Young driver licensing systems in the U.S.

The first step to becoming a licensed driver is a learner permit. In this stage, teens can only drive with adult supervision. States can reduce teens; fatal crashes by raising the minimum permit age. States may require teens to hold their learner permits longer so they can get more practice driving experience. Longer holding periods mean teens will be older when they get their license. States shouldn't try to offset this delay by lowering the minimum permit age because doing so increases fatal crashes. Permit age ranges from 14 years to 16 years across the United States.

The older teens are when they first become eligible for a license, the fewer fatal crashes there are. Increasing this minimum age is a proven way to reduce crashes and deaths among young drivers. Some states delay the license age by requiring teens to hold the learner permit longer. Research shows no independent benefit of a longer permit holding period beyond delaying licensure. Minimum license age ranges from 14 years 3 months to 17 years across the United States.

In this part of the calculator, the left-hand slider represents permit age, and the right-hand slider represents minimum license age.

Most states require a minimum number of supervised hours behind the wheel before progressing past the learner stage to an intermediate license. Requiring more practice hours reduces the number of collision claims filed for novice drivers.

Across the United States, required practice amounts range from 0 hours to 65 hours.

Most states restrict teens in the intermediate stage of licensure from driving without adult supervision at night. Starting times vary. Restrictions that start at 9 p.m. reduce teen driver fatal crash rates an estimated 18 percent and collision claim frequencies an estimated 8 percent, compared with no restriction. Requiring teen drivers to be off the road starting at 1 a.m. lowers their fatal crash rates by 9 percent compared with no restrictions at all.

Night driving restrictions begin as early as 1:00 am and as late as 8:00 pm. Restrictions in some states may be earlier, depending on the time of year.

When a beginning driver travels with other teens in the car, the risk of a fatal crash increases. Most states limit the number of passengers that may ride along with intermediate-stage drivers without adult supervision. When teenage passengers are prohibited, 15-to-17-year-old drivers’ fatal crash rates are 21 percent lower than when two or more teen passengers are allowed. Allowing only one teen passenger reduces the fatal crash rate 7 percent and lowers collision claim frequencies 5 percent.