What Are the Rules for Driving With a Permit in Washington?

The rules for driving with a permit in Washington are strict and non-negotiable: a licensed adult with at least five years of driving experience must sit beside you every time you drive, you cannot touch a wireless device, any detectable alcohol or THC in your system is illegal, and you must carry the physical permit whenever you’re behind the wheel.¹ Break any of these and you can delay your full license by months or years.

Who Must Be in the Car With You

The seat next to you cannot be empty, and it cannot be filled by just any licensed friend. Your supervising driver must hold a valid driver’s license and have at least five years of driving experience. The only substitute is a certified driver training instructor who meets Washington’s licensing standards.¹

There are no exceptions. If the person beside you doesn’t clear the five-year bar, you’re driving illegally even with a valid permit in your wallet. The rule applies to every trip, whether you’re on a quiet residential street or the freeway.

You also have to have the physical permit on you. Leaving it at home means you aren’t legally authorized to drive, even if the right supervisor is buckled in next to you.¹

No Phones, No Exceptions

Permit holders face a flat ban on using any wireless communications device while driving. No calls, no texts, no navigation apps. Nothing. Fully licensed adult drivers in Washington are allowed hands-free functions; permit holders are not.¹

The only carve-outs are calling to report a crime, calling for emergency help, or acting to prevent injury to someone.¹

If you need directions, hand the phone to your supervising driver, or set the route before you start the engine and don’t touch the device again. This is the rule that catches new drivers most often, and it applies even when the car is stopped at a red light.

Zero Alcohol, Zero THC

Washington has a zero-tolerance policy for drivers under 21. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent or higher can bring a misdemeanor charge, far below the 0.08 percent threshold that applies to adults over 21. Any detectable amount of THC above zero is also illegal.²

A 0.02 BAC can come from a single drink. For permit holders, a DUI conviction or an underage alcohol or drug violation while you have the permit means you cannot get your license until you turn 18.³

Washington’s implied consent law adds another layer. By driving on a public road, you’ve already agreed to submit to a breath test if an officer arrests you with reasonable grounds to believe you’re impaired. Refusing carries its own penalties, separate from the underlying charge.⁴

Seatbelts for Everyone in the Car

Every occupant 16 and older must wear a seatbelt, and as the driver you’re responsible for making sure every passenger under 16 is either belted or secured in an appropriate child restraint.⁵ A seatbelt violation is a traffic infraction that applies to any driver regardless of license type, but for permit holders a traffic infraction is exactly the kind of thing that can delay the next step in licensing.

Logging Your 50 Practice Hours

Driving on the permit isn’t just legal cover for practice, it’s the practice itself. Before you can move up to an intermediate license, you have to log 50 hours of supervised driving: 40 during the day and 10 at night.³

For these logged practice hours, the supervising driver’s requirement is slightly different from the general permit rule. The person overseeing your practice needs to be a licensed driver who has held their license for at least three years.³ The five-year rule still governs whether you’re legally allowed to be driving at all under the permit statute, so in practice the more experienced adult should be in the seat.

These 50 hours are separate from any formal driver training course. If you want to be licensed before turning 18, you also have to complete a driver education course with at least 30 hours of classroom time and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.³

How Long the Permit Lasts

The permit is valid for one year and costs $35. The Department of Licensing can issue one additional one-year renewal, and in some cases a third if you can show you’re actively working to improve your driving skills. Each renewal costs $25.¹ You also have to hold the permit for at least six months before you can take the drive test for an intermediate license.³

What Changes After the Permit

The rules above apply to the permit itself. Once you pass the drive test and move to an intermediate license, the rulebook changes: you can drive alone, but you face passenger limits, a nighttime driving curfew between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., and an escalating suspension system for further violations.⁶ While the permit is in your hand, the supervisor requirement, the phone ban, the zero-tolerance rule, and the possession requirement are the ones that govern every trip.

1
Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.20.055 – Instruction Permit
2
Washington State Legislature. Washington RCW 46.61.503 – Driver Under Twenty-One Consuming Alcohol or Marijuana
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver License Application Ages 16-17
4
Washington State Legislature. Washington RCW 46.20.308 – Implied Consent, Test Refusal, Procedures
5
Washington State Legislature. Washington RCW 46.61.688 – Safety Belts, Use Required, Penalties, Exemptions
6
Washington State Legislature. Washington RCW 46.20.075 – Intermediate License