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North Carolina · Permit test

NC provisional license: Level 2 and Level 3

There are two. A Level 2 limited provisional license lets you drive alone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., with limits on young passengers, and you get it after a road test. Six months later you can upgrade online to a Level 3 full provisional license, which drops the time and passenger limits. Both are for drivers 16 and 17, and neither NC provisional license allows a phone while driving.

  • 16Youngest age for Level 2
  • 6 monthsOn Level 2 before Level 3
  • 1Passenger under 21 from outside your home, on Level 2
Upgrade a teen license onlineFree practice test

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

How do you get a Level 2 NC provisional license?

To move up from Level 1, you must:

  • Be 16 or 17
  • Have held your Level 1 permit for 9 months
  • Have no moving violations or seat belt or phone convictions in the last six months
  • Have logged at least 60 hours of driving

Then pass the road test at a driver license office or a certified driver education school. The license is mailed within 20 business days.

The NC driving test →The driving log →

Level 2 rules

  • You can drive alone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and at any time going straight to or from work, or a volunteer fire, rescue or emergency medical service you belong to
  • From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., a supervising driver must sit beside you
  • Driving alone, you can carry one passenger under 21 who doesn’t live with you, plus one more if they’re a student you’re driving straight to or from school
  • If every passenger lives with you, there’s no under-21 limit, but under-21 household members can’t ride when under-21 non-household passengers are in the car
  • No mobile devices while driving, and everyone wears a seat belt

Level 3 full provisional license

After six months on Level 2, with no moving violations or seat belt or phone convictions in the last six months, you can upgrade. NCDMV calls online the easiest and fastest way, with your current license and a parent or guardian to help, or you can go to a driver license office with them. Level 3 has no time, supervision or passenger limits, but under 18 the phone ban still applies. Its fee depends on your age, and the license runs until you turn 21.

NC DMV license cost →

Moving to a Class C at 18

Once you turn 18, you can upgrade a Level 2 or Level 3 license to a regular Class C license online. You don’t need Level 3 first.

How to get an NC driver’s license →

If your license is suspended

A license suspended over school grades must be reinstated before you can drive on it again. If it shows as revoked or suspended for another reason, check your status in MyDMV.

Rules for drivers under 18 →NC license check →
Sources: NCDMV and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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