California (CA) — graduated driver licensing: night, passenger and solo-driving rules
For California (CA), intermediate minimum age is 16; mandatory holding period (state statute) is not less than six months; statute is 12814.6; nighttime restriction is 11 p.m.-5 a.m. secondary enforcement; passenger restriction is no passengers younger than 20 (limited exception for immediate family) secondary enforcement; night restriction lifted is licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17); passenger restriction lifted is licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17), verified against its source on 2026-10-07.
- State
- CA verified
- State name
- California our reading
- Learner minimum age
- 15, 6 months verified
- Mandatory holding period (IIHS table)
- 6 months verified
- Mandatory holding period (state statute)
- not less than six months verified
- Statute
- 12814.6 verified
- Supervised driving hours
- 50 hours, 10 of which must be at night verified
- Intermediate minimum age
- 16
- Nighttime restriction
- 11 p.m.-5 a.m. secondary enforcement verified
- Passenger restriction
- no passengers younger than 20 (limited exception for immediate family) secondary enforcement verified
- Night restriction lifted
- licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17) verified
- Passenger restriction lifted
- licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17) verified
- Exceptions and footnotes
- Footnote 5: In California, students enrolled in driver education may drive while supervised by an instructor. License applicants who do not take driver education must wait until age 18 for a license. They are not required to go through an intermediate license stage. our reading
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
State, Learner minimum age, Mandatory holding period (IIHS table), Supervised driving hours, Intermediate minimum age, Nighttime restriction, Passenger restriction, Night restriction lifted and Passenger restriction lifted
The source prints these values inside the passage below but does not name them there. The passage shows where each one appears; what ties them to this record is the position on the page, not anything the passage says.
CA | 15, 6 monthsFootnote 5 | 6 months | 50 hours, 10 of which must be at night | 16Footnote 5 | 11 p.m.-5 a.m. secondary enforcement | no passengers younger than 20 (limited exception for immediate family) secondary enforcement | licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17) | licensed for 12 months (min. age: 17)
— iihs.org, retrieved 2026-10-07
Where each value comes from
This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.
Mandatory holding period (state statute)
(a) Except as provided in Section 12814.7, a driver’s license issued to a person at least 16 years of age but under 18 years of age shall be issued pursuant to the provisional licensing program contained in this section. The program shall consist of all of the following components: (1) Upon application for an original license, the applicant shall be issued an instruction permit pursuant to Section 12509. A person who has in their immediate possession a valid permit issued pursuant to Section 12509 may operate a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motorized bicycle, only when the person is either taking the driver training instruction referred to in paragraph (3) or practicing that instruction, provided the person is accompanied by, and is under the immediate supervision of, a California-licensed driver 25 years of age or older whose driving privilege is not on probation. The age requirement of this paragraph does not apply if the licensed driver is the parent, spouse, or guardian of the permitholder or is a licensed or certified driving instructor. (2) The person shall hold an instruction permit for not less than six months prior to applying for a provisional driver’s license.
Statute
Vehicle Code - VEH DIVISION 6. DRIVERS' LICENSES [12500 - 15326] ( Heading of Division 6 amended by Stats. 1961, Ch. 1615. ) CHAPTER 1. Issuance of Licenses, Expiration, and Renewal [12500 - 13020] ( Chapter 1 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. ) ARTICLE 3. Issuance and Renewal of Licenses [12800 - 12819] ( Article 3 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. ) 12814.6.
— all from iihs.org, retrieved 2026-10-07
Sources
- iihs.orghttps://www.iihs.org/topics/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=12814.6.