Montana graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three GDL steps and what each one allows.
• You can explain how long you must hold a learner license before moving on.
• You can list what must happen before a teen can get a first-year restricted license.
• You can describe the night and passenger limits on a new teen license.
• You can say when the first-year restrictions end.

What you need to know and understand

• A learner license is valid for 1 year and needs a passed knowledge test and vision test.
• With an approved traffic education course, you can get a learner license from age 14 1/2.
• Under 18, you must hold a learner license (or traffic education permit) for at least 6 months before getting a driver license.
• Teens must complete an approved traffic education course and log at least 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night.
• The 6 months before you apply must be free of traffic convictions and alcohol or drug offenses, with no pending citations.
• A first-year restricted license bans driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., with some exceptions.
• The restrictions end after 1 year or at age 18, whichever comes first.

The three steps at a glance

1. Learner license: pass the knowledge and vision tests, then practice with a licensed supervisor beside you. Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt.
2. First-year restricted license: after at least 6 months on the learner license, finishing traffic education, logging your hours and passing the road test, you drive alone with night and passenger limits.
3. Full-privilege license: the restrictions drop off automatically after 1 year, or when you turn 18 if that comes first.

What has to be true before Step 2

Montana law lists the conditions a teen must meet before MVD can issue a driver license. A parent or legal guardian signs a certification covering the practice hours and your record. If they cannot certify a clean 6 months, MVD can extend the learner license instead of issuing a license.

• At least 6 months holding a learner license or traffic education permit.
• A passed road test.
• A completed traditional traffic education course plus 50 supervised hours (10 at night), or an alternative course approved by the Department of Justice plus 75 hours (15 at night).
• No traffic convictions or alcohol or drug offenses in the last 6 months, and no pending citations.

Limits during the restricted year

No driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver aged 18 or older is with you, or you are driving to or from work, a school event or a religious event, handling farm or ranch work, dealing with an emergency, or have specific permission from a parent.

For the first 6 months you may carry only one passenger under 18 who is not family, unless a licensed driver 18 or older supervises you. For the second 6 months the limit rises to three. Every occupant must wear a seat belt, and you may not carry more people than there are belts.

Common mistakes

• Getting a ticket shortly before applying. Any traffic conviction in the 6 months before you apply can delay your license.
• Forgetting that the passenger limit changes. One unrelated teen passenger is the limit for the first 6 months, not the whole year.
• Treating the curfew as a suggestion. A first violation of the restrictions brings 20 to 60 hours of community service and a second brings a 6-month suspension.

Test yourself: Montana graduated driver licence stages

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Learning to Drive in Montana
• Montana Permit Practice Test
• Montana Permit Test