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A parent-teen driving agreement is a written set of house rules for a new driver: who can ride along, when the teen can drive, phones, seat belts, alcohol, what happens if a rule is broken, and who pays for what. Several state DMVs publish one, including Connecticut, Alabama, California, Illinois and Massachusetts. None is legally required, but signing one turns your state’s teen driving law into a clear family plan. Below is what to include, how the official versions work, and a free template you can copy.
Key facts
- When to sign: Connecticut’s agreement says to sign when your teen gets a learner’s permit and review it again when they get a license.
- Your rules can be stricter than the law, but never looser. Start from your state’s teen license rules on passengers, curfew and phones.
- Official versions come from the Connecticut DMV (Teen-Parent Driver Agreement), Alabama (sample contract in the driver manual), the California DMV (Parent-Teen Driving Contract), the Illinois Secretary of State (Parent-Teen Driving Contract) and the Massachusetts RMV (Driver Parent/Guardian Contract).
- It works both ways. Connecticut’s version includes promises from the parent too.
What to include in a parent-teen driving contract
| Section | What to decide | Connecticut’s wording as a model |
|---|---|---|
| Supervision | Who supervises practice, and when the teen may drive | A supervising adult decides day by day whether it is safe; the teen asks permission every time |
| Seat belts | Belts for everyone, every trip | The teen wears a belt and makes sure every passenger, of any age, wears one |
| Phones and devices | No texting or calls; where the phone goes | Texting or talking on a phone, even hands-free, is illegal for Connecticut teen drivers |
| Curfew | Latest driving time, and exceptions | No driving 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. except for school, a job, a medical or religious reason |
| Passengers | Who can ride, and when that expands | First six months: only a supervising adult. Next six months: add immediate family. No friends until licensed for one year |
| Alcohol, drugs and tiredness | Zero tolerance | Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or without enough rest |
| Speed and road rules | Obey limits and adjust to conditions | Obey speed limits, signals and the rules of the road |
| Consequences | What happens when a rule is broken | Driving privileges suspended for a set number of days (filled in by the family) |
| Costs | Insurance, gas and maintenance | Costs of insurance, gas and maintenance divided as agreed |
| End date | When you review or end the agreement | In effect until a date the family sets |
Alabama’s sample contract covers similar ground: passenger limits set by parents, no phone use, no alcohol, and checking in on location.
Start from your state’s teen driving law
Every state has graduated driver licensing rules for teens. Your agreement should include them, then add family rules on top. Check:
- Passenger limits and when they end.
- Night driving curfew hours and allowed exceptions.
- Phone rules for teen drivers, which are often stricter than for adults. See hands-free and texting laws.
- The alcohol limit for under 21s. See zero tolerance laws.
- Seat belt rules for every seat. See seat belt and child car seat laws.
Rules for your state: US graduated driver licensing compared.
Free parent-teen driving agreement template
Copy this into a document, fill in the blanks, and sign it together. Replace anything in brackets with your own rule. Check that nothing is looser than your state law.
Part 1: The teen driver agrees to
- Ask first. I will get permission every time I take the car, and tell you where I am going, who is with me and when I will be back.
- Seat belts. I will wear my seat belt and won’t move the car until every passenger has buckled up.
- Phone. My phone goes [on silent in the glove box / in do-not-disturb mode] before I start the car. I won’t text, call, scroll or film while driving. If I need the phone, I will park first.
- Passengers. For the first [__] months I will carry only [family / a supervising adult]. After that, no more than [__] friends, and only with permission.
- Curfew. I won’t drive after [__ p.m.] or before [__ a.m.], earlier than the law if we agree, except for [work / school events] agreed in advance.
- Alcohol and drugs. I will never drive after drinking alcohol or using drugs, and never ride with a driver who has.
- Tired, upset or ill. I won’t drive when I am too tired, upset or unwell to concentrate.
- Speed and rules. I will obey speed limits and traffic laws and slow down for weather and traffic.
- Weather. I won’t drive in [snow / ice / heavy rain / fog] until we have practiced it together.
- Tickets and crashes. I will tell you immediately about any ticket, crash or damage, however small.
- Car care. I will keep the car clean, report warning lights, and fill the tank when it reaches [__].
Part 2: The parent agrees to
- Drive the way I expect you to: belt on, no phone, within the speed limit, never after drinking.
- Keep supervising practice and help you build experience, including at night and in bad weather.
- Pick you up at any time, from anywhere, with no argument on the spot, if you or your driver can’t drive safely. (Connecticut’s agreement says a call asking for a ride doesn’t count as breaking the agreement.)
- Explain any rule change and review this agreement with you.
Part 3: Consequences
| If the teen | Then |
|---|---|
| Is late home without calling | No driving for [__] days |
| Uses the phone while driving | No driving for [__] days |
| Carries passengers not allowed | No driving for [__] days |
| Gets a ticket | Pays the fine and [__], and loses the car for [__] |
| Drives after alcohol or drugs | Loses driving privileges until [__] |
Agree the consequences before anything goes wrong, and apply them calmly. A ticket can also affect your teen’s license under state law: see getting a traffic ticket as a new driver and points systems and license suspensions.
Part 4: Costs
| Cost | Teen pays | Parent pays |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | [__] | [__] |
| Gas | [__] | [__] |
| Maintenance and repairs | [__] | [__] |
| Tickets and fines | [__] | [__] |
| Damage from a crash | [__] | [__] |
Insurance is usually the biggest cost: see adding a teen driver to your car insurance.
Part 5: Earning more freedom
| Milestone | New privilege |
|---|---|
| [__] months with no rule breaks | [Later curfew within the law] |
| [__] months, and the state passenger limit ends | [One friend as a passenger] |
| Practiced freeway and night driving together | [Solo freeway trips] |
Part 6: Signatures
Teen: ______________ Date: ______
Parent or guardian: ______________ Date: ______
Review date: ______
How to make the agreement work
- Write it together, so both of you know exactly what each rule means.
- Sign at the permit stage and review at licensing, as Connecticut suggests. Then review every few months.
- Keep it visible: on the fridge, or as a photo on both phones.
- Tie freedom to experience, not just age. Use the milestones in Part 5.
- Plan the practice too. A session-by-session plan for the supervised hours is in teaching your teen to drive, and hour minimums are in supervised driving hours by state.
Common questions
Is a parent-teen driving agreement legally binding?
No. It is a family agreement. The law that binds your teen is your state’s licensing law. Connecticut says its agreement is optional.
When should we sign it?
When your teen gets a learner’s permit, then review it when they get a license, as Connecticut recommends. Update it as restrictions end.
Where can I get an official version?
Connecticut’s Teen-Parent Driver Agreement is in its driver’s manual, and Alabama’s sample contract is at the end of its manual. California, Illinois and Massachusetts also publish contracts on their DMV sites. State guides: Connecticut, Alabama and California.
Should the rules be stricter than the law?
They can be. The law sets the minimum. Starting tighter and relaxing rules as your teen builds experience gives them something to earn.
What is a fair consequence for breaking the agreement?
Connecticut’s model is a set number of days without driving privileges. Pick numbers before anything happens, and make the most serious breaks, such as driving after alcohol, lead to the longest loss.
Does the agreement help with insurance?
The agreement itself isn’t an insurance document. Ask your insurer about any teen driver discounts it offers.
More for parents: learning to drive in the USA.
Sources
- Connecticut DMV, “Connecticut Driver’s Manual: Teen-Parent Driver Agreement” (portal.ct.gov)
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Alabama Driver Manual: Parent Teen Driving Agreement” (alea.gov)
- California DMV, “Parent-Teen Driving Contract” (dmv.ca.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Parent-Teen Driving Contract” (ilsos.gov)
- Massachusetts RMV, “Driver Parent/Guardian Contract” (mass.gov)