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Minnesota · Permit test

The MN provisional license

The provisional license is the second step for drivers under 18, and you can get one at 16. For the first six months of an MN provisional license, you can’t drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless an exception applies, and you can carry only one passenger under 20 who isn’t family, unless a parent or guardian is with you. The license lasts two years from the date you apply.

  • 16Youngest age
  • 6 monthsNight limits and one passenger under 20
  • 3Passengers under 20 in months 7 to 12
  • 2 yearsHow long the license lasts
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Who can get an MN provisional license?

  • You’re at least 16.
  • You’ve finished the classroom and behind-the-wheel parts of driver education.
  • You’ve held an instruction permit for six months with no convictions for moving violations or alcohol or drug violations.
  • You hand in a Supervised Driving Log.
  • You’ve passed the road test.
  • A parent or guardian approves your application.

If some of your practice was in another state, bring a certified driving record from that state and proof of 30 hours of classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

The MN driving log →What happens on the MN DMV road test →

Provisional license limits

RuleMonths 1 to 6Months 7 to 12
Driving midnight to 5 a.m.Not allowed, with exceptionsNo limit in the law
Passengers under 20 who aren’t familyOneUp to three
Phones, even hands-freeNot while movingNot while moving

The night exceptions are driving between home and work, between home and a school event the school doesn’t provide transportation for, for your job, or with a licensed driver who is at least 25.

The passenger limits don’t apply when a parent or guardian is in the car, and immediate family members under 20 don’t count. Everyone wears a seat belt or the right child seat.

Moving up to a full license

You can get the under-21 Class D license at 18, or once you’ve held the provisional license for 12 months in a row with no alcohol, drug or crash-related convictions and no more than one other moving violation. Under 18, you also certify at least 10 hours of driving supervised by a licensed driver 21 or older. The license is marked Under 21 and expires on your 21st birthday.

If you’re convicted of one of those violations while provisional, or of more than one other moving violation, the law holds back the full license until 12 months after the conviction or until you turn 18, whichever comes first.

Vanessa’s Law

The law is named for Vanessa Weiss, killed in 2003 before her 16th birthday while riding with an unlicensed 15-year-old. A teen convicted of a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol or drug violation while driving without a license can’t get a permit or license until 18.

A provisional license holder who loses the license for those reasons can’t get it back until 18 or until the withdrawal period ends, whichever is longer. The manual says that usually means the $680 reinstatement fee, the Class D written test, a 30-hour classroom course that can’t be online, a new permit held for 90 days and six hours of behind-the-wheel lessons.

Sources: Minnesota DVS · Minnesota Revisor of Statutes and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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