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Arkansas · Permit test

Arkansas learner's permit and intermediate license rules

In Arkansas, the learner's permit is called an instruction permit: you can get it at 14 by passing the knowledge exam and a vision test with the State Police. Arkansas also has a learner's license, which is a different thing. It's the restricted license a driver under 16 gets after passing the driving test. From 16 to 18 the next step is an intermediate license, and the passenger, night and phone limits stay until you're 18.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What are the rules for an Arkansas learner's permit?

The study guide's rules for the instruction permit:

  • You must be at least 14 to apply
  • You pass the knowledge exam and a vision test
  • The permit lasts two years from the date you passed the knowledge exam, and it can't be renewed
  • A licensed driver aged 21 or older must sit in the seat beside you
  • Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt

If you're under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs for you, which makes them financially responsible for your driving under Arkansas law.

Learner's and intermediate licenses

After the driving test, you take your permit to a Revenue Office, and the license you get depends on your age. ASP and DFA describe the age bands a little differently: the study guide says the learner's license is for ages 14 to 16 and the intermediate for 16 to 18, while DFA's page says 14-15 and 16-17. Both agree that the learner's license ends at 16 and the intermediate runs until 18.

StageMain rules
Learner's license, under 16A licensed driver 21 or older with you at all times. All passengers buckled. No phone use except in an emergency
Intermediate license, 16 and 17A licensed driver 21 or older with you until you've had six months of driving experience. No more than one unrelated minor passenger without a licensed driver 21 or older in the front seat. No driving from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., with exceptions. No phone use except in an emergency
Class D, 18 and olderUnrestricted. From 18 to 21, hands-free phone use only, and a hand-held phone only in an emergency. No texting at any age

The study guide lists these exceptions to the 11 p.m.-4 a.m. limit: a licensed driver 21 or older with you, and trips to or from a school activity, church activity, job or emergency.

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A clean record moves you up

ASP's driver examination page cites Arkansas Code § 27-16-704(7): your record must be free of serious accidents and serious traffic convictions for the previous 6 months for a learner's license and the previous 12 months for an intermediate license. Violations can delay your license. DFA adds that moving up to an unrestricted license at 18 depends on a clean record for the year before.

An unrestricted license before 18

DFA's page lists four ways an Arkansas resident aged 16 or 17 with six months of driving experience can get an unrestricted Class D early:

  • Emancipated: 17 or older and legally emancipated
  • Graduated: 16 or older with a high school diploma or GED
  • Married: 16 or older with a marriage certificate or license
  • Military: 16 or older and already enlisted in the U.S. military
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Sources: ASP, DFA, Arkansas State Police and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.