If you hold a Maryland provisional license and you’re under 18, the Maryland provisional license curfew bars you from driving unsupervised between midnight and 5 a.m. The rule comes from Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113, applies automatically to every provisional license issued to a minor, and lifts on your 18th birthday.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113
The Hours You Cannot Drive Alone
Under Section 16-113(d), the Motor Vehicle Administration attaches an hour restriction to every provisional license held by someone under 18. Unsupervised driving is legal only between 5 a.m. and midnight. Outside that window, being behind the wheel alone violates the terms of your license.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113
The rule sits inside Maryland’s Graduated Licensing System, which treats the late-night hours as the highest-risk window for inexperienced drivers. CDC data shows 44% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teens ages 13 to 19 in 2020 occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., and the fatal crash rate at night for teen drivers is roughly three times that of adult drivers per mile driven.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Teen Drivers
When You Can Legally Drive During Curfew Hours
The statute lists five situations that let a provisional holder under 18 drive between midnight and 5 a.m.:1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113
- Driving while accompanied and supervised by a licensed driver who is at least 21.
- Driving to, from, or in the course of your job.
- Driving to or from a school class or official school activity.
- Driving to or from an organized volunteer program.
- Driving to or from an athletic event or a related training session.
Four of these exceptions cover travel “to or from” the qualifying activity. A stop for food on the way home from a closing shift falls outside that language, so the safest path is a direct route between home and the activity. If your job runs past midnight, keep a work schedule or an employer letter in the car in case an officer asks why you’re driving.
The supervised-driving exception is the one exception without a purpose limit. With a qualified adult beside you, you can drive anywhere during curfew hours.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113
What Happens If You Get Caught
Section 16-113(i) makes it illegal to drive in a way that violates any restriction on your provisional license, and a curfew violation is a moving violation.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113 For provisional holders, the consequences kick in faster than for fully licensed drivers. A single moving violation conviction while you hold a provisional license triggers an automatic referral to the Maryland Driver Improvement Program. Regular drivers don’t face that referral until they accumulate 5 to 7 points.3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driver Improvement Program
The program is a classroom course on safe driving. The MVA doesn’t set a flat fee; each approved provider charges its own rate, and you pay the provider directly. Miss the completion deadline printed on your MVA referral letter and the MVA will suspend your driving privilege until you finish the course.3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Driver Improvement Program
A second conviction while you’re still under 18 raises the stakes sharply. You lose your license for 30 days, and for the 90 days after that, driving is limited to employment and education purposes only.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Provisional License That escalation is the real reason a first curfew ticket matters: it puts you one violation away from a month with no license.
When the Curfew Ends
The nighttime restriction expires the day you turn 18.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113 Turning 18 doesn’t graduate you to a full unrestricted license on its own, though. To move from provisional to full-privilege status, you need 18 consecutive months with a clean driving record. Any moving violation conviction during that window resets the clock.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Provisional License A curfew ticket at 16 can push your full license months further out.
Other Provisional Restrictions Worth Knowing
The curfew is one of several rules attached to a provisional license. Separate provisions cover passenger limits during the first 151 days after issuance, a seat belt requirement for everyone in the vehicle, and zero alcohol tolerance for drivers under 21.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 21-11231Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Transportation Code Section 16-113 A violation of any of those carries the same driver improvement program referral described above, so the safest way to hold on to your license is to treat every one of them as strictly as the curfew itself.