Driving Age in Alabama: Permit at 15, License at 16, Full at 17

The driving age in Alabama starts at 15. That’s when a teen can apply for a Stage I learner permit under the state’s graduated driver licensing (GDL) system. A Stage II restricted license becomes available at 16, and full unrestricted driving privileges kick in at 17 — provided the teen has held the restricted license for at least six months and has not picked up violations that extend the restricted period.

Stage I Learner Permit at 15

A 15-year-old can apply for a learner permit through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). The application requires a certified U.S. birth certificate (no photocopies), a Social Security card, two documents proving home address, and proof of school enrollment or graduation.¹ The school enrollment rule applies to every applicant under 19, and ALEA will not issue a permit without that documentation.

Applicants take a written knowledge test on traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving. The test fee is $5 and the permit itself is $36.25.²

Who Can Ride With a 15-Year-Old

A 15-year-old permit holder can only drive when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or certified driving instructor in the front passenger seat.³ A licensed older sibling or family friend does not count. If no parent or guardian is licensed, up to two other adults can be designated to supervise by filing paperwork with ALEA at the time of application. Once the permit holder turns 16, the rule broadens: any licensed driver at least 21 can supervise.

The 50-Hour Practice Requirement Between Stages

Before moving from the learner permit to a restricted license, Alabama requires either 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice or completion of a state-approved driver education course.⁴ One fully substitutes for the other; there is no partial credit.

Families using the practice-hours route need a parent, legal guardian, grandparent (with parental consent), or certified driving instructor to sign an ALEA verification form confirming all 50 hours were completed.⁵ Those using driver education submit a completion certificate from the State Department of Education. The documentation has to be in hand at the Stage II application appointment.

Stage II Restricted License at 16

A teen can apply for a Stage II restricted license once they have turned 16, held the learner permit for at least six months, and finished the practice hours or driver ed. The application also needs a parental consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian (or a grandparent with parental consent). Applicants pass a road skills test based on the Alabama Driver Manual. The test fee is $5 and the license is $36.25.¹

Nighttime Curfew

Stage II drivers cannot drive between midnight and 6:00 a.m. unless one of these exceptions applies:

Accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Accompanied by a licensed driver age 21 or older, with parental consent.
Driving to or from work.
Driving to or from a school-sponsored event.
Driving to or from a religious organization event.
Driving due to a medical, fire, or law enforcement emergency.
Driving to or from hunting or fishing with a valid license in the driver’s possession.⁴

Passenger Limit

A Stage II driver cannot carry more than one passenger. Parents, legal guardians, family members, and a licensed driver at least 21 years old do not count toward the limit.⁴ A 16-year-old driving two siblings and a friend is fine. The same teen driving two friends with no family member in the car is in violation.

No Handheld Devices

Stage II drivers are prohibited from using any handheld communication device while driving. The restriction is not limited to phone calls — texting, scrolling, and any other handheld use not essential to operating the vehicle is covered.⁴

Unrestricted License at 17

Stage II restrictions lift automatically when the driver is at least 17 and has held the restricted license for at least six months. No additional road test is required.⁵ A driver who reaches 18 also exits the GDL program regardless of how long they have held a license.

Violations push the timeline back. Any breach of the Stage II restrictions — curfew, passenger limit, or handheld device — extends the restricted period by six additional months or until the driver turns 18, whichever comes first.⁴ A teen who collects a couple of curfew violations at 16 can still be driving under restrictions well past the point their peers have moved on.

School Enrollment Is Tied to Driving

Alabama links driving privileges to school enrollment for anyone under 19. ALEA will deny a license or learner permit to an applicant under 19 who cannot show a high school diploma, proof of current enrollment, or documentation of an approved alternative.⁶ Approved alternatives include a GED program, a job training program approved by the State Superintendent, substantial gainful employment, being a custodial parent, or a physician certifying that the applicant’s parents depend on the teen as their sole source of transportation. Withdrawing from school after a license is already issued can trigger a suspension process once the school attendance officer notifies ALEA.

Penalties That Can Set the Timeline Back

A single Stage II violation does not suspend the license on its own; it extends the restricted period by six months. But a Stage II driver convicted of a second moving traffic violation, or of reckless driving, racing, fleeing a law enforcement officer, illegal passing, or driving on the wrong side of the road, faces an automatic 60-day suspension.⁵

Alabama’s point system applies to all drivers. Accumulating 12 to 14 points within two years triggers a 60-day suspension, and the suspensions get longer from there, reaching 365 days at 24 or more points.⁷

For drivers under 21, Alabama applies a zero tolerance alcohol standard. The legal blood alcohol threshold is 0.02, well below the 0.08 limit that applies to adults. A first DUI conviction carries a fine between $600 and $2,100, up to one year in jail, and a 90-day license suspension that can be stayed with a 90-day ignition interlock installation. If BAC was 0.15 or higher, a child under 14 was in the vehicle, or someone was injured, the 90-day suspension is mandatory and the interlock requirement extends to a full year.⁸

Fees at Each Stage

Written knowledge test: $5 (paid each attempt)
Learner permit (Stage I): $36.25
Road skills test: $5
Restricted license (Stage II): $36.25

ALEA does not accept checks. Cash and credit cards are accepted, with a 4% convenience fee on credit card payments.²

1
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees
2
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Driver License and ID Cards
3
Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 760-X-1-.10
4
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 – Section 32-6-7.2
5
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Graduated Driver License
6
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 16-28-40
7
Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 760-X-1-.07
8
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-191