Driving Tests

Arizona Class G License Rules: Teen Curfew, Passengers and Phones

informational·how to guide·Published July 5, 2026

How do you get an Arizona Class G license at 16?

You can get an Arizona Class G license at 16 or 17 after you hold your instruction permit for at least 6 months. Finish one of three ways: 30 supervised practice hours (10 at night) and a road test; a traffic survival school or approved defensive driving course, 20 hours (6 at night) and a road test; or an approved driver education program. A parent or guardian must sign.

Where these Arizona rules come from

As of 2026, Arizona sets the Class G rules in A.R.S. 28-3174. The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) lists the steps, the signature rules and the rules for teens who move from another state on its teen permit and license requirements page. The Under 21 license format comes from the ADOT Under 21 Driver License page. When the law and an ADOT page use different words, this guide uses the law. Confirm the rules with the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division (azdot.gov/mvd) before you drive.

How to get a Class G license

1
Be 16 or 17
You can apply for a Class G license when you are at least 16 and under 18.
2
Hold your permit for 6 months
You must hold a valid instruction permit for at least 6 months. The 6 months start when an MVD office issues the permit. The permit is valid for 12 months.
3
Pick one of three ways to qualify
Each way uses a different mix of a course, supervised practice hours and a road test. The next table compares them. Try the practice question on supervised practice hours.
4
Get the parent or guardian signature
A parent or legal guardian signature is required to apply. Signatures given for your permit are required again for the license, and an MVD agent or a notary public must witness them.
5
Pass the road test if your way needs it
After Way 1 or Way 2, you must pass the road test. When you pass the examination in A.R.S. 28-3164 and meet the other requirements, MVD may issue your Class G license.

The three ways to qualify for a Class G license

The three ways to qualify for a Class G license
Way	What you complete	Road test
Way 1: practice	At least 30 hours of supervised driving practice, at least 10 of them at night. A custodial parent or guardian certifies the hours in writing.	Required
Way 2: course and practice	A driver education program of a traffic survival school, or of a certified defensive driving school approved by the Arizona Supreme Court. Then at least 20 hours of supervised practice, at least 6 at night, certified in writing by a custodial parent or guardian.	Required
Way 3: driver education	A driver education program that ADOT approves, at a high school or a privately operated program. Give proof of completion within twelve months of issuance.	ADOT's teen page calls this option "(Road Test Waived)".

Night driving: 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

For the first six months that you hold a Class G license, you may not drive on a public highway from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., unless one of the two exceptions below applies.
Exception 1: a parent or legal guardian who has a Class A, B, C or D license sits in a seat beside you.
Exception 2: you drive directly to or from a sanctioned school sponsored activity, your place of employment, a sanctioned religious activity or a family emergency.
Ticket on an allowed trip: give the court officer a notarized letter from your parent or guardian by the court date on the ticket, and the ticket is dismissed. For a trip home, a notarized letter from the school activity, your employer or the religious activity also works.

Passengers: not more than one under 18

For the first six months, you may not drive with more than one passenger under 18. Brothers and sisters under 18 are exempt, and the limit does not apply when a parent or legal guardian with a Class A, B, C or D license sits in a seat beside you. For example, two friends under 18 who are not your siblings break the rule, unless that parent rides beside you. A passenger ticket is dismissed if you give the court officer a notarized letter from your parent or guardian that says the passengers were your siblings. Try the free practice question on the Class G passenger limit.

Phones: no use while driving

For the first six months, you may not drive while you use a wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, for any reason except two. The first is an emergency in which stopping is impossible or creates an additional emergency or safety hazard. The second is an audible turn-by-turn navigation system, if you do not manually enter the destination while you drive and do not manually adjust the device while you drive. Set the route before you move. The navigation exception practice question tests this rule.

When the Class G rules end

You get the license at 16 years and 2 months

The night, passenger and phone rules end at 16 years and 8 months, after the first six months.

You get the license at 17 years and 9 months

The rules end on your 18th birthday, because that day comes before the six months end.

You are found responsible for a violation

The rules last 30 more days after a first violation and 60 more days after a second. A penalty or a longer restriction must still be fully satisfied after you turn 18.

What happens if you break a Class G rule

If you are found responsible for a night, passenger or phone violation, the law sets a maximum civil penalty of $75 for a first violation and $100 for each later one, and a third or later violation brings a 30-day suspension of your driving privilege; the guide to Arizona teen driver penalties explains the separate rules for other tickets under 18.

Key takeaways

At 16 or 17, after 6 months with your permit, qualify in one of three ways: 30 hours (10 at night) and a road test, a course plus 20 hours (6 at night) and a road test, or an approved driver education program.
For the first six months, do not drive from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. unless a parent or guardian sits beside you or you drive directly to or from an allowed place.
For the first six months, carry not more than one passenger under 18 unless they are your siblings or a parent or guardian sits beside you, and do not use a phone except in an emergency or for audible navigation that you set before you drive.
The rules end after the first six months or on your 18th birthday, and each of the first two violations adds 30 or 60 days.
Next step: practice on the free Arizona Instruction Permit practice test. It is in English only.

Arizona Class G license: common questions

Can a 16-year-old drive alone in Arizona?

Yes, with a Class G license. After 6 months with an instruction permit, you can apply for the Class G license and drive without an adult. For the first six months, you may not drive from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. without an exception, carry more than one passenger under 18 who is not your sibling, or use a phone while driving.

Can an older friend ride with me after midnight?

Not as an exception to the night rule. The law names only a parent or legal guardian who has a Class A, B, C or D license and sits in a seat beside you. Without that parent or guardian, you may drive from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. only directly to or from a sanctioned school sponsored activity, work, a sanctioned religious activity or a family emergency.

Who has to sign for my Class G license?

Under 18, one natural parent signs if your parents are married to each other. Both parents sign if they are not married to each other but share joint custody, and a parent with sole custody signs alone. If neither parent has custody, a legal guardian or a foster parent who lives with you can sign, with proof. An MVD agent or a notary public must witness the signatures.

I have a teen license from another state. Do the Class G rules apply?

Yes. You may transfer an out-of-state driver license to an Arizona license of the same class. If your license is currently valid, the 6-month permit rule does not apply to you. As a graduated license holder, you must follow the Class G restrictions for the first six months or until you turn 18.

Do I need a Class D license at 18?

No. At 18, you may keep using your Class G license or switch to a Class D license. To switch, order a replacement license on AZMVDNow.gov. It changes to the new class automatically, and you do not need to visit an office. The new license keeps the vertical format that shows you are under 21.