With a learner's permit, you may drive:

Only with a qualified licensed adult in the front passenger seat

Alone on local streets but not on highways

With any passenger who has a permit too

Most states require an applicant under 18 to have:

A parent's or guardian's consent

What is the most common reason applicants are turned away at the DMV?

Missing or unacceptable documents

Using a cell phone while driving with a learner's permit is:

Banned for permit holders in most states, even hands-free

Allowed with a hands-free device in every state

Allowed if the supervisor agrees

How to Get Your Learner's Permit, Step by Step

To get a learner's permit, you meet your state's minimum age (usually 15 to 16), bring proof of identity, Social Security number and residency to the DMV, get a parent's consent if you are under 18, and pass a vision screening and a written knowledge test. Many states also require you to start or finish driver's education first.

Updated on 2026-11-06 · Ver en español

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Permit basics quiz: 5 questions

With a learner's permit, you may drive: Alone during daylight hours / Only with a qualified licensed adult in the front passenger seat / Alone on local streets but not on highways / With any passenger who has a permit too. Answer: Only with a qualified licensed adult in the front passenger seat. A learner's permit allows supervised driving only. The supervisor must be a licensed driver who meets your state's minimum age, usually 21 (25 in California), and sits in the front passenger seat.
Where do the questions on the written permit test come from? A national federal exam / Your state's driver handbook / Your driving school's textbook / Insurance company guidelines. Answer: Your state's driver handbook. Each state writes its own test based on its official driver handbook (or driver's manual). Road signs follow national standards, but many laws vary by state.
Most states require an applicant under 18 to have: A job / A parent's or guardian's consent / A car registered in their name / Their own insurance policy. Answer: A parent's or guardian's consent. Minors typically need a parent or legal guardian to sign the application. Many states also require proof of school enrollment or attendance.
What is the most common reason applicants are turned away at the DMV? Wearing glasses / Missing or unacceptable documents / Arriving with a parent / Not owning a car. Answer: Missing or unacceptable documents. Documents must be originals or certified copies and must match the DMV's list. Photocopies, expired documents and name mismatches are common problems.
Using a cell phone while driving with a learner's permit is: Allowed with a hands-free device in every state / Banned for permit holders in most states, even hands-free / Allowed if the supervisor agrees / Allowed at red lights. Answer: Banned for permit holders in most states, even hands-free. Most states ban all cell phone use by permit holders and new teen drivers, including hands-free devices. Check your handbook for the exact rule.

What a learner's permit is (and what it isn't)

A learner's permit — called an instruction permit, learner license, temporary instruction permit or Class CP permit depending on the state — lets a new driver practice on public roads while supervised by a qualified licensed adult. It is the first stage of every state's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system for teens, and adults who have never been licensed usually need one too.

A permit is not a license to drive alone. You must have a qualified supervisor in the front passenger seat every time you drive, and most states add limits on cell phone use, passengers and sometimes night driving. The permit is also an official photo ID in most states, which makes it useful even before you are ready for the road test.

The process has the same building blocks everywhere: age, documents, driver's education where required, a vision screening, a written knowledge test and a fee. What changes from state to state is the detail — the minimum age, how long you must hold the permit and how many supervised hours you need.

Minimum age, holding period and supervised hours

Most states issue a learner's permit at 15 or 16; a few, including Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota, allow it at 14. The table shows the rules for teens in some of the largest states. Adults over 18 often have shorter or no holding periods.

Verified against each state's official sources (see the state page)
State	Minimum age	Hold permit at least	Supervised driving
California	15½	6 months	50 hours with a licensed driver 25 or older, including 10 at night.
Texas	15	6 months	30 hours, including 10 at night, with a licensed driver 21 or older
Florida	15	12 months	50 hours, including 10 at night, certified by a parent, guardian or responsible adult 21 or older (teens under 18).
New York	16	6 months	50 hours, including 15 after sunset (DMV recommends 10 in moderate to heavy traffic)
Pennsylvania	16	6 months	65 hours, including at least 10 at night and 5 in bad weather (teens under 18).
Illinois	15	9 months	50 hours, including 10 at night
Ohio	15½	6 months	50 hours, including 10 at night, documented on the BMV 5791 affidavit
Georgia	15	1 year and 1 day	40 hours, including 6 at night, certified at the time of the license application
North Carolina	15	9 months	60 hours logged, including 10 at night (no more than 10 hours a week count)
Michigan	14 years 9 months	6 months	50 hours, including 10 at night

Many states let you count part of the supervised hours with a professional instructor and ask a parent to sign a driving log. Keep the log up to date — you will need it at the road test.

Driver's education and required courses

Driver's education requirements are where states differ most. In California, teens must complete (or be enrolled in) a driver's education course before applying. Texas requires teens to begin a driver's ed program — school-based, commercial or parent-taught — before the learner license. Florida requires every first-time driver, of any age, to complete a Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course. Georgia requires 16-year-olds to finish an approved driver's ed course before a provisional license under Joshua's Law, and Michigan uses a two-segment driver's ed program.

Adults are not always exempt. In Texas, first-time applicants aged 18 to 24 must complete a six-hour adult driver education course, and New York requires all new drivers to take a five-hour pre-licensing course before the road test. Online courses are accepted in many states, but only from approved providers — check your DMV's list before paying.

Even where it is optional, driver's ed is worth it: it covers the same material as the knowledge test, and some insurance companies offer discounts to teens who complete it.

Documents to bring to the DMV

Bring originals or certified copies — photocopies are almost never accepted. Most states ask for:

Proof of identity and date of birth: a certified U.S. birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport, or a permanent resident card or other immigration document.
Social Security number: your Social Security card or, in many states, a W-2 or pay stub showing the full number.
Proof of residency: usually two documents with your home address, such as utility bills, bank statements or a lease. Teens can often use a parent's documents with proof of relationship.
Parent or guardian consent if you are under 18, often signed at the DMV.
School forms in some states, such as Texas's Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form, and a driver's ed certificate where required.
The application fee, which varies by state.

If you want a REAL ID-compliant permit or license, the document rules are stricter. Our documents checklist explains exactly what to bring.

The vision screening and written knowledge test

At the DMV office you will have your photo taken, give a thumbprint or signature, and take a vision screening. A common standard is 20/40 vision in at least one eye, with or without glasses; if you wear corrective lenses, bring them, and your license may carry a restriction. If you fail the screening, you will usually be asked to see an eye doctor.

The written knowledge test is a multiple-choice exam on road signs, traffic laws and safe driving, taken on a computer at the DMV and, in some states, online with a remote proctor. Most tests have 20 to 50 questions and require about 80% to pass. Many states offer it in several languages and provide audio versions on request.

Preparation is what decides the result. Read the handbook once, then switch to practice tests by topic to find your weak spots. Our guide on how to pass the permit test has a full study plan.

Rules you must follow with a learner's permit

Breaking permit rules can delay your license or lead to a suspension, so learn them as carefully as you learn the traffic laws.

Drive only with a qualified supervisor: a licensed driver who meets your state's age requirement (commonly 21; 25 in California, unless it is a parent, guardian or instructor) seated beside you.
Carry the permit with you whenever you drive.
Do not use a cell phone — most states ban all use by permit holders, including hands-free.
Respect any limits on passengers or night driving. Florida, for example, allows learners to drive only during daylight for the first three months, and until 10 p.m. after that.
Wear a seat belt and make sure every passenger does.
Zero tolerance applies: under 21, any measurable alcohol can cost you your permit.

After the permit: road test and provisional license

Once you have held the permit for the required period and logged your supervised hours, you can schedule the road test. Bring your permit, driving log, any certificates and a safe, insured, registered vehicle that passes the examiner's check. Pass it and teens receive a provisional or intermediate license with night-driving and passenger limits, which usually turns into a full license at 17 or 18.

If your permit expires before you take the road test, most states let you renew it, sometimes for a fee and sometimes only once. Plan your practice so the permit does not run out just before your appointment.

Use the permit period well. Supervised hours are not a box to tick: crash risk is highest in the first months of driving alone, and the skills you build now — scanning, judging gaps, handling rain and night driving — are what keep you safe later. Spread your practice across highways, city streets, parking lots, bad weather and darkness rather than repeating the same easy route.

Booking your DMV visit and avoiding common mistakes

Many DMV offices now require or strongly encourage an appointment for permit applications, and wait times for the first available slot can stretch to several weeks in busy cities. Book early, as soon as you know when you will meet the age requirement, and check whether your state lets you fill out the application online before your visit to save time at the counter. Some states also allow the knowledge test at approved third-party sites or online with a webcam proctor, which can be faster than waiting for an office appointment.

Most people who leave the DMV without a permit make one of a handful of avoidable mistakes:

Bringing photocopies instead of originals or certified copies of documents.
Name mismatches between the birth certificate, Social Security record and other documents, without the marriage certificate or court order that links them.
Proof of residency in the wrong name or older than the period your state accepts (often 60 or 90 days).
Missing parent or guardian, when the state requires the adult to sign in person.
Forgetting glasses or contact lenses for the vision screening.
Arriving late in the day: some offices stop giving knowledge tests well before closing time.
Not studying the state-specific laws, such as GDL rules, cell phone restrictions and fines, which appear on the test but not in generic sign charts.

Before you leave home, compare every document with your DMV's official list and make sure the name and address match on all of them.

How to get a learner's permit (typical steps)

Check your state's minimum age and rules Find the learner's permit section of your state's driver handbook or DMV website: minimum age, driver's ed requirement, fees and whether you need an appointment.
Complete or enroll in driver's education In many states, teens must finish a classroom course or be enrolled in driver's ed before applying. Some states require a short drug and alcohol course.
Study the driver handbook and practice Read the handbook and take practice tests until you score well above the passing mark on every topic.
Gather your documents Bring original proof of identity, Social Security number and residency, plus parental consent and school forms if you are under 18.
Pass the vision and knowledge tests At the DMV, pay the fee, have your photo taken, pass the vision screening and the written knowledge test.
Drive under supervision and log your hours Follow your permit restrictions, hold the permit for the required period and complete the supervised hours before the road test.

Learner's permit FAQ

How old do you have to be to get a learner's permit?

Usually 15 or 16, depending on the state. California issues permits at 15½, Texas, Florida and Georgia at 15, and New York and Pennsylvania at 16. A few states, such as Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota, allow permits at 14.

Can I get my learner's permit online?

Some states let you start the application, take a driver's ed course or even take the knowledge test online with remote proctoring. You still usually need to visit the DMV for documents, a photo and the vision screening.

How long is a learner's permit valid?

It varies by state, typically from one to a few years. Many states let you renew an expired permit. Check the expiration date printed on your permit.

Who can supervise a driver with a learner's permit?

A licensed driver who meets your state's minimum age, commonly 21 or older (25 in California, with exceptions for parents, guardians and instructors), seated in the front passenger seat.

Do adults need a learner's permit?

In most states, yes, if you have never been licensed: you must pass the vision and knowledge tests first. Adults usually face shorter or no holding periods, but some states require courses, such as Texas's adult driver education for ages 18 to 24.

How hard is the learner's permit test?

It is not tricky if you prepare: questions come straight from your state handbook. Most failures come from right-of-way, numbers such as distances and fines, and state-specific laws. Practice tests help you target those topics.

What happens if I fail the permit test?

You can retake it. Most states allow another attempt after a short wait, often a day to a week, and some charge a new fee or limit attempts per application.