After you pass in Connecticut: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how to collect your license after passing.
• You can describe who may ride with you in months 1 to 6 and months 7 to 12.
• You can state the curfew hours and the exceptions.
• You can explain the penalties for breaking teen restrictions.

What you need to know and understand

• The license fee is $84.
• Teens who pass wait 48 hours, then bring their Road Test Evaluation Report to a DMV office.
• Months 1 to 6: only a licensed instructor, parents or guardians, or one qualified adult aged 20 or older as passengers.
• Months 7 to 12: immediate family may also ride.
• No driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. until 18, except for work, school, religious activity, medical need or Safe Ride.
• No phone use at all, including hands-free, until 18.
• A first violation of these restrictions brings a 30-day suspension and a $175 restoration fee.

Getting the license in your hand

If you are a teen, wait 48 hours after passing, then take your passed Road Test Evaluation Report to a DMV office to get your license. The license fee is $84. You receive a temporary paper card at the office, and the permanent card comes by mail.

Volunteer firefighters, ambulance crew and emergency medical service members on duty, and assigned Safe Ride drivers, have limited exemptions from the passenger and curfew rules.

Your first year, month by month

• Months 1 to 6: passengers limited to a licensed driving instructor, your parents or guardians (at least one licensed), or one person aged 20 or older who has been licensed for 4 years without a suspension.
• Months 7 to 12: the same, plus members of your immediate family such as brothers and sisters.
• After 12 months: passenger limits end, but the curfew and phone ban continue until 18.
• Always: no more passengers than seat belts, and no public service, commercial or vanpool vehicles.

Curfew and phones until 18

From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. you may drive only for work, school, religious activities or medical necessity. The DMV publishes extra guidance for prom season, since a school event can count. Any phone or mobile device use while driving is banned until your 18th birthday, even with a hands-free kit.

Police can take a 16 or 17 year old's license for 48 hours for certain violations. A first restriction violation means a 30-day suspension, and a second means 6 months or until 18, whichever is longer, each with a $175 restoration fee.

Building good habits

1. Keep driving with a parent on new routes and in bad weather during your first months.
2. Agree house rules with your family using the DMV's Teen-Parent Driver Agreement.
3. Plan night trips so you are home before 11 p.m.
4. Keep your phone out of reach every time you drive.

Common mistakes

• Giving friends a lift in your first six months. Only the listed adults and instructors are allowed.
• Counting the 6-month period from your birthday. It runs from the date your license was issued.
• Thinking a party counts as a curfew exception. Only work, school, religious and medical trips do.
• Using GPS on your phone by hand. Set it before you drive and do not touch it while moving.

Test yourself: After you pass in Connecticut: restrictions and your licence

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

Go deeper

• Connecticut Teen Driving Restrictions for 16 and 17 Year Olds
• Connecticut 8 Hour Safe Driving Practices Course
• CT Permit Test