Driving Tests

Maryland Provisional License Rules: Midnight Curfew, Passengers, Phones

informational·how to guide·Published June 7, 2026

What are the Maryland provisional license rules?

From age 16 years, 6 months, a Maryland provisional license lets you drive unsupervised. Under 18, you may not drive unsupervised from midnight to 5 a.m. or use any wireless device, even hands-free, except to call 9-1-1. Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt. For 151 days, the MVA bars passengers under 18 who are not family. A full license comes at 18, after 18 months.

Where the Maryland provisional license rules come from

The rules come from the Maryland MVA provisional license page, Maryland Transportation Article section 16-113 (provisional license restrictions) and section 21-1124 (phones for drivers under 18). Age, permit, full license and handheld phone details come from sections 16-103, 16-105, 16-111, 16-111.1, 16-213 and 21-1124.2, the MVA full license page and the Maryland Driver's Manual. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Maryland MVA (mva.maryland.gov) before you drive.

Maryland provisional license limits at a glance

Maryland provisional license limits at a glance
Rule	What it says	Who it covers
Night driving	No unsupervised driving from midnight to 5 a.m., unless an exception applies	Holders under 18
Passengers	For the first 151 days, no passengers under 18 who are not immediate family, unless a qualified supervising driver is in the car	Holders under 18
Phones	No wireless device at all, handheld or hands-free; calls to 9-1-1 are allowed	Holders under 18
Phones	No handheld phone while you drive	Holders 18 or older
Seat belts	The driver and each passenger must wear a seat belt or sit in a child safety seat	Holders under 18
Alcohol	No driving with alcohol in your blood	Holders under 21

How do you qualify for a provisional license in Maryland?

You must be at least 16 years, 6 months old and pass the behind-the-wheel driving test. Under 19, you must hold your learner's permit for 9 months. At 18 with a high school diploma or its equivalent, or at 19 to 24, the wait is 3 months. At 25 or older with no moving violation, it is 45 days. You also need no moving violation or probation before judgment (PBJ) in the past 9 months. Every group needs driver education: 30 classroom hours and 6 hours of driving instruction. Supervised practice is 60 hours, 10 at night, under 25, and 14 hours, 3 at night, at 25 or older.

Midnight curfew: when you may drive at night under 18

Under 18, you may drive unsupervised only from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight. The rule ends on the day you turn 18.
You may drive at night with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. The MVA describes this driver as 21 or older with 3 years of driving.
You may drive to or from work, or in the course of your job.
You may drive to or from a school class or official school activity.
You may drive to or from an organized volunteer program.
You may drive to or from an athletic event or related training session.
If none of these applies, stay off the road. The practice question on driving alone at 1 a.m. with a provisional license tests this rule.

Passenger rules for the first 151 days

Under 18, you may not drive with passengers under 18 for the first 151 days, unless they are immediate family or a qualified supervising driver is in the car. Immediate family is your spouse, daughter, son, stepdaughter, stepson, sister, brother, stepsister, stepbrother, or any relative who lives at your address. For the supervising driver, the Maryland Driver's Manual sends you to its rule for permit supervisors: at least 21 years old and licensed for at least 3 years. The question on carrying a 16-year-old passenger in the first 30 days shows how the rule works.

Can you use a phone on a Maryland provisional license?

Under 18, no. You may not use a wireless device while you drive, and hands-free devices count. The one exception is a call to 9-1-1. If you break this rule, the MVA may suspend your license for up to 90 days. At 18 or older, a permit or provisional license holder may not use a handheld phone while driving. The practice question on phone calls for drivers under 18 covers the under-18 rule.

Seat belts, alcohol and parent consent

Under 18, you and each passenger must wear a seat belt or sit in a child safety seat.
Under 21, you may not drive with alcohol in your blood.
Under 18, you need a parent, guardian or co-signer to agree to your license. A parent or guardian can withdraw consent at any time.
The MVA tells the co-signer when a driver under 18 gets a moving violation.
If a co-signer cancels your license, it stays canceled until you turn 18, unless a co-signer signs a new application.

What happens if you break a restriction?

The MVA says a passenger or night-driving violation means a 1-year suspension. The law says the MVA may suspend or revoke a provisional license after a violation, and you may ask for a hearing. The guide to Maryland provisional license penalties covers suspensions, points and moving violations in detail.

When do you get a full Maryland driver's license?

You are 18 or older and held your provisional license for 18 months with no convictions

The MVA converts your license to a full license automatically. You do nothing. It mails an attachment card; carry it with your provisional license until that license expires.

You get a conviction or PBJ before the 18 months end

Your 18 months start over from the date of the conviction or PBJ, or from the date your license was restored after a suspension or revocation.

You are under 21

You also need no alcohol-related offenses on your driving record.

Licensed in another state or country for less than 18 months

Licensed in another state or country for less than 18 months
Time you held your license elsewhere	Time to hold the Maryland provisional license
Less than 6 months	At least 18 months
6 months to less than 12 months	At least 12 months, with no moving violation conviction or PBJ in that time
12 months to less than 18 months	At least 6 months, with no moving violation conviction or PBJ in that time

Key takeaways

You can get a provisional license from age 16 years, 6 months after you pass the behind-the-wheel driving test.
Under 18, you may not drive unsupervised from midnight to 5 a.m. Exceptions cover work, school, volunteer programs, athletic events and a licensed driver who is at least 21.
Under 18, the MVA bars passengers under 18 (except immediate family) for 151 days, and the law bars all wireless device use, even hands-free.
A full license comes at 18 after 18 conviction-free months. A conviction or PBJ restarts the clock.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Maryland Class C practice test.

Maryland provisional license rules: common questions

Can my 19-year-old brother supervise me after midnight?

No. Under 18, Maryland law lets you drive between midnight and 5 a.m. only with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old, or on a trip to or from work, school, an organized volunteer program or an athletic event. A 19-year-old brother can ride with you, but he does not lift the curfew.

Can I drive my friends after the first 151 days?

Yes. The MVA passenger rule for drivers under 18 covers only the first 151 days of the provisional license. After that, you may carry friends under 18 who are not family. Each passenger must still wear a seat belt or sit in a child safety seat.

Can my parent take back permission for my provisional license?

Yes, if you are under 18. A parent, guardian or co-signer must agree to your provisional license, and a parent or guardian can withdraw consent at any time. If a co-signer cancels it, the license stays canceled until you turn 18, unless a co-signer signs a new application.

Which provisional license rules still apply after I turn 18?

The curfew and its supervision rule end on the date you turn 18, and so does the provisional seat belt restriction. Maryland's seat belt law still requires the driver and all passengers to buckle up. The alcohol restriction stays until 21. At 18 or older, you may not use a handheld phone while you drive.