Maryland graduated driver licence stages

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the three stages of Maryland's graduated licensing system.
• You can give the minimum age for each stage.
• You can explain how long you must hold the permit and the provisional license.
• You can describe how a ticket or probation before judgment restarts the clock.
• You can explain how the provisional license becomes a full license.

What you need to know and understand

• The earliest age for a learner's instructional permit is 15 years 9 months.
• The earliest age for a provisional license is 16 years 6 months.
• A full driver's license needs you to be at least 18 and to have held a provisional license for at least 18 months.
• Under 19, you must hold the permit at least 9 months before the skills test.
• If you are 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, or 19 to 24, the minimum permit time is 3 months.
• Drivers 25 and older with no moving violations can test after 45 days on the permit.
• A conviction or probation before judgment (PBJ) for a moving violation restarts the waiting period.
• The MVA upgrades a provisional license to a full license automatically when you qualify.

Stage by stage

• Learner's instructional permit: from 15 years 9 months. You drive only with a qualified supervising driver beside you. The permit lasts up to 2 years.
• Provisional license: from 16 years 6 months, after the permit time, driver education, logged practice and the skills test. You may drive alone, with extra limits while you are under 18.
• Driver's license: at 18 or older, after at least 18 months on the provisional license with no moving violation convictions or PBJs.

How long you hold the permit depends on your age

Maryland law sets different minimum permit periods. Under 19, it is 9 months. At 18 with a diploma or equivalent, or from 19 to 24, it is 3 months. At 25 or older with a clean record, it is 45 days, and the practice requirement drops from 60 hours to 14.

A ticket changes everything. At any age, if you are convicted of a moving violation, or given a PBJ for one, you must hold the permit for at least 9 months after that date. This also applies after any suspension.

Keeping the provisional stage clean

The 18-month provisional period starts again from the date of any moving violation conviction, PBJ or provisional restriction violation, and from the date a suspended license is restored. Clean driving is the fastest way to a full license.

When you qualify, the MVA mails you a card showing the upgrade. Carry it with your provisional license. Our guides to learning to drive in Maryland and to provisional license rules cover each stage in more depth.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the system is only for teens. Every first-time driver in Maryland goes through it, at any age.
• Assuming a PBJ does not count. For licensing time, a PBJ for a moving violation restarts the clock just like a conviction.
• Booking a skills test before the permit time is up. Count from your permit date or your last violation, whichever is later.
• Forgetting that the 18-month provisional period restarts after a violation. One ticket can add many months.

Test yourself: Maryland graduated driver licence stages

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

Go deeper

• How to Get a Driver’s License in Maryland
• Maryland Provisional License Restrictions
• Maryland Permit Test