Instruction permits and provisional licenses

Key points

1. You may get an instruction permit at 14, and it is valid for 2 years.

   Source: Handbook p. 4

   “If you are 14 years of age or older, you may obtain the permit which is valid for two years.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 4

2. Each permit type is valid for 2 years and can be renewed only one time.

   Source: Handbook p. 4

   “Each type of non-commercial instruction permit issued is valid for 2 years and can only be renewed one time.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 4

3. Your supervising driver must be at least 21 with at least 1 year of experience driving that class of vehicle.

   Source: Handbook p. 4

   “The licensed driver must be at least 21 years of age and have at least one year of driving experience for the same type or class of vehicle you are driving.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 4

4. At 16 or 17 you must hold a permit for 6 months before getting a provisional license.

   Source: Handbook p. 4

   “If you are 16 or 17, you must have a valid instruction permit for 6 months before the DMV can issue you a provisional Class D license.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 4

5. A parent, guardian or employer must certify at least 40 hours of driving, including 10 in challenging conditions such as bad weather or night.

   Source: Handbook p. 5

   “your parent, legal guardian, or employer must certify that you have had at least 40 hours of driving experience, including at least 10 hours of driving in progressively challenging circumstances”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 5

6. You must have no traffic conviction in the 6 months before applying for a provisional license.

   Source: Handbook p. 5

   “You must NOT have been convicted of a violation of a traffic law within the six months before you apply for your provisional driver license.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 5

7. On a provisional license you may not carry passengers unless one is a parent, guardian or someone at least 21.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “MAY NOT carry passengers unless one of the passengers is a parent, legal guardian, or a person at least 21 years of age”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 6

8. You may not drive from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. without a parent, guardian or licensed adult 21 or older.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “MAY NOT operate a motor vehicle between the hours of 1:00 am and 5:00 am unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a person at least 21 years of age who is licensed to drive the class of vehicle being used.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 6

9. The fee for an original instruction permit is $15.00.

   Source: Handbook p. 4

   “The fee for an original instruction permit is $15.00.”
   Alaska Driver Manual, Handbook p. 4

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Alaska practice test

1. 1. At what minimum age may a person obtain an Alaska non-commercial instruction permit?

   1. 16 years
   2. 15 years
   3. 14 years
   4. 18 years
   Show answer

   14 years. Alaska allows a person who is 14 years of age or older to obtain a non-commercial instruction permit. The permit is for learning to drive, and the learner must be accompanied by a qualified licensed driver while practicing. Sixteen is associated with other licensing milestones, including the possible issue of a provisional Class D license after permit time, but it is not the starting age for this permit. Keep the permit age and the later license stages separate when reviewing the progression.

2. 2. Who may supervise a person driving under an Alaska instruction permit?

   1. Only a driving school instructor may supervise
   2. Any licensed driver at least 18 with six months of experience
   3. A licensed driver at least 25 with two years of experience
   4. A licensed driver at least 21 with at least one year driving the same vehicle type
   Show answer

   A licensed driver at least 21 with at least one year driving the same vehicle type. The supervising person must be licensed, at least 21 years old, and experienced with the same type or class of vehicle. The six month option lowers both the age and experience requirement, while the older supervisor option adds requirements that Alaska does not impose. A school instructor is one possible supervisor in an approved course, but the ordinary permit rule is broader. For a passenger vehicle, the supervisor also sits beside the learner. When studying this rule, connect the age and one year requirement to the vehicle being driven, rather than treating them as general driving credentials.

3. 3. What driving experience must be certified before an Alaska minor receives a first provisional license?

   1. 20 total hours, including 5 at night
   2. 30 total hours, including 10 on highways
   3. 50 total hours, all after dark
   4. 40 total hours, including 10 in progressively challenging conditions
   Show answer

   40 total hours, including 10 in progressively challenging conditions. For a first license before age 18, the parent, guardian, or employer must certify at least 40 hours of driving, including at least 10 hours in progressively challenging conditions. Night driving and inclement weather are examples, not a requirement that every hour occur after dark. The 20, 30, and 50 hour figures are not the manual's threshold. Pair the total with the embedded challenging-condition minimum, and remember that a valid permit for six months and a clean recent traffic record are separate prerequisites.

Source: the Alaska Driver Manual, Licenses and Permits. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.