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From cigarettes and alcohol purchases to driver licenses and permits, legal ages vary in accordance with state law. We’ve taken the time to create an easy-to-read table that lists four things you’ll need to know about licenses in each state: When you can get your learner’s permit, when you can get your restricted license, when you can get your full license, and when you can rent a rental car. Check it out:
Minimum Age to Drive in the Usa Broken down by State
The table below highlights four laws from each and every state in the country as well as Washington D.C. We’ve compiled this list to help you research for school, work, or whatever life throws at you.
You’ll notice that many states have different ages at which you can obtain the different kinds of licenses. That’s because these laws are not set at the federal level but at the state level. Therefore, state governments can set whatever requirements and restrictions for the licenses that they would like so long as those requirements and restrictions are neither unconstitutional nor in conflict with federal Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regulations.
Let’s break down what each of these three kinds of licenses are:
A learner’s permit is the entry-level license for people between the ages of 14 and 16, depending on the state. These permits are highly restrictive and typically do not allow the permit holder to drive without a parent or guardian (or other individual over the age of 21) in the vehicle at all times. Sometimes, they will not even allow the permit holder to drive after sunset.
A restricted license functions similarly to a learner’s permit except that the license holder is allowed slightly increased freedom to drive the vehicle. Learners are typically not allowed to drive without supervision, at night, etc. Restricted license holders, however, may sometimes drive without a parent or guardian (or person over the age of 21) in the vehicle, but are typically not allowed to drive with more than one passenger under the age of 18.
A full license is a standard license, which enables the license holder to drive a vehicle in the license’s class as per the standard rules of the road.
Rental cars also come with a long list of restrictions and liabilities. For example, although the age listed in the table below is the legal minimum age at which you can rent a vehicle, you will most likely be required to pay additional fees until you reach the age of 25 years old. This is to account for the increased risk associated with renting vehicles to inexperienced drivers.
With all of that out of the way, it’s time to get into the table itself. It’s organized alphabetically from Alabama to Wyoming and covers all 50 states (plus Washington D.C., listed as “District of Columbia”). To find information on the state you’re looking for, scroll down the left-most column until you’ve located it and then look at the entries in that row.
State | Learner’s Permit | Restricted License | Full License | Rental car |
Alabama | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Alaska | 14 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 21 |
Arizona | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Arkansas | 14 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
California | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Colorado | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Connecticut | 16 | 16 and 4 months | 18 | 20 |
Delaware | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 17 | 21 |
District of Columbia | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 18 | 20 |
Florida | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Georgia | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Hawaii | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Idaho | 14 and 6 months | 15 | 16 | 20 |
Illinois | 15 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
Indiana | 15 | 16 and 6 months | 18 | 20 |
Iowa | 14 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Kansas | 14 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Kentucky | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 17 | 20 |
Louisiana | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Maine | 15 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Maryland | 15 and 9 months | 16 and 6 months | 18 | 20 |
Massachusetts | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 18 | 20 |
Michigan | 14 and 9 months | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Minnesota | 15 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 21 |
Mississippi | 15 | 15 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Missouri | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Montana | 14 and 6 months | 15 | 16 | 21 |
Nebraska | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Nevada | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 18 | 20 |
New Hampshire | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 17 | 20 |
New Jersey | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 |
New Mexico | 15 | 15 and 6 months | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
New York | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 17 w/classes or 18 | 20 |
North Carolina | 15 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
North Dakota | 14 | 15 | 16 | 21 |
Ohio | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Oklahoma | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Oregon | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Pennsylvania | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 17 w/classes or 18 | 20 |
Rhode Island | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
South Carolina | 15 | 15 and 6 months | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
South Dakota | 14 | 14 and 6 months | 16 | 21 |
Tennessee | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Texas | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
Utah | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Vermont | 15 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Virginia | 15 and 6 months | 16 and 3 months | 18 | 20 |
Washington | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
West Virginia | 15 | 16 | 17 | 20 |
Wisconsin | 15 and 6 months | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |
Wyoming | 15 | 16 | 16 and 6 months | 20 |