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.
Iowa
Minimum permit age
14
Holding period: 12 months
Required supervised driving hours
20 hours, 2 of them at night, plus 10 more hours in the intermediate stage
Minimum age for unsupervised driving
16
Nighttime operation
12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Conditions for removal: Licensed 12 months and age 17, or age 18, whichever comes first (minimum age 17)
Passenger limitations
Left to parental discretion
Conditions for removal: Not applicable
Additional provisions
- A further 10 supervised hours, two of them at night, must be certified during the intermediate stage.
- Parents may waive a discretionary six-month limit of one unrelated passenger under 18 at the time of licensure.
- Driver education is required for an intermediate license, and for a full license before 18.
- A special minor's restricted license may be issued to an applicant between 14 and 18 who has completed driver education or demonstrates hardship and has held an instruction permit for at least six months. It limits unsupervised driving to specified locations such as work or school within a 25-mile radius, allows no more than one unrelated minor passenger, and permits driving only during the hour before and after the start and end of school, a work shift or extracurricular activities.
Iowa requires 20 hours of supervised driving.
Drivvy records each drive automatically, with day and night hours tracked separately against Iowa'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 Iowa?
- The minimum age for a learner's permit in Iowa is 14. The permit must be held for 12 months.
- How many supervised driving hours does Iowa require?
- Iowa requires 20 hours, 2 of them at night, plus 10 more hours in the intermediate stage.
- What restrictions apply to intermediate license holders in Iowa?
- Nighttime operation: 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m.. Conditions for removal: Licensed 12 months and age 17, or age 18, whichever comes first (minimum age 17). Passenger limitations: Left to parental discretion. Conditions for removal: Not applicable.
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