New Jersey Teen License
New Jersey is the only state that keeps teen drivers under graduated license restrictions all the way to age 21. After clearing the learner's permit and the road test at NJ MVC, a teen receives a probationary license that carries passenger, curfew, decal, and phone limits for several years before the full Basic Class D license is issued.
The probationary license
Teens who pass the road test at age 17 receive a probationary license, not a full license. The probationary card looks the same as a regular license but appears in the MVC system as a Class D probationary status. It must be held for at least 1 year and applicants must remain conviction-free during that time before any next-stage upgrade. Critically, the GDL passenger and curfew rules continue past the 1-year probationary mark — they apply to every NJ driver under 21, regardless of how long they have been licensed.
Kyleigh's Law decals
Every NJ GDL driver under 21 (permit, probationary, or otherwise) must display a red reflective decal on each license plate of any vehicle they drive. The decals are sold at MVC agencies in pairs and cost about $4. The rule, named after a teen passenger killed in a 2006 crash, allows police to identify GDL drivers from outside the car. Driving without the decal is a $100 fine. New Jersey is the only state with a visible-decal rule for teens.
Passenger limits
A GDL driver under 21 may carry only one passenger from outside the immediate household, unless a parent or legal guardian is in the vehicle. Siblings, parents, and stepparents do not count toward the limit. Carrying more than one non-household passenger is a moving violation.
Curfew
GDL drivers under 21 may not drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., with limited exceptions for documented work, religious activity, or volunteer emergency services. The exceptions require written documentation in the vehicle and do not extend to recreational or social driving. Curfew violations are moving violations that add 2 points to the driving record.
Phone and seatbelt rules
Hand-held and hands-free cell phone use is banned for every NJ GDL driver — even Bluetooth headsets. Seat-belt rules apply to the driver and every passenger in the car, with the GDL driver primarily responsible for unbelted occupants under 18. A first phone-use violation costs $100; a second costs $250 and adds 3 points.
Moving from probationary to Basic Class D
The probationary phase ends at the later of: 1 year of conviction-free probationary driving, or the driver turning 18. After that point the driver is no longer "probationary" but the GDL passenger, curfew, and decal restrictions continue until the driver's 21st birthday. On the 21st birthday the GDL ends automatically — no separate application, no new license card, no road test. The Basic Class D status updates in the MVC system on the next license renewal.
Penalties for violating GDL rules
The first GDL violation is a $100 fine. A second violation can trigger a postponement of the next license stage and a 30-day suspension. A third triggers a longer suspension and a referral to the Probationary Driver Program. Insurance carriers also access NJ MVC records through the driver record system and price young-driver coverage based on convictions.
Insurance for new NJ teen drivers
Adding a probationary driver to a parent's policy in New Jersey runs significantly higher than the average state premium because of NJ's combined no-fault PIP requirements and the GDL extension to 21. Some carriers offer 8-15% discounts for teen drivers who complete a state-approved driver education course beyond the GDL minimum. Coverage choice between the Basic and Standard Policy (see NJ insurance) materially affects the premium differential for households with teen drivers.
The teen driver track ends formally on the 21st birthday. Until then the decal, curfew, passenger, and phone rules all stay in force regardless of how many years have passed since the teen first received the probationary card.