Michigan Graduated Driver Licensing: Levels, Segments, and Skills Test

Michigan’s graduated driver licensing program moves teens through three stages before they hold a full license: a Level 1 learner license with a supervising adult in the car, a Level 2 intermediate license with a nighttime curfew and a passenger limit, and a Level 3 full license at 17. The path takes roughly two to three years and requires two segments of driver education, at least 50 hours of supervised practice, a skills test, and a clean driving record along the way.¹

When a Teen Can Start and What Segment 1 Requires

A teen can enroll in Segment 1 driver education at 14 years and 8 months old, which is the earliest entry point into the program.² A parent or legal guardian must grant permission for enrollment and later sign the license application.³

Segment 1 has three parts:²

At least 24 hours of classroom instruction, capped at two hours per day, over a minimum of three weeks.
At least six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor, with three of those hours completed before classroom instruction ends.
At least four hours of observation time riding along while other students drive.

Fees are set by each provider, not by the state. Once the teen passes the Segment 1 state exam, the teen and a parent visit a Secretary of State office, where the teen takes a vision test, has a photo taken, and pays the $25 first-time licensing fee to receive a Level 1 learner license.⁴ The office documents required at that visit prove identity, citizenship or legal presence, and Social Security status.⁵

Level 1: Driving With a Supervising Adult

At Level 1, the teen may drive only with a parent, legal guardian, or another licensed adult aged 21 or older whom the parent has designated in writing.² If someone other than the parent is supervising, that person needs to carry a signed letter of authorization. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., a parent, guardian, or designated adult must be in the car.¹

During Level 1, the teen has to keep a driving log and accumulate at least 50 hours of supervised practice, including 10 at night.² The learner license must be held for at least six consecutive months before the teen can advance. The log is the document that proves the teen is ready for the skills test, so families should track hours as they go rather than reconstruct them at the end.

Segment 2 and the Driving Skills Test

Segment 2 can start once the teen has held the Level 1 license for at least three months and logged at least 30 of the 50 supervised hours, including two at night.² The course is at least six hours of classroom instruction, capped at two hours per day, and ends with a state exam requiring a 70% score to pass.

After Segment 2, the teen takes a driving skills test administered by a state-approved private testing business, not at a Secretary of State branch. The test has three parts: a vehicle safety check, control exercises such as parking and turning in a controlled space, and an on-road driving portion in real traffic. Failing any one part ends that attempt. Each testing business sets its own fees.

Level 2: The Intermediate License

To move up to Level 2, a teen must be at least 16, have held Level 1 for at least six months, have finished both segments of driver education, and have passed the skills test. There’s one requirement that surprises families: the teen must also go 90 consecutive days immediately before applying without a moving violation conviction and without an accident where the teen was cited for a moving violation.¹ A single ticket during Level 1 can push the timeline back months.

Level 2 carries two core restrictions:²

No driving between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
No more than one passenger under 21 in the vehicle at any time.

Both rules share the same exceptions. Neither restriction applies when the teen is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or designated licensed adult aged 21 or older; driving to or from work, or driving as part of the job; or driving to or from an authorized activity. The passenger limit also does not apply to immediate family members riding along.¹

What Counts as an Authorized Activity

Michigan defines authorized activity broadly. It covers:¹

School or school-sanctioned events, including activities tied to a home school.
Sporting events, extracurricular activities, or training run by an official league, club, or business, even if the school does not sponsor them.
Vocational classes offered by a college, community college, nonprofit, government agency, or vocational training business.
Events sponsored by a tax-exempt religious organization.
Transporting someone who needs immediate emergency care to a hospital, police station, or domestic violence shelter.

What Resets the Clock

Violating a Level 1 or Level 2 restriction is a civil infraction, and the Secretary of State sends written notice of any violation to the teen’s parent or guardian.¹ The bigger cost is the timeline. Any of the following events during a provisional period extends it:

A moving violation resulting in a conviction or civil infraction determination.
An accident where the police report shows a moving violation by the teen.
A license suspension for anything other than a medical reason.
A violation of the GDL curfew or passenger restrictions.

At Level 1, the provisional period extends until the teen completes 90 consecutive clean days or turns 18, whichever comes first. At Level 2, it extends until the teen completes 12 consecutive clean months or turns 18. A single curfew slip at Level 2 can mean another full year under restrictions.¹

Level 3 and Reaching Age 18

A teen qualifies for a Level 3 full license at age 17, provided they have completed 12 consecutive months at Level 2 without a moving violation, an accident involving a moving violation by the teen, a license suspension, or a GDL restriction violation.¹ It’s moving violations that count; a parking ticket won’t delay Level 3, but a speeding citation will. The statute also sets a minimum of six months at Level 2, but the 12-month clean-record window makes a full year the practical minimum. When the record stays clean, the transition to Level 3 happens automatically, and the curfew and passenger rules fall away.

All GDL restrictions end automatically when the driver turns 18, whatever stage the teen is in.¹ Extensions triggered by violations run only “until age 18, whichever occurs first,” so a 17-year-old cited six months before their birthday does not have to wait a full 12 months. Adults 18 and older who have never been licensed follow a separate application process through the Secretary of State.

Phone Use Behind the Wheel

Two Michigan laws restrict phone use for teen drivers. Kelsey’s Law, enacted in 2012, bars any driver holding a Level 1 or Level 2 license from using a cell phone while driving. A 2023 hands-free law goes further and applies to every driver: no holding or manually operating a phone or other electronic device, even while stopped in traffic.⁶ A phone mounted on the dashboard can be operated only with a single touch. Making or answering calls, texting, browsing the internet, using social media, and entering directions into GPS are all prohibited by hand.

A first violation is $100 or 16 hours of community service, and a second is $250 or 24 hours. Three violations within three years require a driving improvement course. Fines double if a distracted driver causes a crash.⁶ For a Level 2 teen, a phone-related citation that becomes a moving violation conviction also resets the 12-month clean-record clock.

Insurance and the Parent Signature

Michigan requires every driver to carry minimum liability coverage of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident for injuries, plus up to $10,000 for property damage caused in another state.⁷ Adding a teen to a family policy generally raises premiums, and the increase varies by insurer, the teen’s age and sex, the vehicle, and the family’s claims history.

When a parent or guardian signs a minor’s license application, they may be accepting financial responsibility for damages the teen causes while driving. Michigan allows a custodial parent or guardian to end that responsibility going forward by submitting a written request to the Secretary of State to cancel the minor’s license. The state’s minimum liability limits are low relative to the cost of a serious crash, so it’s worth discussing coverage with an agent before the teen starts driving on their own.

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.310e – Graduated Licensing
2
Michigan Department of State. New Drivers (Under 18)
3
Michigan Department of State. SOS-383 Michigan Graduated Driver Licensing: A Guide for Parents
4
Michigan Department of State. License and ID Information
5
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.307 – Application for Operator’s or Chauffeur’s License
6
Michigan State Police. Distracted Driving
7
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Purchasing Auto Insurance FAQ