For the first 12 months after a teen gets a provisional license, the teen can't drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., or carry passengers under 20, unless a parent, guardian, or a licensed driver aged 25 or older rides along. There are narrow exceptions for medical, school, work and family needs, and each one needs a signed note the driver keeps with them. These limits apply only while the driver is under 18.
When a driver under 18 gets a license, the word provisional appears on it. The DMV Handbook lists the limits that come with it (California Driver's Handbook, section 2).
For the first 12 months after the license is issued, a provisional driver cannot:
The law sets the 12-month period for the curfew and the passenger limit alike (Vehicle Code 12814.6(b)(1)). The DMV's Teen Driver Roadmap lists the same limits.
The Handbook lists four exceptions. Each one needs a signed note, and the law says the driver must keep it with them (Vehicle Code 12814.6(b)(2)):
| Exception | Who signs the note | What the note must include |
|---|---|---|
| Medical need, and no other reasonable way to travel | A physician who knows the condition | The diagnosis, and the date the driver is expected to recover |
| School or a school activity | The school principal, dean, or a staff member they designate | The date the school activity is expected to end |
| Work | The employer | Confirmation of the job, and the date the work is expected to end |
| Driving an immediate family member | A parent or legal guardian | The reason, and the date the need will end |
Keep the signed note with the license while driving.
A parent, guardian, licensed driver aged 25 or older, or licensed driving instructor can ride with a provisional teen driver (Vehicle Code 12814.6(b)(1)). Practice is a separate rule: a teen learner needs at least 50 hours of practice with a California-licensed driver aged 25 or older, 10 of them at night (Handbook, section 2).
Driver training with an instructor is one of the steps the DMV requires before a teen's drive test. Our teen training is three 2-hour lessons, in a dual-control automatic car, with pickup in listed cities from San Francisco to San Jose and the East Bay. Lessons don't replace the 50 hours of practice with an adult.
$600 · three 2-hour lessons. See teen lesson prices and our teen driver checklist.
Private 2-hour lessons in a dual-control automatic car, with pickup in listed cities from San Francisco to San Jose and the East Bay.
Lessons from $200 for a 2-hour lesson. See all lessons and prices
