Photo: ChessEric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An Oklahoma intermediate license lets you drive alone between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and carry one passenger, with some exceptions. This explainer is for teens on the intermediate stage and their parents. It covers exactly what the restrictions allow, how long they last, and what you need to move up to an unrestricted Class D license.
Oklahoma intermediate license restrictions
| Rule | What it means | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Drive only between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. | Driving to or from work, school, school activities or church activities. Any time with a licensed driver aged 21 or over seated beside you. Farm or ranch residents doing farming or ranching work outside city limits |
| Passengers | No more than one passenger | Any number if all passengers live in your parent or guardian’s household. Any number if a licensed driver aged 21 or over sits in the front seat |
| Phones | No hand-held electronic devices while driving | A life-threatening emergency |
These limits appear on your license as restriction code “T”. No T restriction applies once you are 18.
Scenario checks
- Driving home from a 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift at work: allowed, because work trips are exempt.
- Driving to a friend’s house at 10:30 p.m.: not allowed, unless a licensed driver aged 21 or over is beside you.
- Taking your two younger siblings to school: allowed, because they live in your household.
- Taking two friends to the mall: not allowed. One friend is the limit.
- Two friends, with your 22-year-old licensed cousin in the front seat: allowed.
Who can get an Oklahoma intermediate license?
- You are at least 16 with driver education, or 16 and a half without it.
- You have held a learner permit for at least 180 days.
- You have done at least 50 hours behind the wheel, including 10 at night, with a licensed driver aged 21 or over who has held a license for at least 2 years. Your parent certifies this on the Affidavit of Driver Training.
- You have had no traffic convictions in the 180 days before the drive test.
- You have a Work Zone Safe certificate (required under 18).
- You pass the Class D drive test. See the Oklahoma driving test guide.
The intermediate license costs $25 to print and issue (as of November 2026), plus $4 for each failed test. If your permit expired more than 3 years ago, you must retake both the written and drive tests.
When does the Oklahoma intermediate license end?
| With driver education | Without driver education | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum time on the intermediate license | 6 months | 12 months |
| Clean record needed | No traffic convictions in the 180 days before issuance | No traffic convictions in the 12 months before issuance |
| Earliest unrestricted license | 16 and a half | 17 and a half (an intermediate at 16 and a half, held 12 months) |
Under the statute (47 O.S. § 6-105), the shorter 6-month route needs both driver education and the parent-certified 50 hours. Bring your driver education certificate when you apply.
What a ticket does to your timeline
A traffic conviction restarts the waiting period from the date of the conviction. The manual puts it simply: you stay at your current GDL level until 6 months from the conviction date have passed. Under the statute, more than one conviction means the clock runs from the most recent one.
A conviction for violating a license restriction carries 2 points. It can also mean a fine of up to $500, up to 6 months in jail, or both. Service Oklahoma can suspend or cancel an intermediate license for breaking its restrictions, for using a hand-held device or for any traffic violation. See points systems and suspensions.
After the intermediate stage: still probationary
Any Oklahoma license issued to a driver under 18 is probationary. Service Oklahoma can cancel or suspend it, at its discretion, for any moving traffic violation. Under-21 drivers also face zero tolerance for alcohol. See zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21.
Common questions
How many passengers can an Oklahoma intermediate driver carry?
One. The exceptions are passengers who all live in your parent’s household, or a licensed driver aged 21 or over in the front seat.
What time is curfew on an Oklahoma intermediate license?
You can drive from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside those hours, only trips to and from work, school, school activities or church activities are allowed, unless a licensed driver aged 21 or over is beside you.
Does the curfew apply to a school football game that ends late?
School activities are exempt, so you can drive to and from the game.
Can I use my phone hands-free on an intermediate license?
The statute bans using a hand-held electronic device, and texting while driving is illegal for all Oklahoma drivers. Hands-free use is not covered by the GDL ban, but the manual tells every driver to give the road their full attention. See phone laws for US drivers.
Do I need another test to get the unrestricted license?
The sources differ. Service Oklahoma’s intermediate page lists only the time held and a clean record, and the statute sets no new test. The 2024 rule text (OAC 670:15-1-5) does mention the driving skills test. Check with Service Oklahoma before you go.
How do Oklahoma’s limits compare with other states?
See GDL laws compared, and the full route in the Oklahoma learning to drive guide.
Sources
- Service Oklahoma, “Intermediate License” (oklahoma.gov)
- Service Oklahoma, “Oklahoma Driver Manual” (updated 11/24/25) (oklahoma.gov)
- Oklahoma Legislature, “Oklahoma Statutes Title 47, § 6-105 and § 11-901d” (oklegislature.gov)
- Oklahoma Administrative Code, “670:15-1-5 Graduated driver license” via Legal Information Institute (law.cornell.edu)