Instruction Permits and Teen Restrictions

Key points

1. To get a permit you must be at least 15 and a half, apply, and pass vision and knowledge tests.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “Be at least 15½ years old; Complete a driver license application; Pass a vision test; Pass a knowledge test about Nevada’s traffic laws, highway signs, markings and safe driving practices”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

2. An instruction permit is valid for 1 year, and you must carry it when driving.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “A Nevada instruction permit is valid for one year. You must carry the permit with you when you are driving.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

3. With a Class C permit, you must drive with a licensed driver 21 or older with 1 year of experience seated beside you.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “Is 21 years of age or older; Has at least one year of licensed driving experience; and Is seated beside you.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

4. Under 18, you must hold the permit for at least 6 months before applying for a license.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “If you are under the age of 18, you must hold an instruction permit for at least 6 months prior to applying for a driver license.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

5. For the first 6 months, 16 and 17 year old drivers may not carry passengers under 18 except immediate family.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “Applicants who are 16 or 17 years old when they receive their driver’s license will not be allowed to carry passengers under the age of 18 (except for immediate family members) for the first 6 months they drive”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

6. Minors may not drive from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless going to or from a scheduled event, until age 18.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “a minor shall not operate a motor vehicle between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless he/she is driving to or from a scheduled event. This curfew remains in effect until the driver turns 18, regardless of when the driver license was issued.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 15

7. A parent or guardian must co-sign the application of anyone under 18.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “If you are under 18 years of age and applying for a Nevada driver’s license, driver authorization card or instruction permit, a parent or guardian must co-sign your application.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 13

8. Young drivers who become first time DUI offenders face the same penalties as drivers over 21.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “Young drivers who become first-time DUI offenders will become subject to the same penalties as drivers over the age of 21.”
   Nevada Driver's Handbook, Handbook p. 13

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Nevada practice test

1. 1. How long must a Nevada permit holder under 18 keep an instruction permit before applying for a driver license?

   1. At least three months
   2. At least six months
   3. At least nine months
   4. At least two years
   Show answer

   At least six months. A Nevada applicant under 18 must hold an instruction permit for at least six months before applying for a driver license. Three months and nine months do not match the stated minimum, while two years adds a requirement the handbook does not give. This holding period is separate from supervised driving experience, driver education, and the passenger restrictions that apply after licensing. When a teen plans the licensing steps, the permit start date is the practical cue: count six months from that point before seeking the full license.

2. 2. For the first six months after a Nevada 16 or 17-year-old receives a license, which passengers are restricted?

   1. No passengers unless the vehicle is a pickup
   2. Every passenger, including immediate family members
   3. Only passengers older than 65
   4. Passengers under 18, except immediate family members
   Show answer

   Passengers under 18, except immediate family members. Nevada restricts a newly licensed 16 or 17-year-old from carrying passengers under 18 during the first six months of driving, with an exception for immediate family members. The restriction does not ban every passenger, target older passengers, or depend on whether the vehicle is a pickup. The time window begins when the teen receives the license, not when the instruction permit was issued. Before allowing a young friend to ride, the driver should check the passenger's age, the family relationship, and whether the first six months have ended.

3. 3. Unless traveling to or from a scheduled event, during what hours does Nevada's minor-driver curfew apply?

   1. 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
   2. 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
   3. 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
   4. Midnight to 7 a.m.
   Show answer

   10 p.m. to 5 a.m.. Nevada's minor-driver curfew runs from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., unless the minor is driving to or from a scheduled event. The handbook says the rule remains until the driver turns 18, regardless of when the license was issued. Each alternate range shifts one or both endpoints and therefore describes a different restriction. A teen planning an evening drive should check both the clock and the purpose of the trip, because the scheduled-event exception does not erase the stated curfew hours in every situation.

Source: the Nevada Driver's Handbook, Chapter 1: Young Drivers and Instruction 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.