In New Jersey, the provisional license — officially the probationary license — is the middle stage of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, sitting between the supervised learner’s permit and the full basic license. You must hold it for at least one year of unsupervised driving, and during that year you drive under passenger, curfew, electronic device, seatbelt, and decal rules that don’t apply to fully licensed drivers.
How to Qualify
To get a probationary license, you must be at least 17, have held a special learner’s permit for six months with no suspensions, and pass the MVC road test.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License You also need to have finished an approved behind-the-wheel driver training course, which your instructor signs off on directly on your permit.
Since February 2025, permit holders under 21 must log at least 50 hours of supervised practice before the road test, with at least 10 of those hours after dark. A parent, guardian, or supervising driver certifies the hours on MVC Form BA-CSD, and you submit it before the probationary license is issued. A fraudulent certification triggers an automatic six-month permit suspension.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License
You’ll also clear the 6 Points of ID check before any license issues. That means documents totaling at least six points, plus proof of your Social Security number and New Jersey residency. A U.S. passport or civil birth certificate counts for four points; a Social Security card counts for one. The full point values are on the MVC’s website.2New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. 6 Points of ID3New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. 6 Point ID Brochure
Restrictions While You Hold the License
If you’re under 21, five rules govern every trip.
Passengers
You can carry only one passenger beyond your own dependents. The limit lifts when a parent or guardian is riding with you.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License
Curfew
You cannot drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License Narrow exceptions exist for genuine emergencies (as judged by local police), work, and religious activities. For work or religious travel, you must carry a signed letter on the employer’s or religious institution’s letterhead explaining why you need to be on the road at that hour. Without it, you have no defense if you’re stopped after 11:01 p.m.4New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Resource Guide
Electronic Devices
Probationary license holders cannot use any wireless communication device — not handheld, not hands-free, not voice-activated. The only exception is a genuine emergency.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License “Use” covers talking, listening, texting, and pressing any button on the device. A Bluetooth earpiece or speakerphone is not a workaround.
Seatbelts
Every person in the car must be wearing a properly fastened seatbelt or child restraint whenever a probationary license holder is driving. As the driver, you’re responsible for your passengers buckling up.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License
Kyleigh’s Law Decals
Under Kyleigh’s Law (P.L. 2009, c.37), GDL drivers under 21 must display a reflectorized red decal on each license plate of any vehicle they drive. One goes on the upper left corner of the front plate, one on the upper left of the rear plate. The decals are roughly 1½ inches by 1 inch with removable adhesive, so they move between vehicles.5New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Reflectorized Decals Keep a spare set if you switch between family cars.
One boundary: if you’re 21 or older and hold a probationary license because you got your first license later in life, the passenger limit and curfew don’t apply to you.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License
Penalties for Violating the Rules
A violation of any GDL condition — passengers, curfew, device, seatbelts, or the decal rule — carries a flat $100 fine per offense.6Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.8 – Fine for Violating Conditions The larger consequences sit behind that fine.
If you accumulate more than two motor vehicle points while holding a probationary license, the MVC requires a remedial training course of at least four hours. The same course applies to a first conviction for certain serious offenses such as DWI or leaving the scene of an accident.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License Two points is a narrow margin: a single speeding ticket for 10–14 mph over the limit costs two points in New Jersey.
A second or subsequent conviction for violating a GDL restriction triggers an automatic three-month suspension of the probationary license, and your eligibility for a basic license is pushed back by the same three months.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License There’s no MVC hearing; the suspension follows automatically once the court reports the conviction.
An alcohol or drug conviction unrelated to driving — for example, underage possession at a party — carries its own six-month suspension of the probationary license, even if no car was involved.1Justia Law. New Jersey Code 39:3-13.4 – Probationary Driver’s License
Insurance
Every registered vehicle in New Jersey must carry liability insurance, and that applies to any car you drive on a probationary license. Effective January 1, 2026, the state’s minimum liability limits are $35,000 per person for bodily injury, $70,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.7State of New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Bulletin 25-06 If you drive a parent’s car, their policy generally covers you, but confirm the insurer knows a GDL-licensed driver lives in the household. Failing to disclose a new driver can jeopardize a claim.
Upgrading to a Basic License
After one year of unsupervised driving on the probationary license, you’re eligible to upgrade to a full basic license. You don’t have to visit an MVC office: eligible drivers can upgrade online at NJMVC.gov, and the online option opens up to seven months before your license renewal date.8New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. NJ Drivers Can Now Upgrade Probationary Licenses Online
Because you must be at least 17 to get a probationary license and hold it a full year, you’ll be at least 18 at upgrade. Any suspensions or postponements from violations add to that waiting period, and the MVC will not remind you when you’re eligible; tracking the date is on you.9State of New Jersey. First Driver License/ID Once you upgrade, the passenger limit, curfew, device ban, and decal requirement all fall away, and you hold a standard New Jersey driver license.