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Learner permit age by state

Most states issue a learner permit at 15 — 22 of the 50. The earliest is 14 and the latest is 16. Most states then require the permit to be held 6 months before you can test for a license.

15
Most common permit age
14
Earliest permit age
16
Latest permit age
6 months
Most common hold

Permit age and hold period in every state

Tap any state for its full rules — graduated licensing stages, night and passenger restrictions, and the log form the DMV expects. Looking for practice hours instead? See the hours required in all 50 states.

StatePermit agePermit holdLicense age
Alabama156 months16
Alaska146 months16
Arizona15½6 months16
Arkansas146 months16
California15½6 months16
Colorado1512 months16
Connecticut164–6 months16 years 4 months
Delaware166 months16½
Florida1512 months16
Georgia1512 months16
Hawaii15½6 months16
Idaho14½6 months15
Illinois159 months16
Indiana15 (with driver ed)180 days16 years 90 days
Iowa1412 months16
Kansas1412 months16
Kentucky16180 days16½
Louisiana15180 days16
Maine156 months16
Maryland15 years 9 months9 months16½
Massachusetts166 months16½
Michigan14 years 9 months6 months16
Minnesota156 months16
Mississippi1512 months16
Missouri156 months16
Montana14½6 months15
Nebraska156 months16
Nevada15½6 months16
New Hampshire15½No fixed minimum16
New Jersey166 months17
New Mexico156 months15½
New York166 months16½
North Carolina1512 months16
North Dakota1412 months (under 16)16
Ohio15½6 months16
Oklahoma15½6 months16
Oregon156 months16
Pennsylvania166 months16½
Rhode Island166 months16½
South Carolina15180 days15½
South Dakota146 months (3 with driver ed)14½
Tennessee15180 days16
Texas156 months16
Utah156 months16
Vermont1512 months16
Virginia15½9 months16 years 3 months
Washington156 months16
West Virginia156 months16
Wisconsin15½6 months16
Wyoming1510 days (permit) / 6 months (intermediate)16

Where can you get a permit at 14?

9 states issue a learner permit before you turn 15:

  • Alaska — permit at 14, license at 16
  • Arkansas — permit at 14, license at 16
  • Iowa — permit at 14, license at 16
  • Kansas — permit at 14, license at 16
  • North Dakota — permit at 14, license at 16
  • South Dakota — permit at 14, license at 14½
  • Idaho — permit at 14½, license at 15
  • Montana — permit at 14½, license at 15
  • Michigan — permit at 14 years 9 months, license at 16

An early permit age doesn't always mean early licensing. Several of these states pair a 14-year-old permit with a longer hold period or a driver-education requirement, so the practical gap to a license ends up similar to states that start at 15.

How long do you have to hold a permit?

29 of the 50 states require 6 months— the most common rule by a wide margin. The rest cluster around a few patterns:

  • 180 days — Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee. Functionally six months, but counted in days.
  • 9 months — Illinois, Maryland, Virginia.
  • 12 months — Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont.
  • Conditional — Connecticut is 4 months with a commercial driving school or 6 with home training; South Dakota drops from 6 months to 3 with driver education; North Dakota is 12 months if you're under 16 and 6 if you're older; Wyoming requires only 10 days on the learner permit but 6 months at the intermediate stage; New Hampshire sets no fixed minimum because it doesn't issue a physical permit at all.

The hold period and the practice-hour requirement run in parallel and you must clear both. Whichever finishes last is the real constraint — which for most families is the hours, not the calendar.

Know exactly where you stand

DriveMint tracks supervised hours against your state's requirement, splits day and night automatically, and exports a DMV-ready report — so when the hold period is up, the hours are already proven.

Download DriveMintSee practice hour requirements

Learner permit FAQs

What age can you get a learner's permit?+

It depends on the state. 22 of the 50 states issue a learner permit at 15, which is the most common age. 9 states allow it before 15 — Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota at 14, Idaho and Montana at 14½, and Michigan at 14 years 9 months. 8 states make you wait until 16.

How long do you have to hold your permit before getting a license?+

29 of the 50 states require a 6 months hold, which is the most common rule. Others range from 180 days (Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee) to a full 12 months (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont). New Hampshire sets no fixed minimum because it doesn't issue a physical permit at all.

Can you get a learner's permit at 15?+

In most states, yes — 22 states set the permit age at exactly 15, and several more allow it at 15½. The states that make you wait until 16 are Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Pennsylvania is a common point of confusion: the permit age there is 16, not 15.

What is the youngest driving age in the US?+

South Dakota. An instruction permit is available at 14, and a restricted minor's permit as early as 14 years and 6 months for teens who complete driver education — the earliest unsupervised driving of any state. Idaho and Montana license at 15.

Does the permit hold period start over if the permit expires?+

In most states the clock runs from the date the permit was issued, and letting it lapse means reapplying and restarting. Because the hold period and the practice-hour requirement run in parallel, the practical constraint is usually whichever finishes last — plan for both.

Do I still need practice hours if I meet the permit hold period?+

Almost always, yes. The hold period and the supervised practice requirement are separate gates and you must clear both. Only Arkansas, Mississippi and New Jersey rely on the hold period alone without setting an hour minimum.

Permit ages and hold periods have exceptions for driver education, rural and farm permits, and applicants over 18. Always confirm the current rules with your state's licensing agency — every state page links to it directly.