Driving Laws, 2006

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Currently all states plus DC have child safety seat laws and enforce a drinking age of 21. As of August 2005, all 50 states had blood alcohol concentration (bac) limits of 0.08, following concerted state and national efforts to lower the rate from 0.10. A national speed limit of 55 mph was imposed in 1974, and in 1987 it was modified to allow 65-mile-per-hour speeds on some rural freeways. The federal law was entirely repealed in 1995, giving states the right to set their own limits. As of April 2005, graduated licensing laws were in effect in 41 states plus DC, 38 of which prohibit young drivers from driving during high-risk nighttime and early morning hours.

State	Minimum age for driver's license¹	Administrative license suspension²	Alcohol ignition interlock device³	Penaltiesincludeforfeiture⁴	Mandatory belt-use law seating positions	Motorcycle helmet law⁵	Maximum allowable speed limit
State	Minimum age for driver's license¹	Administrative license suspension²	Alcohol ignition interlock device³	Penaltiesincludeforfeiture⁴	Mandatory belt-use law seating positions	Motorcycle helmet law⁵	1995	2004
Alabama	17	90 days	no	no	front	yes	65	70
Alaska	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	yes	yes	all	18⁶	—	65
Arizona	16	90 days	yes	yes	front⁷	18	55	75
Arkansas	16	120 days	yes	yes	front	21	65	70
California	17	4 months	yes	yes	all	yes	55	70
Colorado	17	3 months	yes	no	front	no	65	75
Connecticut	16 + 10 mo.	90 days	no	no	front	18	55	65
Delaware	16 + 10 mo.	3 months	yes	no	all	19⁸	—	65
DC	18	2–90 days	yes	no	all	yes	55	55
Florida	18	6 months	yes	yes	front⁷	21⁹	65	70
Georgia	18	1 year	yes	yes	front⁷	yes	55	70
Hawaii	17	3 months	yes	no	front⁷	18	—	60
Idaho	16	90 days	yes	no	all	18	65	75
Illinois	17	3 months	yes	yes	front⁷	no	65	65
Indiana	18	180 days	yes	yes	front	18	65	70
Iowa	17	180 days	yes	no	front	no	55	70
Kansas	16	30 days	yes	no	front	18	65	70
Kentucky	17	—	yes	yes	all	21^{9, 10}	65	65
Louisiana	17	90 days	yes	yes	front	yes	65	70
Maine	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	yes	yes	all	15¹⁰	65	65
Maryland	17 + 9 mo.	45 days	yes	no	front	yes	55	65
Massachusetts	18	90 days	yes	yes	all	yes	55	65
Michigan	17	—	yes	yes	front⁷	yes	55	70
Minnesota	16	90 days	yes	yes	front⁷	18¹⁰	65	70
Mississippi	16	90 days	yes	yes	front⁷	yes	65	70
Missouri	17 + 11 mo.	30 days	yes	yes	front⁷	yes	70	70
Montana	16	—	yes	yes	all	18	65	75
Nebraska	17	90 days	yes	no	front	yes	65	75
Nevada	18	90 days	yes	no	all	yes	55	75
New Hampshire	17 + 1 mo.	6 months	yes	no	—	no	65	65
New Jersey	18	—	yes	no	front⁷	yes	—	65
New Mexico	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	yes	no	all	18	65	75
New York	17	variable	yes	yes	all	yes	55	65
North Carolina	16 + 6 mo.	30 days	yes	yes	front	yes	55	70
North Dakota	16	91 days	yes	yes	front	18	65	75
Ohio	17	90 days	yes	yes	front	18¹¹	65	65
Oklahoma	16 + 6 mo.	180 days	yes	yes	front	18	65	75
Oregon	17	90 days	yes	yes	all	yes	65	65
Pennsylvania	17	—	yes	yes	front⁷	21¹¹	55	65
Rhode Island	17 + 6 mo.	—	yes	yes	all	21^{6, 11}	55	65
South Carolina	16 + 6 mo.	—	yes	yes	all	21	65	70
South Dakota	16	—	no	no	front	18	65	75
Tennessee	17	—	yes	yes	front	yes	65	70
Texas	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	yes	yes	front⁷	21⁹	65	75
Utah	17	90 days	yes	no	all	18	55	75
Vermont	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	no	yes	all	yes	65	65
Virginia	18	7 days	yes	yes	front	yes	65	65
Washington	17	90 days	yes	yes	all	yes	55	70
West Virginia	17	6 months	yes	no	front⁷	yes	65	70
Wisconsin	16 + 9 mo.	6 months	yes	yes	front⁷	18¹⁰	65	65
Wyoming	16 + 6 mo.	90 days	no	yes	all	19	65	75

1. Refers to minimum age for driver's license with no restrictions on unsupervised nighttime driving or carrying passengers. Driver education may be a prerequisite, and one may be limited to carrying only seat-belted passengers.

2. How long (or if) licenses can be suspended before conviction, if drivers fail or refuse to take a chemical test.

3. Legislation for instruments designed to prevent drivers from starting their cars when breath alcohol content is at or above a set point.

4. A multiple offender's vehicle may be seized and disposed.

5. Presence of law, or age below which riders are required to wear helmet.

6. All passengers required to wear helmet.

7. Required for certain ages at all seating positions.

8. Helmet must also be carried on the motorcycle, whether or not it is worn, for persons 19 and older.

9. Helmet optional for those over listed age if they have proper insurance. (In Texas, they may instead complete a training and safety course.)

10. Helmets must be worn by cyclists holding learners' permits.

11. First-year novices required to wear helmet. (In Penn., first two years, unless driver completes a safety course.)

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Web: www.iihs.org .

Most Dangerous Mode of Transportation

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U.S. Seat Belt Use, 1998–2005

Most Dangerous Mode of Transportation Transportation U.S. Seat Belt Use, 1998–2005

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Driving Laws, 2006

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