 16 |
| Arizona | 15 years, 6 months | 6 months | 30 hours, 10 at night (none with driver education) | 16 |
| Arkansas | 14 | 6 months | none | 16 |
| California | 15 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Colorado | 15 | 12 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 6 months (4 months with driver education) | 40 hours | 16 years, 4 months |
| Delaware | 16 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 years, 6 months |
| District of Columbia | 16 | 6 months | 40 hours as a learner, plus 10 night hours in the intermediate stage | 16 years, 6 months |
| Florida | 15 | 12 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Georgia | 15 | 12 months | 40 hours, 6 at night | 16 |
| Hawaii | 15 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Idaho | 14 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 15 |
| Illinois | 15 | 9 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Indiana | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Iowa | 14 | 12 months | 20 hours, 2 at night | 16 |
| Kansas | 14 | 12 months | 50 hours, 10 at night (25 in the learner stage and 25 more before age 16) | 16 |
| Kentucky | 15 | 6 months | 60 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Louisiana | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 15 at night | 16 |
| Maine | 15 | 6 months | 70 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Maryland | 15 years, 9 months | 9 months | 60 hours, 10 at night | 16 years, 6 months |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 6 months | 40 hours | 16 years, 6 months |
| Michigan | 14 years, 9 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 6 months | 40 hours, 15 at night | 16 |
| Mississippi | 15 | 12 months | none | 16 |
| Missouri | 15 | 6 months | 40 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Montana | 14 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 15 |
| Nebraska | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night (none with driver education) | 16 |
| Nevada | 15 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night (none with a defensive driving course) | 16 |
| New Hampshire | 15 years, 6 months | none | 40 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 17 |
| New Mexico | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 15 years, 6 months |
| New York | 16 | 6 months | 50 hours, 15 at night | 16 years, 6 months |
| North Carolina | 15 | 9 months | 60 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| North Dakota | 14 | 12 months if under 16; 6 months (or until 18, if sooner) at 16 or older | 50 hours if under 16; none at 16 or older | 16 (15 for a parent-requested restricted license) |
| Ohio | 15 years, 6 months | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Oklahoma | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Oregon | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours (100 without driver education) | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 6 months | 65 hours, 10 at night and 5 in bad weather | 16 years, 6 months |
| Rhode Island | 16 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 years, 6 months |
| South Carolina | 15 | 6 months | 40 hours, 10 at night | 15 years, 6 months |
| South Dakota | 14 | 9 months (6 months with driver education) | 50 hours, 10 at night and 10 in bad weather | 14 years, 9 months (14 years, 6 months with driver education) |
| Tennessee | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Texas | 15 | 6 months | 30 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Utah | 15 | 6 months | 40 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Vermont | 15 | 12 months | 40 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Virginia | 15 years, 6 months | 9 months | 45 hours, 15 at night | 16 years, 3 months |
| Washington | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| West Virginia | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night (none with driver education) | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
| Wyoming | 15 | 10 days | 50 hours, 10 at night | 16 |
Patterns in the table
A few things stand out when you read across the table:
- Youngest permits. Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota allow a learner's permit before 15.
- Latest permits. Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island set the minimum permit age at 16.
- Earliest solo driving. Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina and South Dakota allow an intermediate license before 16.
- Longest permit stage. Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi and Vermont require teens to hold a permit for 12 months.
- Most practice. Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania require 60 or more supervised hours; Maine's requirement matches the IIHS best practice of 70 hours.
- No hours requirement. Arkansas and Mississippi set no minimum number of supervised hours in the IIHS table.
- Rules beyond the teen years. New Jersey applies its full GDL system to new drivers under 21, the District of Columbia requires the intermediate stage for applicants under 21, and Maine's permit holding period applies to license applicants under 21.
Night limits for intermediate drivers in six large states
Night restrictions matter because so much teen crash risk falls late at night: IIHS found that 35% of teen driving deaths in 2024 happened in a late-night window.
| State | Intermediate license night restriction |
|---|---|
| California | 11 p.m.-5 a.m. |
| Florida | 11 p.m.-6 a.m. at 16; 1 a.m.-5 a.m. at 17 |
| Illinois | 10 p.m. Sun.-Thu. or 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. until 6 a.m. |
| New York | 9 p.m.-5 a.m. (stricter in NYC and Long Island) |
| Pennsylvania | 11 p.m.-5 a.m. |
| Texas | Midnight-5 a.m. |
Passenger limits usually exempt family members, and many states allow exceptions, for example for driving to work or school; check your state's rules. Our teen drivers guide covers what the crash data shows about night driving and teen passengers.
How GDL affects car insurance for teens
GDL decides when your teen can drive; your insurer decides what it costs. The two connect at each stage.
The permit stage
Insurers treat permit holders differently. The Texas Department of Insurance says you are not legally required to insure a teen who only has a learner's permit, but you should tell your insurer when a teen is learning in your car; if you do not and the teen crashes, the insurer could deny the claim, void the policy or refuse to renew. New York's Department of Financial Services says most insurers there treat any household member with a learner's permit as an insured operator when rating the policy. Either way, a phone call before the first practice drive avoids surprises; see who must be listed on your policy.
The intermediate license
This is when most families see the price jump. The teen needs to be on the policy before driving alone. Insurers price young drivers higher because they crash more: the NAIC notes that drivers under 25 tend to have more accidents and pay more. How the teen is rated also depends on the cars in the household. In Texas, if a teen is the main driver of a car, the insurer bases the teen's premium on that car; otherwise it uses the family car with the highest rate. New York applies an inexperienced operator surcharge to a principal operator licensed less than 3 years. See how age affects car insurance for the full picture.
The full license and beyond
Reaching a full license does not reset the price by itself. What brings premiums down is age, experience and a clean record. Insurers usually review 3 to 5 years of driving history, so a ticket for breaking a GDL curfew or passenger rule can follow a young driver well into their twenties. For drivers in that stage, see car insurance for young drivers.
Discounts that fit each stage
The Texas Department of Insurance lists several ways to cut the cost of a teen driver:
- Good grades. Many insurers discount for good grades or test scores.
- Driver education. Completing a driver's education course usually earns a discount, and in several states it also changes GDL requirements.
- Telematics. Letting the insurer monitor driving with an app or device can earn a discount for safe driving; see telematics and car insurance and the glossary entry for telematics.
- The right car. An inexpensive car or one with a good safety rating usually costs less to insure.
- Staying on a parent's policy. Adding a teen to a parent's policy is usually cheaper than a separate policy.
Insurers offer other discounts too, and the premium factors tool shows which rating factors move your price most.
How to plan car insurance around each GDL stage
- Before the permit test, call your insurer. Ask how it treats permit holders in your state and whether it needs the teen listed now.
- During the permit stage, log practice hours. Ask whether your insurer offers a telematics program and when a teen can join it.
- A few weeks before the road test, get quotes. Compare the cost of adding the teen with your current insurer and with others, and ask about good-student and driver-education discounts.
- On license day, add the teen before the first solo drive. Confirm the effective date and get updated proof of insurance.
- Decide which car the teen will drive most. Ask how your insurer assigns drivers to cars, since that can change the price.
- Review liability limits. A household with a new driver has more risk; check that your limits protect your savings, and run through the coverage checklist.
- Set house rules that match your state's GDL limits. Curfew and passenger violations can mean tickets, and tickets raise premiums.
- Re-shop at each renewal. Prices change as the teen ages and builds a clean record.
Frequently asked questions
What age can you get a learner's permit?
It depends on the state. According to the IIHS table, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota allow permits before 15, while Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island wait until 16. Most other states start at 15 or at 15 years, 6 months.
Which states require the most supervised driving hours?
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania require 60 or more hours of supervised practice, with Maine at 70. Arkansas and Mississippi set no minimum in the IIHS table.
Do GDL rules apply to adult new drivers?
Usually not, but there are exceptions. New Jersey applies its GDL system to new drivers under 21, the District of Columbia puts license applicants under 21 through the intermediate stage, and Maine's holding period applies under 21. Adults learning to drive may still need a permit first; see car insurance for new drivers.
Do I need to add my teen to my car insurance when they get a permit?
Tell your insurer either way. In Texas, insuring a permit holder is not legally required, but not telling your insurer can lead to a denied claim. In New York, most insurers rate household permit holders as insured operators. Your teen must be on the policy before driving alone with a license.
Does breaking a GDL restriction affect car insurance?
It can. A curfew or passenger violation can lead to a ticket, and tickets show up on the driving record insurers review, usually covering the last 3 to 5 years.
Does a teen with a provisional license cost more to insure than one with a full license?
Insurers price on age, driving experience and record rather than the license stage itself. Because teens with provisional licenses are the youngest and least experienced drivers, they are usually the most expensive to insure. Prices tend to fall as the driver ages and keeps a clean record.
Sources
- IIHS-HLDI, Graduated driver licensing laws table state-by-state permit ages, holding periods, practice hours, license ages and restrictions
- IIHS-HLDI, Teenagers GDL history, best practices and the effects of licensing age
- NHTSA, Teen Driving GDL stages and the crash risk reduction GDL can achieve
- Texas Department of Insurance, Adding a teen driver to your insurance policy? learner's permits and teen discounts
- Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide how insurers rate a teen on the family's cars
- New York Department of Financial Services, Auto Insurance Information for Consumers permit holders and the inexperienced operator surcharge
- NAIC, A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance young drivers and driving record review
- IIHS-HLDI, Fatality Facts 2024: Teenagers as of June 1, 2026
Last reviewed by the StateCover Guide editorial team. See our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.