From Permit to License: The Fastest and Slowest States to Get a Teen Driver’s License

Getting a driver’s license is one of the biggest milestones in a teenager’s life, but how long it takes depends almost entirely on where they live. Every US state uses a system called graduated driver licensing, or GDL, which moves new drivers through stages instead of handing them a full license all at once. The starting age, the waiting time and the practice hours vary widely across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

We went through the IIHS Graduated Licensing Laws table (October 2026) to find where teens can get on the road fastest, where they wait the longest, and how the rules stack up. Where completing driver education changes a requirement, we show both figures.

Which state is the fastest to get a teen driver’s license?

South Dakota is the fastest state to reach a licensed stage. A teen there can hold an intermediate license as early as 14 years 6 months with driver education, or 14 years 9 months without it. No other state’s standard intermediate license comes close.

After South Dakota, the next fastest are:

• Idaho and Montana, where a teen can move to the intermediate stage at 15.
• New Mexico and South Carolina, at 15 years 6 months.

Most of the country sits at 16, which is by far the most common minimum age for an intermediate license.

A few states also offer limited licenses before their standard intermediate stage. North Dakota has a parent-requested restricted license at 15, and Kansas has a restricted license at 15 for teens who complete driver training. Iowa and Nebraska offer special school or work licenses to some younger teens. These limit where and when teens can drive, so they are not counted in the ranking.

Which state has the shortest learner’s permit period?

Wyoming requires the shortest learner’s permit period in the country, just 10 days. Wyoming teens still have to reach the state’s minimum intermediate license age of 16 before driving unsupervised. So the 10 days is the shortest required time on the permit, not a way around the age rule.

New Hampshire has no holding period at all, because it does not issue learner’s permits. Instead, teens there may begin supervised driving at 15 years 6 months, with a licensed driver aged 25 or older.

Which state is the slowest to get a teen driver’s license?

New Jersey is the slowest state. Its learner’s permit is not available until 16, and the intermediate license comes at 17, the latest starting point in the country. For teens who skip driver education, New Jersey pushes both back further: the permit to 17 and the intermediate license to 17 years 6 months.

A cluster of states sets the intermediate license at 16 years 6 months: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Connecticut (16 years 4 months) and Virginia (16 years 3 months) are close behind.

Skipping driver education slows things down in other states too. In California and Texas, teens who skip it must wait until 18 for a license. In Indiana, the intermediate license moves from 16 to 16 years 9 months.

Which states make teens hold a permit the longest?

Eight states require a full 12-month learner’s permit period: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota (for teens who start before 16) and Vermont. That is twice the six-month period used by most states, and a world away from Wyoming’s 10 days.

Five more states require 9 months: Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, South Dakota (6 months with driver education) and Virginia.

Which states require the most supervised driving?

Maine requires the most supervised driving in the learner stage, at 70 hours. Pennsylvania is next at 65 hours, followed by Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina at 60 hours each. North Carolina also requires 12 more hours during the intermediate stage, which brings its total to 72.

Some states ask for more on certain routes. Oregon requires 100 hours for teens who skip driver education. Montana requires 75 hours for teens who take an approved online course with a parent teaching the driving.

At the other end, Arkansas and Mississippi set no supervised-hour minimum, and North Dakota sets none for applicants 16 and older. Iowa has the lowest learner-stage requirement, 20 hours, plus 10 more during the intermediate stage. Among states that set the whole requirement up front, Arizona and Texas are lowest at 30 hours.

Most states land at 50 hours, and many specify that 10 of those must be at night. Several states waive or reduce the requirement for teens who complete driver education. In Alabama, Arizona, Nebraska and West Virginia, it drops to zero.

How fast can a teen get a fully unrestricted license?

Reaching an intermediate license is only part of the journey. Nighttime and passenger limits usually stay in place for months, or even years, afterward.

Only four states allow a teen to hold a fully unrestricted license at 16: South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho and Montana.

At the other end, 15 states plus the District of Columbia keep at least one restriction in place until the driver turns 18: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. In California and New York, teens who skip driver education also wait until 18.

Put simply, a teen in South Dakota can be a fully unrestricted driver at 16, while a teen in New Jersey is still a supervised learner at the same age.

The full ranking: how fast can teens get licensed in each state?

State-by-state comparison table

Table notes

• (a) California: applicants who skip driver education skip the intermediate stage and must wait until 18 for a license.
• (b) Iowa: a special minor’s restricted license for driving to school or work is available from 14, after 6 months on a permit and driver education (or proven hardship).
• (c) Kansas: 25 of the 50 hours are required in the learner stage and 25 before age 16. A restricted license is available at 15 with driver training.
• (d) Nebraska: rural students may get a learner’s permit and a limited school permit from 14 years 2 months.
• (e) Texas: the minimum license age is 18 for applicants who have not completed driver education.

Why do states have graduated licensing laws?

The idea behind graduated licensing is simple: give new drivers more experience before they take on full driving privileges. According to the IIHS, graduated licensing reduces the risk of driving for teens, which is why every state now uses some version of it. The stages, curfews and passenger limits are all built around the same goal of easing young drivers onto the road gradually.

Study for your permit and license test with Zutobi

No matter which state you are in, the first real hurdle is passing the knowledge test for the learner’s permit. Zutobi is a driver education app built to make that part simple.

It turns the driver handbook into short, easy lessons with videos and practice questions, so teens can study on their phone and walk into the test prepared. Zutobi covers all 50 states, which matters given how much the rules differ from place to place.

“The rules change the moment you cross a state line, so the best favor a new driver can do themselves is learning their own state’s requirements early,” said Luke Waldenback, co-founder of Zutobi. “Good preparation is what turns the permit test from something stressful into something straightforward.”

FAQ

What is the youngest age to get a driver’s license in the US?

In South Dakota, a teen can hold an intermediate (restricted) license as early as 14 years 6 months with driver education. This is the youngest in the country. Most states set the intermediate license age at 16.

Which state is the slowest for teens to get licensed?

New Jersey. Its learner’s permit is not available until 16, and the intermediate license comes at 17, the latest of any state.

How long do you have to hold a learner’s permit?

It varies by state. Most require 6 months. Seven states require 12 months, while Wyoming requires only 10 days.

How many hours of supervised driving do teens need?

Most states require 50 hours, often with 10 at night. Maine requires the most at 70 hours, while Arkansas and Mississippi set no minimum.

Can a 16-year-old have a full, unrestricted license?

In four states (South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, and Montana), yes. In most states, nighttime or passenger limits stay in place until 17 or 18.

How does Zutobi help teens prepare for the permit and license test?

Zutobi turns the state’s driver handbook into short video lessons and practice questions that teens can work through on their phones. It offers state-specific practice tests that mirror the real exam, so people can check what they know and focus on weak spots. The app covers all 50 states.