Permit and License Requirements

Graduated Instruction Permit Requirements

• The teen must be at least 15 years and 6 months old.
• The teen must pass written and vision tests and bring to an office a completed application and all original supporting documents.
  • Note: The permit test may be taken at home with parental or guardian supervision. 
• The teen must have a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age seated in the front seat next to him or her at all times.

Graduated Driver License Requirements

• The teen must be at least 16 years old.
• The teen must hold an Arizona class G permit for at least six months.

Practice Requirements

Road Test Required: After the Driving Practice is Complete

• The applicant completes at least 30 hours of supervised driving practice, including at least 10 hours at night for a graduated driver license; at least 30 hours of motorcycle riding practice for a motorcycle license or motorcycle endorsement.  
  OR:
  The applicant completes at least 20 hours of supervised driving practice including at least 6 hours at night if the applicant completed a driver education program offered by a traffic survival school or a certified defensive driving school approved by the Arizona Supreme Court; at least 30 hours of motorcycle riding practice for a motorcycle license or motorcycle endorsement.  
   

No Road Test Required:

• The minor completes a High School Driver Education or Authorized Third Party Driver License Driver Education Program and provided proof of completion within twelve months of issuance.

After Getting the Graduated Driver License

• For the first six months, a teen with a graduated driver license cannot drive between the hours of midnight to 5 a.m. unless one of these conditions is met:
  • A parent or legal guardian who has a valid driver license is sitting in the front passenger seat.
  • The teen is driving to or from a sanctioned school sponsored activity, sanctioned religious activity, place of employment or family emergency.
• A teen with a Graduated Driver License shall not drive a motor vehicle containing more than one passenger under the age of 18 on a public roadway unless one of these conditions is met:
  • The passengers are the teen driver's siblings.
  • The teen driver is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with a valid driver license who occupies the front passenger seat.

Note: If the teen driver has no outstanding extensions of the restricted driving period or suspension of driving privileges during the completion of the first six months of restricted driving, the teen may drive without restriction until eligible to apply for a Class D driver license beginning at age 18.

Parent/Guardian Approval

For teens younger than 18, the application for an instruction permit or driver license must be signed by at least one adult (see below). The adult will be responsible for any negligence or willful misconduct when the teen is driving.

The application must be signed by

• one natural/adoptive parent if married to the other natural/adoptive parent.
• both natural/adoptive parents if not married to each other but share joint custody.
• one natural/adoptive parent with sole custody.
• a legal guardian (proof required).
• a foster parent living with the minor (proof required).
• an employer of the minor (parents' death certificates must be shown).

The signatures must be witnessed by an MVD agent or by a notary public. Signatures obtained for an instruction permit will be required again for a driver license. This information sheet contains the laws that apply to legal guardian authority for a driver license for a minor.