How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license, state by state?
Every state’s answer, and the District of Columbia’s, from its own manual or code: 47 have a rule on this, quoted below with where it is written; 4 say nothing on it.
Statutes fetched between 8 and 9 October 2026; manuals fetched between 6 September and 4 October 2026. How the answers are made
| State | The rule | Where it is written | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | A driver 16 but under 18 who has held a learner license for six months, or until their 18th birthday, may take the road test. | Alabama Driver Manual, p.10 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Alaska | If you are 16 or 17, you must hold a valid Alaska instruction permit for 6 months before the DMV can issue you a provisional Class D license. | Alaska Driver Manual, p.8 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arizona | An applicant for a graduated license must have held an Arizona instruction permit for at least 6 months. | Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.13 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| California | A minor must hold an instruction permit from California or another state for at least 6 months, or turn 18 years old, before scheduling the behind-the-wheel drive test. | California Driver’s Handbook, p.3 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Colorado | Colorado law requires a minor to hold an instruction permit for 12 months before applying for a driver license. | Colorado Driver Handbook, p.2 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Connecticut | An applicant 18 or older must hold a learner's permit for at least 90 days before taking a road test. | Connecticut Driver's Manual, p.7 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Delaware | A Level One permit holder under 18 may get a Class D license after completing the 12-month GDL program, if the sponsor has not withdrawn and the privileges are not suspended or revoked. | Delaware Driver Manual, p.30 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Before getting a provisional license you must have held a valid learner permit for at least 6 months with no pointable moving violations. | DC Driver Manual, p.19 | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Florida | A driver under 18 must hold the learner license for 12 months, or until turning 18, whichever comes first. | Official Florida Driver License Handbook, p.8 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Georgia | You may apply for a Georgia Class D provisional license on reaching age 16, having held a valid instructional permit for one year and one day. | Georgia Driver's Manual, p.65 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hawaii | In Hawaii you must hold a valid instruction permit for 180 days before applying for a provisional license. | State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.13 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Illinois | A 15- to 17-year-old must hold the instruction permit for at least nine consecutive months before being licensed. | Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.16 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Indiana | A new driver must hold a valid Indiana learner's permit for at least 180 days before getting a license. | Indiana Driver's Manual, p.9 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kansas | A Kansas driver under 17 must have held a state-issued learner's permit for 1 year or more before a license is issued. | Kansas Driving Handbook, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kentucky | After holding the permit 180 days and reaching age 17, a Kentucky driver may schedule a skills test appointment to apply for an intermediate license. | Kentucky Driver Manual, p.6 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Louisiana | You must hold your learner's permit for at least 180 days before moving to the intermediate stage. | Class D & E Driver's Guide, p.7 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Maine | In Maine, an applicant under 21 must hold a learner's permit for 6 months before applying for a road test. | Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.8 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | An applicant under 18 must hold the permit for at least 9 months without a violation before becoming eligible for a provisional license. | Maryland Driver's Manual, p.10 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Massachusetts | To obtain a Junior Operator's License you must have held a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive months before the road test. | Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.9 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Michigan | To take the driving skills test as a teen you must be at least 15, have completed Segment 2 and 50 supervised hours with 10 at night, and have held a Level 1 license for at least six months. | What Every Driver Must Know, p.5 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Minnesota | A driver aged 18 or younger must hold an instruction permit at least six months before taking the road test. | Minnesota Driver’s Manual, p.15 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Mississippi | You must hold the Learner's Permit for 1 year before you can upgrade to a Regular Driver's License. | Mississippi Driver's License Manual, p.13 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | You must hold an instruction permit for at least six months, counted as 182 days from the day after it is issued, before graduating to an intermediate license. | Missouri Driver Guide, p.16 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Montana | A Montana teen under 18 must hold a learner permit for at least six consecutive months before applying for a first-year restricted license. | Montana Driver Manual, p.8 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nebraska | Before applying for a POP, a person must have held an LPE, SCP or LPD for at least six months. | Nebraska Driver’s Manual, p.4 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nevada | If you are under 18, you must hold an instruction permit for at least 6 months before applying for a driver license. | Nevada Driver Handbook, p.15 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire does not issue permits to learn to drive. | New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p.2 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Jersey | A GDL permit holder under 21 must have at least six months of supervised practice before a road test appointment. | New Jersey Driver Manual, p.34 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Mexico | You must hold your instructional permit for at least 6 months. | New Mexico Driver Manual, p.1 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| New York | (d) be eligible for issuance of a class DJ, MJ, D or M license unless such permit has been valid for at least six months. Any time period in which such class DJ or MJ learner's permit has been suspended or revoked shall not be counted in determining the length of time that such learner's permit has been valid. | New York law, N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 501-b(1)(d) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| North Carolina | A Level One permit must be held for nine months before applying for a Limited Provisional License. | North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Dakota | In North Dakota, a 14- or 15-year-old must hold the instruction permit for 12 months or until age 16, whichever comes first, before the road test or a waiver. | North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.3 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oklahoma | To take the driving test on an Oklahoma learner permit, you must be 16 years old and have held the permit for at least 6 months. | Oklahoma Driver Manual, p.10 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oregon | An applicant under 18 applying for a driver license must have held a permit for at least 6 months. | 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.5 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | (1) Have held a learner's permit for that class of vehicle for a period of six months. | Pennsylvania law, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1505(e)(1) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Rhode Island | You must hold a limited learner permit for at least 6 months before you can take the driving skills test and move up to a learner provisional license. | Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Carolina | If you are 17 or under, you must hold your beginner's permit for at least 180 days before you may apply for any type of license. | South Carolina Driver's Manual, p.8 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Dakota | A minor aged 14 to 17 must hold the instruction permit continuously for 275 days before upgrading to a restricted minor's permit or operator's license. | South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.8 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Tennessee | Drivers under 18 must hold a learner permit for 180 days and qualify under the GDL program before they can be road tested. | Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.116 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Texas | Phase One requires an applicant under 18 to hold a learner, hardship, or combined license for at least six months before a provisional license is issued. | Texas Driver Handbook, p.2 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Utah | A 16 or 17 year old must have completed driver education and held a learner permit for at least six months before being licensed. | Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027, p.7 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Vermont | You must hold a Learner's Permit for at least 1 year before a Junior Driver's License can be issued. | 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.13 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Virginia | B. Any person under the age of 18 years issued a learner's permit pursuant to § 46.2-335 shall hold such permit for a minimum period of nine months or until he reaches the age of 18 years, whichever occurs first. | Virginia law, Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-335.2(B) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Washington | A driver aged 16 or 17 must hold their instruction permit for at least 6 months before they can get a first driver license. | Washington State Driver Guide, p.26 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| West Virginia | For a Level 2 intermediate license you must be at least 16, have 180 consecutive days of conviction-free driving at Level 1, pass a road skills test, and have a log of at least 50 hours behind the wheel including 10 at night. | West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.10 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Wisconsin | A driver under 18 must hold an instruction permit for at least six months before getting a probationary license. | Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook, p.6 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Wyoming | (f) No person shall be issued a driver's license within ten (10) days of issuance of an instruction or temporary driver's permit for the same vehicle class. A commercial driver's license issued after a commercial learner's permit shall be subject to the time restrictions stated in W.S. 31-7-304(g). | Wyoming law, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-7-111(f) | 9 Oct 2026 |
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