Minnesota (MN) — graduated driver licensing: night, passenger and solo-driving rules
16
The earliest age your teen may drive without an adult in the car — the intermediate (provisional) licence age. Night-time and passenger limits still apply until the points shown below. From the IIHS graduated-licensing table row quoted on the record page.
For Minnesota (MN), intermediate minimum age is 16; nighttime restriction is midnight-5 a.m; passenger restriction is no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20; night restriction lifted is licensed for 6 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 16, 6 mos.); passenger restriction lifted is licensed for 12 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 17), verified against its source on 2026-09-15.
- State
- MN verified
- State name
- Minnesota our reading
- Learner minimum age
- 15 verified
- Mandatory holding period
- 6 months verified
- Supervised driving hours
- 40 hours, 15 of which must be at night verified
- Intermediate minimum age
- 16 verified
- Nighttime restriction
- midnight-5 a.m. verified
- Passenger restriction
- no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 verified
- Night restriction lifted
- licensed for 6 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 16, 6 mos.) verified
- Passenger restriction lifted
- licensed for 12 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 17) verified
- Exceptions and footnotes
- Footnote 36: In Minnesota, permit applicants younger than 18 must be enrolled in driver education. An optional 90-minute supplemental curriculum for parents is to be established by July 1, 2014, to provide information concerning graduated licensing, safety risks and the potential influence of adults on driving behavior. | Footnote 37: In Minnesota, the permit holding period also applies to license applicants 18 and older unless they have completed driver education. | Footnote 38: In Minnesota, license applicants younger than 18 must provide proof that a parent has taken a course for parents of teen drivers or perform an additional 10 certified practice hours. | Footnote 39: In Minnesota, license applicants younger than 18 must have completed driver education. Provisional license holders must be crash-free to qualify for a full license. 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
MN | 15 Footnote 36 | 6 months Footnote 37 | 40 hours, 15 of which must be at night Footnote 38 | 16 Footnote 39 | midnight-5 a.m. | no more than 1 passenger younger than 20; second 6 months—no more than 3 passengers younger than 20 | licensed for 6 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 16, 6 mos.) | licensed for 12 months or age 18, whichever occurs first (min. age: 17)
— iihs.org, retrieved 2026-09-02
Source
- iihs.orghttps://www.iihs.org/topics/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table