Teen Training, Passengers and Curfew

Key points

1. School driver education means 30 hours of classroom instruction and at least 40 hours behind the wheel.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “consist of 30 hours of classroom instruction and at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road training for teens with a learner’s permit.”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 6

2. After school driver education you wait 120 days after the permit to take the road test; everyone else waits 180 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “must wait 120 days after the issuance of the learner’s permit before taking the road test. All other applicants must wait 180 days”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 6

3. A parent or guardian must complete 2 hours of instruction on teen driving laws and dangers.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “A parent or legal guardian of a 16- or 17-year-old who obtains a learner’s permit is required to complete two hours of instruction”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 6

4. A home trainer must be at least 20 and have held a license for 4 or more years.

   Source: Handbook p. 6

   “Applicants for home training must train with an instructor who is at least 20 years of age or older, and who has held a license for four or more years prior to training”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 6

5. In the first 6 months of a license, passengers are limited to an instructor, parents, or 1 qualified adult at least 20.

   Source: Handbook p. 8

   “During the first six months the newly licensed driver may not have any passengers in the vehicle except for: • A licensed driving instructor; OR • His or her parents or legal guardian, at least one of whom holds a valid driver’s license: OR • One person who is at least 20 years old”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 8

6. In months 7 through 12, the only added passengers allowed are immediate family.

   Source: Handbook p. 8

   “During the second six months (months seven through twelve) the only additional passengers allowed in the vehicle are members of the driver’s immediate family.”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 8

7. Teens may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., except for reasons such as school, a job or a medical need.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “I understand that in Connecticut I may not drive between 11pm and 5am, except for school, a job, a medical or”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 31

8. Teens may not carry more passengers than there are seatbelts.

   Source: Handbook p. 8

   “Transport more passengers than the number of seatbelts in the vehicle.”
   Connecticut Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 8

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Connecticut practice test

1. 1. How long must applicants who do not complete commercial or secondary school driver education wait after a learner’s permit is issued before taking the driver’s exam?

   1. 90 days
   2. 120 days
   3. 180 days
   4. 30 days
   Show answer

   180 days. Applicants who do not complete driver education through a commercial driving school or secondary school must wait 180 days after the learner’s permit is issued before taking the driver’s exam. The 120-day period applies to applicants who successfully complete one of those approved school programs. The 90-day figure belongs to the minimum permit period for applicants age 18 or older, while 30 days is not the waiting period stated here. Separate the training pathway from the permit timeline, then match the exam delay to the applicant group.

2. 2. During months seven through twelve after licensing, which passengers may be added to the Connecticut teen driver's permitted passenger group?

   1. Any friend with a valid license
   2. Only a driving instructor
   3. All passengers under age 21
   4. Members of the driver's immediate family
   Show answer

   Members of the driver's immediate family. Connecticut expands the passenger allowance during the second six months of a teen license. Months seven through twelve add members of the driver's immediate family to the people already permitted during the first six months. The rule does not open the vehicle to every licensed friend or every person under 21. A driving instructor was already part of the earlier permitted group, so that option does not describe the new category. The timing is the key cue: immediate family becomes the additional group after month six.

3. 3. During what hours does Connecticut's teen driving curfew apply?

   1. 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., except for school, work, medical or religious reasons, or a Safe Rides program
   2. 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. with no exceptions
   3. Midnight to 4 a.m.
   4. There is no curfew
   Show answer

   11 p.m. to 5 a.m., except for school, work, medical or religious reasons, or a Safe Rides program. Under the parent teen driving agreement, a 16 or 17 year old may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for school, a job, a medical or religious reason, or a Safe Rides program. The agreement stays in effect for 12 months at a minimum or until age 18, whichever is later, and covers passengers, phones, seat belts and costs.

Source: the Connecticut Driver's Manual, Obtaining a Connecticut Driver's License. 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.