Permit and provisional — Maryland Permit Test

The minimum age to apply for a Maryland learner's permit is 15 years, 9 months.

To get a learner's permit you must pass a vision screening and a knowledge test of 25 multiple-choice questions; you must score 88% (22 of 25 correct) to pass and have 20 minutes to complete the test.

Applicants under 18 must have a parent, guardian, or other qualified adult co-sign the learner's permit application.

Applicants under 16 must provide proof of school attendance or enrollment in a GED program.

A learner's permit holder must always be accompanied by a supervising driver who is at least 21 years old, has held a license for at least 3 years, and is seated beside the permit holder.

A supervising driver is there to catch what a beginner misses, which takes both experience and a clear view of the road — so age, years licensed, and the front passenger seat all matter.

All new Maryland drivers must complete a standardized driver education course consisting of 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training.

Applicants must complete at least 60 hours of supervised practice driving, including 10 hours at night, recorded in the Rookie Driver practice log and certified by the supervising driver. Applicants 25 or older need 14 hours, including 3 at night.

Permit holders under 18 must hold the learner's permit conviction-free for at least 9 months before taking the driving skills test; a moving-violation conviction restarts the waiting period.

A Maryland learner's permit is valid for 2 years.

The minimum age for a provisional license is 16 years, 6 months, after completing all learner's permit requirements and passing the driving skills test.

For the first 151 days of a provisional license, drivers under 18 may not carry passengers under 18 who are not immediate family members unless a qualified supervising driver is present.

The first months are when crash risk is highest, and teenage passengers are the single biggest distraction for a new driver.

Provisional license holders under 18 may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless supervised by a qualified driver or driving to or from employment, school, an organized volunteer program, or an athletic event, with documentation.

Late-night driving combines darkness, fatigue and a higher share of impaired drivers — the three things a new driver is least equipped for.

A provisional license holder must drive conviction-free for 18 months before the license converts to a full driver's license.

A learner's permit holder must be accompanied by a supervising driver who is...

at least 21 years old, licensed for at least 3 years, and seated beside the driver. A supervising driver is there to catch what a beginner misses, which takes both experience and a clear view of the road — so age, years licensed, and the front passenger seat all matter.