State service guide

Minnesota teen license: provisional first, 6-month permit history, and the 50-hour versus 40-hour log split

Minnesota does not give most teens a full unrestricted Class D license at 16. The normal teen license is a provisional license, which sits between the instruction permit and the full license in Minnesota's graduated driver licensing system. To reach it, a teen generally must be at least 16, complete classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education, hold the instruction permit for six months with no moving or alcohol or controlled-substance convictions, submit a supervised driving log, and pass the road test. The biggest Minnesota-specific trap is the practice-hour split: most teens need 50 supervised hours with 15 at night, but that drops to 40 total hours if a parent or guardian completes the approved 90-minute parent awareness class.

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First teen license A provisional license, not a full unrestricted Class D license
Permit history At least 6 months on the instruction permit with no moving or alcohol or controlled-substance convictions
Practice requirement 50 supervised hours with 15 at night, or 40 hours with 15 at night after the approved parent class
Restriction timeline Midnight-to-5 a.m. limit for the first 6 months and under-20 passenger limits for the first 12 months

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A strong Minnesota teen-license page should frame the credential as a provisional license rather than a full standard license. The state's under-18 path is built around three phases: instruction permit, provisional license, and then full license. The practical Minnesota details are the six-month clean permit history, the parent-signed supervised driving log, the 50-hour versus 40-hour practice rule, the midnight-to-5 a.m. limit during the first six months, and the two-stage under-20 passenger rule that continues for a full year of provisional driving.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-17. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • A valid Minnesota instruction permit with enough history to satisfy the six-month under-18 permit requirement
  • Proof that classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education were completed, including the signed course completion card the examiner expects at the road test
  • A supervised driving log signed by a parent or guardian showing either 50 total hours with 15 at night, or 40 total hours with 15 at night if the parent or guardian completed the approved parent awareness class
  • The parent-awareness class certificate if you are using the 40-hour route instead of the 50-hour route
  • Current proof of insurance for the vehicle used on the road test
  • Application materials and identity documents for the card type you want, plus approval of the license application by a parent, court-appointed guardian, county-appointed foster parent, or director of the transitional living program where you reside

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Finish the permit stage first, because Minnesota's normal teen-license path is provisional-license issuance after the under-18 permit period, not a direct jump to a full license.
  2. Complete driver education, keep the permit violation-free for six months, and build the supervised driving log after behind-the-wheel instruction is finished.
  3. Choose the correct practice-hour path: 50 total hours with 15 at night for most teens, or 40 total hours with 15 at night if the parent or guardian completed the approved 90-minute parent awareness class.
  4. Bring the permit, course completion proof, supervised driving log, and proof of insurance to the road test, then apply for the provisional license once the parent or other authorized adult approves the application.
  5. After issuance, treat the new credential as a restricted provisional license and track the separate six-month nighttime rule and twelve-month passenger rule.

License stage

Minnesota's teen license is the provisional stage, not the full Class D license adults picture

That stage label matters because the state attaches meaningful limits to the first teen license.

  • Minnesota's under-18 licensing path has three phases: instruction permit, provisional license, and full license.
  • The second phase, not the third, is the usual teen-license milestone after the road test.
  • The driver manual says the provisional license has restrictions that do not apply to a full driver's license.

Before the road test

Minnesota makes age, permit history, driver education, and the supervised log part of one gate

Turning 16 alone does not unlock the teen license.

  • To qualify for the provisional license, Minnesota says the teen must be at least 16 years old.
  • The teen must have completed the classroom and behind-the-wheel phases of driver education.
  • The permit must have been held for six months with no convictions for moving violations or alcohol or controlled-substance violations.
  • The supervised driving log is required, and the road-test materials say under-18 applicants must hand over the signed course completion card and driving log to the examiner.
  • Minnesota also requires the license application to be signed and approved by a parent, court-appointed guardian, county-appointed foster parent, or director of the transitional living program where the teen resides.

Practice-hour split

The easiest Minnesota rule to miss is that the total practice hours drop only if the parent class is completed

This is one of the state's most operational teen-license details.

  • Most teens must submit a supervised driving log showing at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 nighttime hours.
  • If a parent or guardian completes the approved 90-minute parent awareness class, Minnesota lowers the total-hour requirement to 40, but the 15 nighttime hours still remain.
  • The supervised driving log PDF says the log must be presented at the road test and submitted with the application for the provisional license.
  • Minnesota's teen-driving guidance says these supervised hours begin after the teen completes behind-the-wheel instruction.

Restrictions after issuance

Minnesota uses a six-month nighttime rule and a two-stage passenger rule after the teen is licensed

Passing the road test still leaves the teen in a restricted daily-driving phase.

  • For the first six months of the provisional license, Minnesota bars driving between midnight and 5 a.m. except in listed situations such as accompaniment by a licensed driver age 25 or older, travel to or from work, travel to or from home and a school event without school transportation, or driving as part of a job.
  • For the first six months, the teen may have only one passenger under age 20 unless a parent or guardian is also in the vehicle.
  • For the second six months, Minnesota raises that limit to no more than three passengers under age 20 without a parent or guardian present.
  • Minnesota also says drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone while behind the wheel, whether handheld or hands-free, except to call 911 in an emergency.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Minnesota teen-license content should call the first teen license a provisional license rather than implying the road test leads directly to a full unrestricted Class D license.
  • The 50-hour and 40-hour supervised-driving routes are both official, but the 40-hour route is available only when the parent or guardian completed the approved parent-awareness class; both routes still require 15 nighttime hours.
  • Minnesota's restriction timeline is split: the nighttime restriction ends after six months, while the passenger rules change after six months and continue for a second six-month period.
  • Minnesota also has narrow restricted provisional options for some drivers under 16, but those are exception licenses for farm-work or medical situations and are not the normal teen-license path.

FAQ

Common questions

  • Does a Minnesota 16-year-old get a full unrestricted license after passing the road test?

    No. Minnesota's normal under-18 path issues a provisional license first, and the full license is the third phase of the graduated system.

  • What practice log does a Minnesota teen need before the provisional license?

    Usually 50 supervised hours with 15 at night. That drops to 40 total hours, still with 15 at night, only if the parent or guardian completed the approved parent awareness class.

  • When do Minnesota's teen-license restrictions ease?

    The midnight-to-5 a.m. restriction lifts after the first six months of the provisional license. The passenger rule has one limit for the first six months and a looser under-20 limit for the second six months.

  • Can a Minnesota teen use a phone hands-free while driving?

    Not if the driver is under 18. Minnesota says drivers under age 18 may not use a cell phone, handheld or hands-free, while behind the wheel except to call 911 in an emergency.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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