Louisiana Teen Driver Penalties: Phone Law, School and Extensions
What happens if a teen driver gets a ticket, skips school or uses a phone in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, a suspension, court probation for a driving violation or a broken clean-record rule can extend a teen's intermediate license by 30 to 180 days, and the teen must finish a new driver education or pre-licensing course. A dropout or habitually absent teen can lose the license until 18. A hand-held phone brings a $100 fine, or $250 in a school or highway construction zone.
Where the Louisiana teen driver rules come from
Louisiana sets the intermediate license rules in R.S. 32:407, the school attendance rule in R.S. 32:431.1 and R.S. 32:414, and the phone law in R.S. 32:59, which 2025 Act 288 enacted in place of the old teen-only phone rules. Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) policy 8.00 (minors) and the Class D & E Driver's Guide add the cancellation and alcohol details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (expresslane.org) before you drive.
Louisiana teen driver penalties at a glance
| What the teen does | What can happen |
|---|---|
| Gets a suspension, court probation for a driving violation, or breaks the clean-record rule (intermediate license, under 18) | OMV can extend the intermediate license by 30 to 180 days and require a new driver education or pre-licensing course |
| Is a dropout or habitually absent or tardy (under 18) | Denial or suspension of the license or learner's permit until age 18, or until the teen complies |
| Uses a hand-held phone while driving (fines since January 1, 2026) | A $100 fine, or $250 in a school zone or highway construction zone |
| Is under 21 and a chemical test shows a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% or more | Suspension of the license (Driver's Guide) |
| Drives against a license restriction, or drives while suspended | Suspension; each conviction for driving under suspension adds one year |
What happens to the license after a teen driver ticket
OMV may extend the intermediate license of a driver under 18 when the license was suspended, a court put the teen on probation for a driving violation, or the teen broke the clean-record rule for the full license. The extension is 30 to 180 days. It counts from the end of the suspension or probation, or from the date the teen would otherwise have qualified for the full license. To get the license back, the teen must complete an approved driver education or pre-licensing course, even after an earlier course.
What a teen needs for the full Class E license
- 12 consecutive months with the intermediate license and no at-fault crash.
- No convictions for moving violations during those 12 months.
- No convictions for seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol law violations during those 12 months.
- The law says the teen "may be issued" the full license after the 12 clean months, so it does not come automatically on the 17th birthday.
- The intermediate license rules list the night, passenger and seat belt limits that the teen must follow until then.
Can Louisiana suspend a teen's license for skipping school?
Yes. A minor whom the school authority decides is a dropout, or habitually absent or tardy, faces denial or suspension of the license or learner's permit, and OMV must act on the school board's report. Dropout means a person 15 or older but under 18 who left school, or who has more than 10 consecutive days or 15 total days of unexcused absence in one semester. The denial or suspension lasts until the teen turns 18 or complies with the school rule, and it never goes past the 18th birthday.
School suspension: what applies to your teen
Can a parent ask OMV to cancel a teen's license?
Yes. OMV policy lets a parent, tutor or person with legal custody send a signed written request to deny or cancel a minor's temporary instructional permit (TIP), learner's permit, license or application. The law also lets OMV deny the application or revoke the license of a minor when a parent, tutor or custodian who did not sign the application sends a written request.
Louisiana cell phone law for teen drivers
Since 2025 Act 288 took effect on August 1, 2025, one phone law covers all drivers, teens included. No driver may operate a wireless device while driving unless the vehicle is lawfully stationary. Holding the phone in a hand counts, and so does writing, sending or reading a text. Hands-free calls are allowed. Exceptions include reporting a crash, a medical emergency, another emergency or a serious road hazard. Fines apply to violations from January 1, 2026; before that date, officers gave written warnings only.
Louisiana phone fines under R.S. 32:59
| Where | Type of offense | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| School zone or highway construction zone | Primary offense: an officer can stop you for the phone alone | $250 (a judge can reduce it to $100 with up to 15 hours of community service); double if you are in a crash at the time |
| Any other public road | Secondary offense: an officer must stop you for another violation first | $100 (a judge can reduce it to $50 with community service); double if you are in a crash at the time |
Alcohol limit for Louisiana drivers under 21
Drivers younger than 21 have a lower alcohol limit. The Driver's Guide lists a chemical test result of 0.02% or more for a driver under 21 as a cause of suspension. A drug or alcohol conviction also breaks the 12-month clean record for the full license, so OMV can extend the intermediate license. The free question on the under 21 alcohol limit covers the 0.02% number.
Key takeaways
- OMV can extend a teen's intermediate license by 30 to 180 days after a suspension, court probation or a violation, and the teen must finish a new driver education or pre-licensing course.
- A full Class E license needs 12 clean months: no at-fault crash, moving violation, seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol conviction.
- A dropout or habitually absent minor can lose the license or permit until age 18; the student has 15 days to ask for a hearing or hardship waiver.
- A hand-held phone brings a $100 fine, or $250 in a school or highway construction zone, for every driver.
- Next step: practice the rules on the free Louisiana Class E practice test.
Louisiana teen driver penalties: common questions
Can a teen talk on the phone while driving in Louisiana?
Yes, but only hands-free. Since 2025 one phone law covers all drivers, and the older teen-only phone rules were repealed. Holding the phone, texting and reading messages are banned unless the vehicle is lawfully stationary or the driver reports an emergency. The free question on using a phone while driving shows the safe answer.
Does a phone ticket stop a teen from getting a full license?
The law calls any violation of the phone section a nonmoving violation. The 12 clean months for the full license require no convictions for moving violations, seat belt, curfew, drug or alcohol laws, and no at-fault crash. A crash is different: an at-fault crash breaks the clean record, and the phone fine doubles.
Does a traffic ticket affect a Louisiana teen's intermediate license?
A conviction for a moving violation does. It breaks the 12-month clean record, so OMV can extend the intermediate license by 30 to 180 days from the date the teen would have qualified for the full license, and the teen must retake a course. The teen can appeal the extension in an administrative hearing.
What counts as habitually absent from school in Louisiana?
Habitually absent or tardy starts at the fifth unexcused absence or tardy in a month, or a pattern of five absences a month, after the school's reasonable efforts fail. The principal or other school authority decides. Only a school board with a reporting policy can report the student to OMV for license denial or suspension.
Who can drive with a teen after 11 p.m. in Louisiana?
An intermediate license holder under 17 may drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. only with a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed adult 21 or older, or a licensed sibling 18 or older. A curfew conviction breaks the clean record for the full license. The free question on the night driving limit tests this rule.
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