Louisiana Intermediate License: Curfew and Passengers

Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Louisiana intermediate license lets you drive alone from 16, with two main limits. First, no driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. without a licensed adult 21 or older or a licensed sibling 18 or older. Second, from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., no more than 1 passenger under 21 who is not immediate family, unless a licensed adult 21 or older is with you. You hold the license until you turn 17. These rules come from the R.Y.A.N. Act (Reduce Youth Accidents Now), Louisiana’s graduated licensing law since January 1, 1998.

Louisiana graduated licensing: the three stages

	Stage 1: Learner’s permit	Stage 2: Intermediate	Stage 3: Full license
Minimum age	15	16	17
Driving alone	Never	Yes, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.	Yes
11 p.m. to 5 a.m.	With supervisor only	Only with a licensed parent, guardian, adult 21+ or sibling 18+	No curfew
Teen passengers	No set limit while supervised	6 p.m. to 5 a.m.: max 1 under 21 who is not immediate family, unless a licensed adult 21+ is with you	No limit
Phone	No use, including hands-free	No talking or texting at 17 and under, except emergencies	Same until 18; all drivers hands-free only
Minimum time	180 days	Until your 17th birthday	n/a

How to get your intermediate license

Be at least 16.
Hold your learner’s permit for at least 180 days.
Complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them at night, with a licensed parent, guardian or adult 21 or older.
Have a parent or legal guardian sign a statement to the OMV. It confirms the 50 hours, and that you had no at-fault crashes, no moving violations, and no seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol violations on your permit.
Pass the vision test (20/40 in one or both eyes) and the road skills test (80%). See the Louisiana road skills test guide.
A custodial parent signs the upgrade application. In joint custody, only the domiciliary parent may sign. Married or emancipated minors are the exception.

Your license will show the word “Intermediate”. Licenses for drivers under 21 also look different, with a different color and orientation.

Intermediate license restrictions in detail

Curfew: 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

You may not drive in these hours unless one of these people is in the car with you: a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed adult aged 21 or older, or a licensed sibling aged 18 or older. The OMV and the driver’s guide list no exceptions for work or school.

Passengers: 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.

You may carry no more than 1 passenger under 21 who is not a member of your immediate family. The limit does not apply when a licensed adult 21 or older is with you. Brothers and sisters do not count toward the limit. Before 6 p.m., the guide sets no passenger limit.

Phones

Drivers 17 and under may not use a wireless device to talk or to read, write or send texts, except in an emergency. All Louisiana drivers must be hands-free, and no driver may text or use social media while driving. See hands-free and texting laws.

Seat belts

You must make sure every passenger is properly buckled before you move off.

Scenarios: is this allowed?

Situation (driver aged 16, intermediate license)	Allowed?
Driving two friends aged 16 home at 4 p.m.	Yes. No passenger limit before 6 p.m.
Driving two friends aged 16 home at 7 p.m.	No, unless a licensed adult 21+ is in the car
Driving your two younger siblings at 8 p.m.	Yes. Immediate family do not count
Driving home alone from work at 11:30 p.m.	No
Driving at midnight with your licensed 19-year-old brother	Yes
Taking a call through the car’s speaker system	No, unless it is an emergency

Moving to a full license at 17

To get a full Class E license at 17, you need either a completed intermediate stage, or the 38-hour driver ed course plus a road skills test. You also need 12 consecutive months with:

no at-fault crashes
no moving violations
no seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol violations

The phone ban for drivers 17 and under still applies on a full license until you turn 18.

What happens if you break the rules?

Driving against a license restriction is a violation of the law. It can lead to suspension of your driving privileges.
Seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol violations, at-fault crashes and moving violations affect your eligibility for the next stage.
Under 21, a BAC of 0.02% or more brings a 180-day suspension. See zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21.
Drivers aged 15 to 17 can lose their license for leaving school before graduating or for habitual absence or tardiness.

Check with the OMV how far a violation delays your next stage. National overview: points systems and license suspensions.

Common questions

What time can a 16-year-old drive in Louisiana?

Alone, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., only with a licensed parent, guardian, adult 21 or older, or sibling 18 or older.

How many passengers can a 16-year-old have in Louisiana?

Before 6 p.m., the guide sets no limit. From 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., 1 passenger under 21 who is not immediate family, unless a licensed adult 21 or older is with you.

Does the curfew apply after I turn 17?

The intermediate stage lasts until your 17th birthday. After that you can apply for a full license, which has no curfew. You need 12 clean months to qualify.

I moved to Louisiana at 16 with an out-of-state license. Do I start over?

Not necessarily. If you have held a license or permit for at least 180 days, you may go straight to an intermediate license. See moving to a new state.

How does Louisiana compare with other states?

See US graduated driver licensing compared.

Sources

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, “Class D & E Driver’s Guide” DPSMV2052 (R08/25), Graduated Licensing Program (public.powerdms.com/LADPSC)
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, “Upgrading to a Class E Intermediate License” (expresslane.la.gov)
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, “Louisiana Graduated Driver’s License Laws” (expresslane.la.gov)
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, “Permits” (expresslane.la.gov)

Louisiana Intermediate License Rules Under the R.Y.A.N. Act