Washington's Teen Driving Laws: A 2025 Guide for Parents and Intermediate Drivers

For teenagers in Washington, getting a driver's license is a rite of passage symbolizing freedom and maturity. For their parents, it's a period of both excitement and significant concern. To help ensure this transition is as safe as possible, Washington has a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program. This system is not meant to be an obstacle; it's a proven method for reducing teen driver crashes by introducing privileges in stages as they gain critical experience.

Understanding these laws is essential for both teens and parents to ensure safety, avoid violations, and protect that newly earned license. Here is a clear guide to Washington's teen driving laws for 2025.

The Purpose of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. This is largely due to inexperience combined with high-risk factors, such as driving at night and being distracted by friends in the car. Washington's GDL program directly addresses these risks by placing common-sense limits on new drivers, allowing them to build skills in a safer, more controlled environment before granting full freedom.

The program consists of distinct stages, each with its own set of rules.

Stage 1: The Instruction Permit (Age 15+)

This is the very first step, where all on-road driving practice begins. A teen must be at least 15 years old and enrolled in a driver education course to apply.

Key Permit Restrictions:

Constant Supervision: A permit holder must always be accompanied by a licensed driver who has at least five years of licensed driving experience.
Front Seat Only: The supervising driver must be seated in the front passenger seat at all times.

The 50-Hour Driving Requirement

Before taking the road test, a teen's parent or guardian must sign a form certifying the completion of at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice.

Night Driving: At least 10 of these 50 hours must be completed at night, after sunset. This is to ensure the new driver gains experience in lower-visibility conditions.

Stage 2: The Intermediate Driver License (Age 16+)

After holding a permit for at least six months with a clean record, completing driver's education, logging practice hours, and passing the road test, a teen can earn an Intermediate Driver License. This is a major step, as it allows for unsupervised driving, but with critical safety restrictions in place.

Intermediate License Restriction 1: Driving Curfew

Nighttime driving is one of the highest-risk situations for new drivers. The GDL curfew addresses this directly.

Curfew Hours: For the first year of holding an intermediate license, a teen is prohibited from driving between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Exceptions: The curfew does not apply if the teen is accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old. Exceptions are also made for agricultural work.

Intermediate License Restriction 2: Passenger Limits

Research consistently shows that a teen driver's crash risk increases exponentially with each additional peer passenger in the vehicle. Washington's law is designed to minimize this distraction in stages.

For the First 6 Months: A driver with an intermediate license may not transport any passengers under the age of 20, unless they are immediate family members (e.g., a sibling).
After the First 6 Months: The passenger limit is eased slightly. The driver may not transport more than THREE passengers under the age of 20 who are not members of their immediate family.

Intermediate License Restriction 3: Cell Phones

Zero Tolerance: It is illegal for an intermediate license holder to use any wireless device while driving, even with a hands-free device. This is a primary offense, meaning an officer can pull a teen over just for this violation. The only exception is for reporting an emergency.

Consequences for Violations

Violating any of these GDL restrictions can have serious consequences.

First Violation: A warning letter is sent to the parent or guardian.
Second Violation: A six-month license suspension. The suspension remains in effect until the driver turns 18.
Third Violation: The license is suspended until the driver turns 18.

The Final Step: The Full, Unrestricted License

At age 18, a driver's intermediate license automatically converts to a full, unrestricted license, and all GDL provisions are removed.

By working together, parents and teens can navigate the GDL process, ensuring the new driver builds the safe habits needed for a lifetime behind the wheel.