Driving Tests

Indiana Probationary License Rules: Passengers, Curfew, Phones

informational·how to guide·Published August 21, 2026

What are the rules for an Indiana probationary license?

Indiana issues a probationary license to every driver under 21. For the first 180 days, you may not drive from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and you may not carry passengers unless a licensed driver 25 or older, a spouse 21 or older or an instructor sits in the front seat. Your child, stepchild, sibling or spouse may ride without that person. Until 18, later night limits apply. Until 21, no phone use except 911.

Where these rules come from

This guide follows the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) page on the probationary driver's license and the Indiana Driver's Manual (July 2026). The renewal rules come from the BMV page on renewing a license. The phone rule for all drivers comes from the INDOT Hands-Free Indiana page, and the Driver Safety Program rule comes from the BMV. The rules are as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (in.gov/bmv) before you drive.

Who can ride with you in the first 180 days

For the first 180 days after you get your license, you may not drive with passengers unless one of these people sits in the front seat:

- a licensed driving instructor;
- a licensed driver who is 25 or older, such as a parent;
- your spouse, if 21 or older.

This person's driving privileges must be valid: not expired, suspended or revoked. Your child, stepchild, sibling, step or half sibling or spouse may ride with you without that person, but the night ban below still applies. A 19-year-old may not carry an unrelated friend alone, as the question on the first 180 days passenger restriction shows.

Indiana probationary license curfew hours

Indiana probationary license curfew hours
Period	When you may not drive
First 180 days after you get the license	10 p.m. to 5 a.m., every night
After 180 days, until you are 18: Sunday through Thursday	After 11 p.m.
After 180 days, until you are 18: Monday through Friday	Before 5 a.m.
After 180 days, until you are 18: Saturday and Sunday	Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Age 18 to 20, after the first 180 days	No set curfew hours

How the Indiana curfew works by age

In the first 180 days, the rule is the same every night: stay off the road from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This applies at any age under 21. After that, and until you turn 18, the hours depend on the day. For example, a 17-year-old who has held the license for more than 180 days may not drive on an ordinary trip at 11:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, because the Sunday to Thursday limit is 11 p.m. From 18, once the first 180 days are over, no set curfew hours apply.

Exceptions to the later curfew hours (under 18)

You are going to or from work, a school-sanctioned activity or a religious event

You may drive during the later restricted hours. The work must be lawful employment.

A licensed driver 25 or older, or your spouse 21 or older, with valid driving privileges, sits in the front seat

You may drive during the later restricted hours.

Phone rules for a probationary driver

Under the Indiana hands-free law, no driver may hold a phone while driving, and drivers 21 and older may use hands-free technology such as Bluetooth or a headset. A driver with a probationary license has a stricter rule: no use of any type of phone or other telecommunication device while driving. The only exception is a 911 emergency call. Because the rule covers any type of device, hands-free calls are not allowed either, as the question on hands-free phone use under 21 shows. The guide to the Indiana hands-free law explains the rule for all drivers.

When the probationary rules end

The passenger rule and the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban last for the first 180 days. The later curfew hours end at 18. The phone rule lasts until 21.

The license expires 30 days after your 21st birthday. Renew it after that birthday, not before, and within those 30 days to avoid an administrative penalty. The renewed license has no probationary rules. A license that you first get at 21 or older is not probationary.

Since July 1, 2026, you can get the license at 16 with driver education, after 180 days on a learner's permit. The guide to the Indiana license at 16 has the steps.

Other rules for drivers under 21

You do not qualify for court diversion programs while you hold a probationary license.
With two or more traffic offense convictions before 21, the BMV can require you to take a Driver Safety Program. Finish it within 90 days of the BMV's mailed notice, or your driving privileges are suspended.
The BMV must suspend a juvenile's driving privileges when the school reports an expulsion, a second suspension in one school year, habitual truancy or withdrawal from school.

Key takeaways

First 180 days: no passengers unless a licensed driver 25 or older, a spouse 21 or older or an instructor sits in the front seat. Your child, stepchild, sibling, step or half sibling or spouse may ride without that person.
First 180 days, at any age under 21: no driving from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
After 180 days and until 18: stay off the road Sunday through Thursday after 11 p.m., Monday through Friday before 5 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Until you renew to an unrestricted license after 21: no phone use while driving, not even hands-free, except a 911 call.
Next step: practice the licensing rules on the free Indiana operator practice test.

Indiana probationary license: common questions

Do the 180-day rules apply if I get my first license at 18, 19 or 20?

Yes. Every Indiana license that you get before 21 is probationary. For the first 180 days, the passenger rule and the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban apply at any age under 21. After those 180 days, a driver who is 18 or older has no set curfew hours. The phone rule stays until you renew after 21.

Can I drive to work after 11 p.m. if I am under 18?

Yes, once your first 180 days are over. You may drive during the later restricted hours when you travel to or from a lawful job, a school-sanctioned activity or a religious event. You may also drive during those hours with a licensed driver 25 or older, or your spouse 21 or older, in the front seat.

Can my brother or sister ride with me in the first 180 days?

Yes. A sibling, step sibling or half sibling may ride with you in the first 180 days without a supervising adult. The same is true for your child, stepchild or spouse. The 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban still applies to these trips, so a drive home after 10 p.m. is not allowed.

Can my parent ride along so that I can take my friends?

Yes, if your parent is 25 or older, has a valid license that is not expired, suspended or revoked, and sits in the front seat. Then you may carry other passengers in your first 180 days. A parent who is younger than 25 does not meet the rule, unless that parent is a licensed driving instructor.

When do I get an unrestricted license?

Renew your license after your 21st birthday, but not before. The probationary license expires 30 days after that birthday, and a late renewal brings an administrative penalty. The renewed license is unrestricted, so the probationary rules, such as the ban on hands-free calls, end. The hands-free law for all drivers still applies.