What Are The Driving Age Requirements In Maryland?

If you are a teenager and looking to start your driver's license journey and live in Maryland, you may be asking what are the driving age requirements in Maryland? Coastline Academy takes on that question, so find out the Maryland teen driving laws right here!

Maryland Graduated Licensing System

Like most states, Maryland takes part in the Graduated Licensing System. For new teen drivers in Maryland, this program is called The Rookie Driver Program. It applies to all applicants, regardless of age, who have never held a license in Maryland or any other state or country.

The program allows new drivers to gain driving experience under the supervision of an experienced driver. It also encourages good driving behavior by imposing specific restrictions and strict sanctions during each step of the licensing process. In The Rookie Driver graduated licensing system, applicants progress through three levels of licensing:

1. A Learner’s Permit
2. A Provisional License
3. A Full Driver’s License

The Learner's Permit

After obtaining a learner's permit, a new driver is allowed to get behind the wheel of a vehicle under the supervision of an experienced driver. Applicants must hold a valid learner’s permit BEFORE behind-the-wheel driver education or supervised driving on Maryland highways. Learner’s permits are valid for two years from the date they are issued. The requirements to obtain a learner's permit are:

• Minimum age is 15 years and 9 months.
• If the applicant is under 16, they must provide a completed Learner’s Permit School Attendance Certification form (DL-300).
• If the applicant is under 18, a parent or guardian must co-sign the learner’s permit application.
• Applicants must pass a vision screening and a knowledge test.
• While driving, learner’s permit holders must be accompanied by a qualified supervising driver who is 21 or older and who has held a license for a minimum of three years. The person must be seated beside the new driver at all times with no other front seat occupants. Practice Logs are available to guide practice in several driving situations and conditions.
• A qualified supervising driver (parent, guardian or mentor) must complete a Practice Log for the learner’s permit holder which is issued by the MVA along with every learner’s permit.

Getting Behind The Wheel

Once you obtain your learner's permit, you are allowed to start your training behind the wheel. The behind-the-wheel driving lessons are part of the Driver's Ed course you enroll in, which includes 30 hours of in-classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training.

In addition to the six hours of driving lessons, teens are also required to complete 60 hours of driving practice that are supervised by a parent or adult age 21 or older with a valid driver’s license. Of those 60 hours, 10 of them have to be completed at night.

The Provisional License

Once you have successfully completed all the requirements for the learner's permit, new drivers in Maryland are now eligible for a provisional license. The requirements for a provisional license in Maryland are as follows:

• Minimum age is 16 years and 6 months.
• Applicants must successfully complete a standardized driver education course including 30 hours of in-class and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. Driver education providers electronically submit the applicant’s course completion information directly to the MVA.
• Applicants must pass a skills test administered both on a closed course and in traffic. The driver's skills test for your provisional Class "C" or Class "M" license must be scheduled in advance. To schedule an appointment, click here.

The Full Driver's License

The last step in The Rookie Driver graduated licensing system would be to obtain your full driver's license. To get this license, you must meet these requirements:

• Minimum age is 18 years.
• If younger than 21, the license will carry an alcohol restriction.
• Once provisional license holders successfully meet all requirements, the MVA automatically converts the license to a full driver’s license status. An attachment card showing the conversion to a full license is mailed to the driver. The card is carried with the provisional license to show the change in licensing status. The attachment card is no longer needed when the provisional license expires. The driver comes in for a license renewal, pays the renewal fee and then is issued a full license.

As you can see, each step of the process has different age restrictions to follow. The Maryland BMV is very detailed with this process, but it will be worth it in the end to have a full driver's license and be a safe driver.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.