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In Washington, every driver’s license issued to someone under 18 is an intermediate license with passenger, night and phone restrictions set by RCW 46.20.075. This page explains each rule, the exceptions, how restrictions can lift early and what happens if you break them.
Washington intermediate license at a glance (as of November 2026)
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Passengers, first 6 months | No passengers under 20 unless immediate family |
| Passengers, after 6 months | No more than 3 passengers under 20 who are not immediate family |
| Night | No driving 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., with exceptions |
| Phones | No wireless device use while moving, except emergencies |
| Ends | At 18 (RCW 46.20.161) |
Who can ride with a 16-year-old in Washington?
For the first six months (or until you turn 18, if sooner), you may not carry any passenger under 20 who is not a member of your immediate family. After six months, you may carry up to three passengers under 20 who are not immediate family.
Passengers 20 and older do not count toward these limits.
“Immediate family” is defined broadly in the law. It covers your spouse or domestic partner, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, brothers, half-brothers, sisters and half-sisters, foster children living in your home, and the same relatives of your spouse or domestic partner.
What time can a 16-year-old drive until in Washington?
You may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The two exceptions:
- A licensed driver who is at least 25 is with you.
- You are driving for school, religious or employment activities for yourself or a member of your immediate family.
Phone and wireless device rule
You may not drive a moving vehicle while using a wireless communications device. The only exceptions are to report illegal activity, call for medical or emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property. The law gives no separate allowance for hands-free use. Permit holders have the same rule.
All Washington drivers, of any age, also fall under the E-DUI law. See Washington E-DUI and distracted driving law.
How police enforce the rules
Passenger and night violations are secondary offenses. An officer can only cite you for them after stopping you for something else. The phone rule is different: it can be enforced on its own.
Exceptions and early release
- Agriculture: you may drive at any hour, with any number of passengers, if necessary for agricultural purposes.
- Clean first year: passenger and night limits lift if, in the 12 months after your intermediate license is issued, you have:
- no single-vehicle crash;
- no crash where you were cited or found at fault;
- no crash where no one was cited or found at fault;
- no traffic offense conviction and no intermediate restriction violation.
The phone rule does not lift early. It applies until you are 18.
What happens if you break the rules?
Under RCW 46.20.267, any traffic offense or restriction violation counts:
| Violation | Result |
|---|---|
| First | DOL mails your parent or guardian a warning letter |
| Second | Suspension for 6 months, or until 18 if sooner |
| Third | Suspension until 18 |
One ticket listing several offenses counts as one.
Before you get the license
To qualify at 16 you must have held your permit for six months, passed driver training and the drive test, and have 50 certified practice hours (10 at night). You also need a clean six months with no violations. See the driver training and 50-hour log guide and the drive test.
Common questions
Can I drive my siblings on a Washington intermediate license?
Yes. Immediate family members, including brothers, sisters, half-siblings and foster children living in your home, are not counted.
Can I drive a friend who is 20?
Yes. The limits only apply to passengers under 20.
Can I drive home from work at 2 a.m.?
Yes. Employment activities are an exception to the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. rule.
Can I use hands-free calling at 17?
The intermediate rule bans using a wireless communications device while moving, with emergency exceptions only. It does not carve out hands-free use.
Do the rules stop when I turn 18?
Yes. A license issued under 18 is an intermediate license only until your 18th birthday.
Will my parents be told about a ticket?
Yes. DOL mails your parent or guardian after the first violation, and again with any suspension notice.
Back to the Washington learning to drive guide. Compare other states: GDL rules compared, zero tolerance under 21.
Sources
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.075 Intermediate license” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.267 Intermediate licensees” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.161 Issuance of license” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.055 Instruction permit” (app.leg.wa.gov)