Rhode Island Provisional License Rules: 1 a.m. Curfew, Passenger Limit
When can I drive alone with a Rhode Island provisional license, and who can ride with me?
With a Rhode Island limited provisional license you may drive alone from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. From 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. a supervising driver must sit beside you, unless an exception applies. In the first 12 months you may carry no more than one passenger younger than 21, except immediate family or household members.
Where these Rhode Island rules come from
The rules come from Rhode Island law: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6 (the three license levels, the curfew and the passenger limit), § 31-10-6.4 (penalties) and § 31-22-11.9 (phones and drivers under 18). The supervising driver rules come from § 31-10-6.1, and the license term and fee come from § 31-10-6.3. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (dmv.ri.gov) before you drive.
How to qualify for the limited provisional license
- 1Hold the limited instruction permit for at least six months
You can apply for the permit at 16 or 17. The provisional license (Level 2) comes after the permit (Level 1) and before the full operator's license (Level 3).
- 2Stay clean for six months
You must not have a conviction for a moving violation or a seat belt infraction in the preceding six months.
- 3Get your parent or guardian to sign the practice statement
The application needs a signed statement that you have at least 50 hours of driving experience with a supervising driver, 10 of them at night. Lessons with a commercial driving school can count toward the 50 hours.
- 4Pass the road test
The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV) gives the road test. The law sets the fee for the provisional license at $10 (U.S. dollars).
When you may drive alone on a provisional license
| Time of day | Alone? | What the law says |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. | Yes | You may drive without supervision. |
| 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. | Only for an exception | Drive alone only to or from work, or to or from an activity of a volunteer fire department, rescue squad or emergency medical service that you are a member of. Otherwise a supervising driver is required. |
| 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. | Only for an exception | The work and volunteer exceptions still apply. You may also drive alone between your home and a school-sponsored athletic activity when the school provides no transportation. |
| Any time, with supervision | Not alone | You may drive at any hour when a supervising driver sits beside you in the front seat. |
Driving home after 1 a.m.: when you need a supervisor
The 1 a.m. rule limits only driving alone. A trip home alone from a friend's house at 1:30 a.m., or from a party at 2 a.m., fits none of the exceptions, so a supervising driver must sit beside you for it. If no supervising driver can come, do not drive. Our free practice question about a 17-year-old at 1:30 a.m. uses this exact case.
Who can supervise you after 1 a.m.
A supervising driver must be a parent, guardian, licensed foster parent, adult or certified driver education instructor, and must have been licensed to drive for five years. The supervising driver must sit beside you in the front seat while the car moves. Carry your license every time you drive. The guide to the 50-hour supervised driving log explains how the practice hours work.
Can I drive? Quick checks
The passenger limit: one under 21 in the first 12 months
During the first 12 months of the limited provisional license, no more than one passenger younger than 21 is allowed in the vehicle. Immediate family and household members are excepted, and passengers who are 21 or older do not count toward the limit. The limit applies at every hour, 3 p.m. included. You can test yourself on a two-friend passenger case in our free practice questions. Everyone in the car must wear a safety belt, or sit in a child restraint, whenever the car moves.
Penalties for breaking a provisional license rule
| Rule you break | Section of the law | What the law says |
|---|---|---|
| Time of driving or supervising driver | § 31-10-6.4 | Counts as operating a motor vehicle without a license |
| Another restriction, such as the passenger limit or the seat belt rule | § 31-10-6.4 | Infraction: $100 first offense, $110 second, $140 third or later |
| Phone use under 18 (except an emergency) | § 31-22-11.9 | $100 first conviction, $150 second; third or later: $250 and/or loss of license until age 18 |
Key takeaways
- Alone from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.; at other times you need a supervising driver beside you, or an exception.
- Exceptions: to or from work, to or from volunteer fire, rescue or EMS activity (if you are a member), and 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. to a school-sponsored athletic activity with no school transport.
- First 12 months: one passenger younger than 21 at most, except immediate family or household members.
- Time and supervisor breaches count as driving without a license; other breaches are $100, $110 or $140 infractions.
- Next step: practice on the free Rhode Island operator license practice test.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive to an early school sports practice before 5 a.m. in Rhode Island?
From 4:00 a.m. you may drive alone between your home and a school-sponsored athletic activity, but only when the school provides no transportation. Before 4:00 a.m., or for a sport that your school does not sponsor, you need a supervising driver beside you, unless you drive to or from work or a volunteer fire, rescue or EMS activity as a member.
Can I drive my brother and sister on a Rhode Island provisional license?
Yes. Immediate family and household members are excepted from the passenger limit, so your siblings do not count toward it. In the first 12 months you can take one friend younger than 21 with them, but not two. Everyone in the car must wear a safety belt or ride in a child restraint.
How long must I have a permit before I get a provisional license?
At least six months with the limited instruction permit. You also need no moving violation or seat belt conviction in the preceding six months, a parent's or guardian's signed statement of 50 hours of supervised driving (10 at night) and a passed road test given by the Division of Motor Vehicles.
What happens if I get caught with too many passengers in Rhode Island?
Too many passengers is an infraction under § 31-10-6.4. The fine is $100 for a first offense, $110 for a second and $140 for a third or later. A drive alone between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. with no exception is different: the law treats it as operating a motor vehicle without a license.
When does a Rhode Island provisional license expire?
It expires on your 18th birthday. You can move up earlier: at 17 or older, after 12 months with the provisional license and six months with no moving violation or seat belt conviction, you can apply for the full operator's license. That license has no curfew, supervision or passenger limits.
Can I use my phone with a provisional license in Rhode Island?
No, except in an emergency. Section 31-22-11.9 bans anyone younger than 18 from using a personal wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, while driving. A provisional license expires on your 18th birthday, so this rule covers the whole time you hold one.
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