18-Year-Old Driving Restrictions in Washington State

At 18, Washington’s intermediate license restrictions end: the 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew and the caps on young passengers no longer apply, and you can drive at any hour with anyone in the car. That is the main change. The other driving restrictions on an 18 year old in Washington state come from age-based rules that run until 21, from statutes that apply to every driver, and from federal law on commercial trucks.

What Ends the Day You Turn 18

Under RCW 46.20.075, every Washington driver who got licensed before 18 holds an intermediate license with two built-in restrictions, and both expire no later than your eighteenth birthday.¹

The nighttime curfew between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., which had required a parent, guardian, or licensed driver 25 or older in the vehicle.²
The passenger caps: no non-family passengers under 20 in the first six months of the intermediate license, then no more than three for the next six months.¹

You don’t need to visit a licensing office or swap cards. Your physical intermediate license stays valid until its printed expiration date, and officers can confirm your adult status from your date of birth. Keep the license with you when you drive and keep your insurance current.

Alcohol and Cannabis Rules Until You Turn 21

This is where 18 is not the same as 21. Washington uses a near-zero standard for drivers under 21. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for drivers 21 and older, but an under-21 driver can be charged at 0.02%.³ A single drink can put a lighter person past that number.

Cannabis is stricter. Drivers 21 and older face a DUI at 5.0 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood under RCW 46.61.502.⁴ Under 21, any detectable THC above 0.00 nanograms is enough.³ THC lingers in blood longer than alcohol, so you can test positive a day or more after use.

A violation under RCW 46.61.503 is a misdemeanor, not just an infraction, so a conviction creates a criminal record. On top of that, the Department of Licensing can suspend your license for 90 days or longer depending on your history.⁵ If your BAC reaches 0.08% or your THC reaches 5.0 nanograms, you leave the under-21 statute and face a full DUI under RCW 46.61.502, which carries mandatory jail time and fines running into thousands of dollars.⁴

What Happens If You Refuse a Test

Driving in Washington counts as consent to breath or blood testing when an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect impairment. Refusing triggers an automatic license revocation of at least one year, separate from any criminal case.⁶ That revocation stands regardless of how the criminal charge later plays out.

Phones and Other Handheld Devices

This one applies to every driver, but it hits new adult drivers hardest because tickets follow you into your insurance rates. Under RCW 46.61.672, holding a personal electronic device while driving is a primary offense, meaning an officer can stop you for that alone. “Using” a device includes just holding it, whether you are texting, scrolling, or talking.⁷

A first ticket runs at least $145. A second or later ticket is at least $243, and both get reported to your insurer.⁸ You can call 911, and you can use a minimal touch of a finger to start or stop a function on a mounted device, which covers tapping to launch navigation or answer a hands-free call. Composing texts, browsing, or reading messages is not covered even with one finger on a mounted screen.⁷

Insurance You Have to Carry

The state minimums are the same at any age. You must carry liability coverage of at least $25,000 for injury or death to one person, $50,000 for injury or death to everyone in a crash, and $10,000 for damage to another person’s property, written shorthand as 25/50/10.⁹ Driving without proof of insurance is its own offense on top of whatever else prompted the stop. If you’re on a parent’s policy, make sure you’re listed as a covered driver by name. Being an unnamed household member does not always count.

Commercial Trucks and the Age-21 Wall

Federal law sets 21 as the minimum age to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, meaning any trip crossing a state line.¹⁰ Washington can issue a commercial driver license to an 18-year-old for intrastate routes only, so you could run a qualifying vehicle within Washington but not into Oregon or Idaho.

A federal pilot called the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot let some 18-to-20-year-olds drive interstate under supervised conditions, but it was scheduled to end in late 2025, and no permanent replacement rule has been finalized as of this writing.¹¹ Any alcohol or drug violation on your record can also disqualify you from getting or keeping a CDL through the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which employers check in real time.¹² For an 18-year-old thinking about a trucking career, an under-21 alcohol or cannabis charge closes doors that don’t reopen easily.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.20.075 – Intermediate License
2
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver License Application: Ages 16 to 17
3
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.61.503 – Driver Under Twenty-One Consuming Alcohol or Cannabis – Penalties
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.61.502 – Driving Under the Influence
5
Washington State Department of Licensing. DUI (Driving Under the Influence)
6
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.20.308 – Implied Consent – Test Refusal – Procedures
7
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.61.672 – Using a Personal Electronic Device While Driving
8
Washington State Patrol. Distracted Driving
9
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Washington State’s Mandatory Auto/Motorcycle Insurance Law
10
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Is the Age Requirement for Operating a CMV in Interstate Commerce?
11
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program
12
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Welcome to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse