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Idaho · Permit test

Idaho driving permits and the graduated license rules

Idaho has three learner permits for cars. Under 17, you buy a driver training permit from 14½ for your driver’s education course, and once you pass, it becomes a supervised instruction permit (SIP) for at least six months of practice with an adult. At 17 or older, you can pass the knowledge test instead and get a Class D instruction permit, the learner’s permit for a year of practice. Every Idaho driving permit comes from a county driver’s license office, and the fees are non-refundable.

  • 6 monthsMinimum time on a supervised permit
  • 50 hoursSupervised driving, 10 of them at night
  • 14½ yearsYoungest age for a driver training permit
Read ITD’s GDL guide (PDF)

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

Which Idaho driving permit do you need?

PermitWho gets itValid until
Driver training permit14½ and older, before a driver training course5 days after your 18th birthday, or 180 days if issued at 17½ or older
Supervised instruction permitUnder 17, after you pass driver trainingThe same permit, so the same date
Class D instruction permit17 or older, after the knowledge test1 year

During the course, the driver training permit is good only for driving with your instructor, who keeps it until you pass (with parent-taught training, the permit goes to your parent). It can’t be renewed. If you turn 17 while on a SIP, it becomes a Class D instruction permit, which then runs until five days after your 18th birthday.

Idaho driver’s license and permit fees →Drivers ed in Idaho →

Supervised instruction permit rules

Idaho Code §49‑307 sets the graduated driver’s license (GDL) rules for the SIP. While you hold it:

  • You drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older sitting beside you, and nobody else rides in the front
  • You keep the permit with you whenever you drive
  • Everyone in the car wears a seat belt or sits in a child restraint
  • You obey the underage drinking law and the law on driving under the influence
  • You log the supervised driving hours, including the night hours, while you hold it
  • You go six months with no moving violation and no suspension

When you’ve finished, a parent or legal guardian signs a statement that the 50 hours are done and agrees to your license. You can keep driving on an unexpired SIP after the six months are up.

Idaho driving permit laws for drivers 17 and older

At 17 or older you don’t need driver training. Pass the knowledge test and you can buy a Class D instruction permit. Under Idaho Code §49‑305, you may then drive for up to a year with an adult 18 or older, who holds a valid license for the vehicle, in the seat beside you. If you’re still under 18, you must meet the school attendance rule.

You can still take driver training at 17 or older, with either a driver training permit or a Class D instruction permit.

When a permit is canceled

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) cancels a driver training permit or SIP for any of these, and you then buy a new permit and start a new six-month period. No reinstatement fee is charged:

  • A conviction for a traffic violation, such as speeding or running a red light, or an alcohol or drug violation
  • Breaking a permit restriction, such as riding without seat belts, driving without the permit or without a licensed adult beside you. This also brings a mandatory suspension
  • Any suspension ordered by a court or ITD, such as for an unpaid traffic ticket or not attending school

Under 17, a first traffic or alcohol conviction brings a written warning, a second a suspension of at least 30 days and a third or later one at least 60 days, with no driving of any kind.

Limits on a new license under 17

Once you’re licensed, the GDL limits carry on for a while:

  • Under 16, you drive only from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless a licensed driver 21 or older sits beside you and nobody else rides in the front
  • Under 17, for the first six months after your license is issued, you carry no more than one passenger under 17, unless they’re related to you by blood, adoption or marriage

Restricted school attendance driving permit

Idaho Code §49‑307A allows one more permit, for students aged 14 or 15 who live in a school district of fewer than 150 people with no school bus service. After driver training, it lets you drive only to and from school and school activities at your school, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Any traffic conviction cancels it for good, and the sheriff, the school board president and your principal all sign the application.

Sources: Idaho Transportation Department · Idaho Legislature and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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