Instruction permits and the intermediate license

Key points

1. If you enroll in driver training, you can apply for a permit as early as 15.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “If you are enrolling in a driver training course: You can apply for your permit as early as 15 years old.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

2. Without driver training, you can take the knowledge exam after 15 and a half, but must wait until 18 for the skills exam and license.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “If you are not enrolling in a driver training course: You can take the knowledge exam after you turn 15½. Once you pass, you’ll get your permit. However, you need to wait until you’re 18 to take the skills exam and get your license.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

3. Your permit is valid for 1 year and can be renewed for a fee.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “Your permit is valid for 1 year (can be renewed for a fee).”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

4. At 16, you need a permit for at least 6 months and a traffic safety course at an approved school.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “Have your instruction permit for at least 6 months. Be at least 16 years old and a Washington resident. Complete a traffic safety course at an approved driver training school.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

5. You need at least 40 hours of day driving and 10 hours of night driving with a licensed driver who has 3 or more years of experience.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “Complete at least 40 hours of day driving and 10 hours of night driving with a licensed driver who has 3 or more years of experience.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

6. You must have no traffic violations for 6 months before applying, and no alcohol or drug offenses on your permit.

   Source: PDF page 4

   “Be without any traffic violations or convictions for 6 months prior to applying for the license. Have no alcohol or drug offenses while driving with your instruction permit.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 4

7. For the first 6 months, no passengers under 20 except immediate family, and no driving from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. without a parent, guardian or licensed driver at least 25.

   Source: PDF page 6

   “From Issue Date to 6 Months No passengers under age 20 except immediate family members No driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed driver at least age 25”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 6

8. From 6 months until 18 or 1 year, no more than 3 passengers under 20 except immediate family.

   Source: PDF page 6

   “From 6 months to age 18 or one year (whichever comes first) No more than 3 passengers under age 20 except immediate family members”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 6

9. With an intermediate license you may use a phone only to report an emergency, even hands free.

   Source: PDF page 6

   “Intermediate license laws also restrict the use of cell phones and wireless communication devices while you’re driving, even with hands-free technology. You can only use your phone to report an emergency.”
   Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 6

10. A second violation brings a 6 month suspension or until 18, and a third a suspension until 18.

    Source: PDF page 6

    “2nd Violation: License is suspended for 6 months or until you turn 18, whichever comes first. 3rd Violation: License is suspended until you’re 18.”
    Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), PDF page 6

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Washington practice test

1. 1. When enrolled in a driver training course, how early may a Washington teen apply for an instruction permit?

   1. At age 15
   2. At age 14
   3. At age 15 and one half
   4. At age 16
   Show answer

   At age 15. Enrollment in a driver training course permits an application as early as age 15. The age 15 and one-half figure applies when the applicant is not enrolling in a driver training course, so moving that number into the course scenario changes the condition. Fourteen is below the stated minimum, and waiting until 16 is unnecessarily late. Check the course start timing too, because the guide says the application is made one to ten days before the course starts.

2. 2. Which two conditions does Washington list for a teen's first driver license at ages 16 to 17?

   1. A permit held at least 6 months, plus age 16 and Washington residency
   2. Age 17 and five years of driving experience
   3. Age 15 and an out-of-state address
   4. Age 16 with no permit or residency requirement
   Show answer

   A permit held at least 6 months, plus age 16 and Washington residency. For a first license at ages 16 to 17, Washington requires the instruction permit to have been held for at least six months, and the applicant must be at least 16 and a Washington resident. The other choices remove the permit or residency requirement, use an out-of-state address, or add an adult experience standard that the cited rule does not state. Read the age range and the separate permit-duration condition together before deciding eligibility.

3. 3. When are Washington intermediate driver license restrictions automatically lifted?

   1. After the first six months
   2. When the driver turns 18
   3. After one month of safe driving
   4. When the driver receives a new permit
   Show answer

   When the driver turns 18. Washington says intermediate license restrictions are automatically lifted when the driver turns 18. The first six months and one year are important phases for passenger and nighttime limits, but neither one by itself removes every restriction. A new permit is not the trigger. Keep following the restrictions until the birthday that ends them, then wait until the normal renewal if an updated physical license copy is desired.

Source: the Washington Driver Guide (plain-text version), Chapter 1: Licenses. 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.