Teen Driving Laws
Permit age, required supervised hours, and intermediate license restrictions for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
How Graduated Driver Licensing Works
Learner's Permit
The first stage permits a new driver to operate a vehicle only while accompanied by a licensed adult supervisor. Most states require the permit to be held for a minimum period and require a stated number of supervised practice hours, part of which may need to be completed at night, before the applicant may advance to the next stage.
Intermediate License
The second stage permits unsupervised driving under defined conditions. Holders are ordinarily prohibited from driving during specified nighttime hours and are limited in the number or age of passengers they may carry. These restrictions remain in effect until the driver reaches a stated age or has held the license for a stated period.
Full License
The final stage removes the nighttime and passenger restrictions imposed during the intermediate stage. A driver who satisfies the conditions for removal holds full driving privileges, subject to the same traffic laws that govern all licensed drivers. Certain states continue to apply specific provisions, such as mobile device prohibitions, to drivers under a stated age.
Select Your State
Choose a jurisdiction to view its permit, supervised driving, and intermediate license requirements.
Delaware
Minimum permit age
16
Holding period: 6 months
Required supervised driving hours
50 hours, 10 of them at night
Minimum age for unsupervised driving
16 years 6 months
Nighttime operation
10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Conditions for removal: Licensed 6 months (minimum age 17)
Passenger limitations
No more than one passenger
Conditions for removal: Licensed 6 months (minimum age 17)
Additional provisions
- Driver education is required for every applicant under 18.
- A driver education student does not need a permit in order to drive with a driver education instructor.
- A student who has finished the on-road part of driver education may get a Driver Education Learner's Permit from 15 years 10 months, which allows driving supervised by an experienced driver.
- On completing driver education and passing both the road and written tests, the student receives a Level 1 permit.
- The Level 1 permit runs 12 months. For the first six months driving is supervised only, and no more than one passenger (family members excepted) may be carried in addition to the supervising driver. For the second six months the permit is equivalent to an intermediate license: the holder may drive unsupervised between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and may carry only one passenger.
- Applicants under 18 must have held a Driver Education Learner's Permit, a Level 1 permit, or both, for at least 12 months.
Delaware requires 50 hours of supervised driving.
Drivvy records each drive automatically, with day and night hours tracked separately against Delaware's requirement, and exports a log your licensing agency will accept.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the minimum age for a learner's permit in Delaware?
- The minimum age for a learner's permit in Delaware is 16. The permit must be held for 6 months.
- How many supervised driving hours does Delaware require?
- Delaware requires 50 hours, 10 of them at night.
- What restrictions apply to intermediate license holders in Delaware?
- Nighttime operation: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.. Conditions for removal: Licensed 6 months (minimum age 17). Passenger limitations: No more than one passenger. Conditions for removal: Licensed 6 months (minimum age 17).
Complete index of jurisdictions
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
About this information
Requirements are compiled from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's graduated licensing laws table, current as of October 2026, and restructured by Drivvy.
Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
This material is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Licensing requirements are subject to amendment, and certain provisions vary according to the applicant's age, driver education status, or locality. Readers are advised to verify the requirements then in force with the relevant state licensing agency before relying upon any statement made here.
Source: https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table