Maryland Provisional License (Teen)

The Maryland MVA's Provisional License is the second stage of the graduated driver licensing system — the bridge between the Learner's Instructional Permit and the full unrestricted license. It carries real driving privileges but with passenger limits, a midnight curfew, and a no-tolerance cell-phone rule that stay in place for at least 18 months.

Eligibility

To upgrade from a permit to a provisional license, a Maryland teen must:

• Be at least 16 years 6 months of age.
• Have held the Learner's Instructional Permit for at least 9 consecutive months with no traffic convictions during that period.
• Have completed the state-approved Maryland Driver Education program (30 classroom + 6 behind-the-wheel hours) and submitted the certificate to the MVA.
• Have logged at least 60 hours of supervised driving practice (10 of which are at night) on the MVA Skills Log, signed by the supervising adult.
• Pass the MVA skills test at a branch or certified third-party test site.

Provisional license restrictions

Maryland's provisional rules are among the stricter sets of GDL restrictions in the country:

Cell phone ban

Provisional drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone while driving — at all, hands-free included. Texting, voice-only handsets, and Bluetooth phone calls are all prohibited. The first offense is a primary citation worth 1 point and a $83 fine.

Passenger limits

For the first 5 months of the provisional period, the teen may not drive with any passenger under 18 unless that passenger is an immediate family member, OR there is a supervising driver age 21+ in the front passenger seat. After the 5-month mark, the passenger restriction lifts, but the teen still operates under the curfew and cell-phone rules.

Nighttime curfew

Maryland provisional drivers may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a supervising adult age 21+, or driving to or from work or school with documentation in the vehicle. The curfew applies to every provisional driver until they convert to the full license.

Zero-tolerance alcohol

Under Maryland's zero-tolerance rule (Transportation Article §16-113), provisional drivers under 21 must maintain 0.00% BAC. Any detectable amount triggers an automatic suspension. See Maryland DUI and DWI laws for the broader impaired-driving framework.

Time at provisional

The minimum time at provisional is 18 months without a moving violation conviction or at-fault crash. Any conviction during the provisional period extends the clock. The 18 months are measured from the date of the provisional license issuance, and the upgrade to full unrestricted is automatic — no skills test, no knowledge test — at the next branch visit (or by mail if the MVA sends an upgrade notice).

What counts as a violation

Any moving violation conviction during the provisional period — speeding, running a red light, failure to yield, unsafe lane change — extends the provisional period and may trigger an MVA conference letter. Two or more moving violations in the provisional period typically result in a required Driver Improvement Program course before the teen can convert to a full license. Three or more typically result in a license suspension.

Penalties for restriction violations

Driving outside the curfew, with a prohibited passenger, or while using a cell phone is a primary offense — meaning a Maryland officer can stop a provisional driver for that reason alone. First offense penalties usually include a citation, fine, court appearance, and a documented violation that delays the conversion to full license.

Conversion to full license

After 18 months at provisional with a clean record, the teen visits an MVA branch to receive the full noncommercial license. The skills test is not repeated. The license follows Maryland's standard 8-year cycle, and the next renewal happens in the year of the holder's birthday closest to the 8-year mark. See Maryland license renewal.

For the eligibility rules at first issuance, see Maryland learner's instructional permit. For the underlying full-license requirements at age 18+, see Maryland driver's license.