What's the Driving Age in Pennsylvania?

Getting your driver's license is a big deal. It comes with lots of new freedoms and responsibilities. In order to keep drivers safe, Pennsylvania has installed a graduated driver's license program. As teen drivers get older and gain experience behind the wheel, they're subject to fewer driving restrictions. The process begins when you turn 16. Continue reading to learn more about the Pennsylvania driving age.

Getting Your Learner's Permit

In Pennsylvania, you can apply for your learner's permit when you turn 16. In order to get your permit, you'll need to pass an 18-question written knowledge exam that covers Pennsylvania's traffic laws and highway signs. After you've received your permit, you can start practicing behind the wheel. Remember that permit holders can only drive with a licensed adult who is 21 or older in the front seat.

Getting Your Junior Driver's License

When people talk about the Pennsylvania driving age, they're often referring to the age at which you can start driving without supervision. In the Keystone State, it's 16 and a half. You can apply for your junior driver's license after you've had your learner's permit for at least six months. You also need to log at least 65 hours of driving practice, including at least 10 at night and five during bad weather, before you can get your junior license.

To get your junior license, you'll need to pass a road skills exam.

With your junior license, you can drive between the hours of 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. without adult supervision. There are other restrictions to keep in mind as well. During the first six months that you have your junior license, you're only allowed to carry one passenger under the age of 18, excluding immediate family members. After six months, you can carry up to three passengers who are under 18. Also, all passengers must be wearing seat belts at all times.

It's important to follow these restrictions or it could delay you from graduating to a senior driver's license.

Getting Your Senior Driver's License

A senior license gives you the full freedoms of an adult driver. As long as you've maintained a clean driving record, your junior driver's license will automatically become a senior license when you turn 18. If you'd like to speed up the process, however, you can take a state-approved driver's education course. If you do, you can get your senior license when you're 17 and a half.