Updated October 2026

Driving Age by State (2026): Permit and License Ages

Teens can start driving with a learner's permit as early as 14 in 9 states, mostly in the rural Midwest and West, while 7 states and DC make them wait until 16. Every state then adds an intermediate stage before a full license.

Click a state on the map for driving age by state for that state, or sort the table to rank them.

This guide to driving age by state covers all 50 states and DC, with a map, a sortable table and a page for each state.

Driving age and teen license rules map of the United States Alabama: Permit at 15 AL Alaska: Permit at 14 AK Arizona: Permit at 15 AZ Arkansas: Permit at 14 AR California: Permit at 15 CA Colorado: Permit at 15 CO Connecticut: Permit at 16 CT Delaware: Permit at 16 DE District of Columbia: Permit at 16 DC Florida: Permit at 15 FL Georgia: Permit at 15 GA Hawaii: Permit at 15 HI Idaho: Permit at 14 ID Illinois: Permit at 15 IL Indiana: Permit at 15 IN Iowa: Permit at 14 IA Kansas: Permit at 14 KS Kentucky: Permit at 15 KY Louisiana: Permit at 15 LA Maine: Permit at 15 ME Maryland: Permit at 15 MD Massachusetts: Permit at 16 MA Michigan: Permit at 14 MI Minnesota: Permit at 15 MN Mississippi: Permit at 15 MS Missouri: Permit at 15 MO Montana: Permit at 14 MT Nebraska: Permit at 15 NE Nevada: Permit at 15 NV New Hampshire: Permit at 15 NH New Jersey: Permit at 16 NJ New Mexico: Permit at 15 NM New York: Permit at 16 NY North Carolina: Permit at 15 NC North Dakota: Permit at 14 ND Ohio: Permit at 15 OH Oklahoma: Permit at 15 OK Oregon: Permit at 15 OR Pennsylvania: Permit at 16 PA Rhode Island: Permit at 16 RI South Carolina: Permit at 15 SC South Dakota: Permit at 14 SD Tennessee: Permit at 15 TN Texas: Permit at 15 TX Utah: Permit at 15 UT Vermont: Permit at 15 VT Virginia: Permit at 15 VA Washington: Permit at 15 WA West Virginia: Permit at 15 WV Wisconsin: Permit at 15 WI Wyoming: Permit at 15 WY
Permit at 14 (9) Permit at 15 (34) Permit at 16 (8)

Driving age and teen license rules: all states

StateLearner's permitIntermediate licenseSupervised hours
Alabama Permit at 15 Age 1650
Alaska Permit at 14 Age 1640
Arizona Permit at 15 Age 1630
Arkansas Permit at 14 Age 16none required
California Permit at 15 Age 1650
Colorado Permit at 15 Age 1650
Connecticut Permit at 16 Age 1640
Delaware Permit at 16 Age 1650
District of Columbia Permit at 16 Age 1640, plus 10 at night
Florida Permit at 15 Age 1650
Georgia Permit at 15 Age 1640
Hawaii Permit at 15 Age 1650
Idaho Permit at 14 Age 1550
Illinois Permit at 15 Age 1650
Indiana Permit at 15 Age 1650
Iowa Permit at 14 Age 1620
Kansas Permit at 14 Age 1650
Kentucky Permit at 15 Age 1660
Louisiana Permit at 15 Age 1650
Maine Permit at 15 Age 1670
Maryland Permit at 15 Age 1660
Massachusetts Permit at 16 Age 1640
Michigan Permit at 14 Age 1650
Minnesota Permit at 15 Age 1640
Mississippi Permit at 15 Age 16none required
Missouri Permit at 15 Age 1640
Montana Permit at 14 Age 1550
Nebraska Permit at 15 Age 1650
Nevada Permit at 15 Age 1650
New Hampshire Permit at 15 Age 1640
New Jersey Permit at 16 Age 1750
New Mexico Permit at 15 Age 1550
New York Permit at 16 Age 1650
North Carolina Permit at 15 Age 1660
North Dakota Permit at 14 Age 1650
Ohio Permit at 15 Age 1650
Oklahoma Permit at 15 Age 1650
Oregon Permit at 15 Age 1650 with driver education
Pennsylvania Permit at 16 Age 1665
Rhode Island Permit at 16 Age 1650
South Carolina Permit at 15 Age 1540
South Dakota Permit at 14 Age 1450
Tennessee Permit at 15 Age 1650
Texas Permit at 15 Age 1630
Utah Permit at 15 Age 1640
Vermont Permit at 15 Age 1640
Virginia Permit at 15 Age 1645
Washington Permit at 15 Age 1650
West Virginia Permit at 15 Age 1650
Wisconsin Permit at 15 Age 1650
Wyoming Permit at 15 Age 1650
Map of driving age and teen license rules by state in 2026: 9 permit at 14, 34 permit at 15, 8 permit at 16
Driving age and teen license rules in all 50 states and DC, October 2026.

How graduated licensing works

Teens first drive with a supervising adult on a learner's permit, then get an intermediate (provisional) license that limits late-night driving and the number of teenage passengers. Full privileges usually come at 17 or 18.

Why the laws exist

Drivers aged 16 to 19 have the highest crash rate of any age group. IIHS research indicates that strong graduated licensing laws cut teen crash deaths.

How regions differ on driving age by state

By census region, driving age by state break down this way:

The table above indicates driving age by state and links to every state guide.

  • Midwest: 5 permit at 14, 7 permit at 15.
  • Northeast: 3 permit at 15, 6 permit at 16.
  • South: 1 permit at 14, 14 permit at 15, 2 permit at 16.
  • West: 3 permit at 14, 10 permit at 15.

The earlier and later states for driving age by state

At the earlier end are Alaska (Permit at 14), Arkansas (Permit at 14), Idaho (Permit at 14) and Iowa (Permit at 14).

At the later end you find Rhode Island (Permit at 16), Pennsylvania (Permit at 16), New York (Permit at 16) and New Jersey (Permit at 16).

Each state guide explains driving age by state in more detail, with nearby states and practical tips.

Questions about driving age by state

Which states let you drive at 14?

Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota issue learner's permits at 14.

What is the latest age to get a permit?

Teens in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island must wait until 16 for a learner's permit.

Do adults need a learner's permit?

Yes, new drivers of any age generally need a permit first, but adults skip most of the teen restrictions.

How do I confirm driving age by state for my state?

Pick your state on the map or in the table; each state page links to the agencies and shows the review date.

How quickly do driving age by state change?

Most updates take effect on January 1 or July 1 following a legislative session; we review the data at least twice a year and show the date on every page.

More rules by state