Driving Tests

Arkansas Learner's License Rules for 14- and 15-Year-Olds

informational·how to guide·Published October 14, 2026

What can you do with a learner's license in Arkansas, and who must be in the car?

An Arkansas learner's license is a restricted license for drivers age 14 or 15. First you need an instruction permit and a pass on the knowledge exam, vision test and skills test. A licensed driver 21 or older must be with you, and every passenger must wear a seat belt. No phone use, except in an emergency. The license expires 1 month past your 16th birthday.

Where the Arkansas learner's license facts come from

The rules come from the Arkansas Driver License Study Guide of the Arkansas State Police (October 2026 edition), the DFA page on the learner's and intermediate license, the DFA graduated licenses page, and Act 394 of 2009 with Acts 550 of 2023 and 928 of 2025. The test-day items come from the Arkansas State Police 1-2-3 checklists and the ASP-33 form. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Arkansas DFA Office of Driver Services (dfa.arkansas.gov) and the Arkansas State Police before you drive.

Who can get an Arkansas learner's license?

You must be 14 or 15. DFA lists the learner's license for ages 14-15, and the law lets DFA issue it only to persons under 16 who are at least 14 and hold a valid instruction permit. Your driving record must show no serious accident and no serious traffic conviction in the previous six months.
At 16 or 17, the next license is the intermediate license, with its own limits on passengers and night driving. See our guide to the Arkansas intermediate license.

How to get an Arkansas learner's license

1
Get the instruction permit
Apply at age 14 or older. Pass the knowledge exam and the vision test. The permit is valid for two years from the date of the passed knowledge exam. Our guide to the Arkansas instruction permit covers this step in detail.
2
Have a parent or guardian take financial responsibility
Before Arkansas issues a license to anyone under 18, a parent or guardian must accept financial responsibility. The person who signs the application is also responsible for the minor's negligence or willful misconduct while driving.
3
Pass the skills test
Book the driving portion on the Arkansas State Police scheduling site. Bring your own vehicle, the original permit (no copy, no lamination), current proof of insurance and current vehicle registration. A licensed driver 21 or older must ride in the front passenger seat. Since April 11, 2023, the law has no 30-day permit wait before this test.
4
Go to a Revenue Office
When the permit shows that the knowledge exam, vision test and skills test are done, visit any Arkansas Revenue Office to receive the learner's license.

Instruction permit and learner's license compared

Instruction permit and learner's license compared
Item	Instruction permit	Learner's license
Age	14 or older	14 and 15
Who rides with you	Licensed driver 21 or older in the seat beside you	Licensed driver 21 or older (DFA restriction code 3)
Seat belts	All passengers	All passengers, at all times
Tests	Knowledge exam and vision test	Knowledge exam, vision test and skills test
How long it lasts	Two years from the passed knowledge exam; no renewal	Expires 1 month past the 16th birthday

Rules for driving on a learner's license

A licensed driver 21 or older must be with you each time you drive.
All passengers must wear seat belts at all times.
No cell phone or other wireless device while you drive, for talking or texting, except for an emergency.
Hands-free devices are not allowed under age 18.

What counts as a phone emergency on a learner's license?

Under the law, a learner's license driver may use a phone only for an emergency purpose. That includes a reason to fear for your life, safety or property, and a report of a fire, a traffic accident, a serious road hazard or a medical emergency. Test yourself with our free question on how a driver under 18 may use a wireless phone.

What to bring to the knowledge exam if you are under 18

You are a U.S. citizen with a birth certificate

Bring the original or a certified copy of your U.S. birth certificate. Hospital birth certificates and birth registration cards are not accepted.

You want to use a U.S. passport

A U.S. citizen minor cannot use a U.S. passport as a primary document.

Your parent can come with you

The parent comes with a state driver's license or state ID.

Your parent cannot come with you

The parent may instead sign a notarized ASP-33 financial responsibility form. It is valid for 30 calendar days from the notary's signature.

When does an Arkansas learner's license expire?

The learner's license expires 1 month past your 16th birthday, and you can renew on or after that birthday. At 16 you move to the intermediate license.
The study guide counts six months of restricted driving from the date your permit was issued. If those six months are done when you turn 16, your intermediate license has no restriction. If they are not done, DFA restriction code 3 applies: a licensed adult 21 or older must ride with you until the six months end.

Key takeaways

The learner's license is for ages 14 and 15, after the instruction permit and a pass on the knowledge exam, vision test and skills test.
A licensed driver 21 or older rides with you, and every passenger wears a seat belt.
No phone use except in an emergency, and no hands-free devices under 18.
It expires 1 month past your 16th birthday. Then you move to the intermediate license.
Next step: practice on the free Arkansas Class D practice test.

Arkansas learner's license: common questions

Is the Arkansas learner's license for ages 14 to 16?

Plan for ages 14 and 15. The study guide says "between the ages of 14 and 16", but the law lets DFA issue a learner's license only to persons under 16, and DFA lists it for ages 14-15. At 16 you apply for the intermediate license. Check yourself with our free question on the learner's license age range.

Can my 14-year-old drive alone with a learner's license?

No. A licensed driver 21 or older must be in the car each time your teen drives, and DFA prints restriction code 3 on the license for this rule. The learner's license stays restricted until the 16th birthday and the end of the six months of restricted driving. After that, your teen drives without an adult on an intermediate license with no restriction.

Does the adult in the car have to be a parent?

No. The rule asks for a licensed driver 21 or older, so a parent, a guardian or another adult who meets that rule can ride with you. On skills test day, the adult must show the examiner a hard copy license that is valid and not expired, suspended or revoked.

Can I drive at night with an Arkansas learner's license?

The 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. limit in Arkansas law is a rule for the intermediate license, not for the learner's license. On a learner's license, a licensed driver 21 or older must be with you each time you drive, at any hour. Under the intermediate rule, a licensed driver 21 or older in the car is also one of the exceptions to the night limit.

How many friends can ride with me on an Arkansas learner's license?

The limit of one unrelated minor passenger in Arkansas law is a rule for the intermediate license. On a learner's license, the law asks for two things: a licensed driver 21 or older is with you, and all passengers wear seat belts at all times. So each friend in the car must wear a seat belt, and the adult must ride with you each time you drive.