1.4 Provisional License Restrictions, Sanctions & the 18-Month Clean Record

What the Provisional License Is

A Provisional Driver's License is issued to new drivers who have never held a license. It lets you drive without supervision but with restrictions, and you must hold it at least 18 months before you can become eligible for a full Driver's License.

Requirements to Graduate From the Permit

To move from a learner's permit to a provisional license you must:

1. Have successfully completed a Maryland-approved driver education program. The driving school submits completion electronically.
2. Hold a valid, unexpired learner's permit.
3. Hold the permit without violations for the required time: 9 months under 18; 3 months at 18 with a diploma or GED, or ages 19 to 24; 45 days at 25 or older.
4. Have no moving-violation convictions or probation before judgment (PBJ) during that time.
5. Submit a completed, signed Practice and Skills Log showing at least 60 hours (14 if you are 25 or older).
6. Pass the driving skills test.

Restrictions for Provisional Drivers Under 18

Section 9.A of the manual lists the restrictions. Know each one exactly.

Immediate family means your spouse, daughter, son, stepdaughter, stepson, sister, brother, stepsister, stepbrother, or any relative who lives at your address. The MVA also allows nighttime driving when a supervising driver (at least 21, licensed at least three years) is with you.

If you are 18 or older on a provisional license, the under-18 passenger, nighttime and phone restrictions do not apply. You still may not drive with alcohol in your system while under 21, and you must follow the general handheld-phone ban.

Penalties for Breaking Provisional Restrictions

The MVA lists these sanctions:

• Passenger restriction violation: license suspended for 1 year.
• Nighttime restriction violation: license suspended for 1 year.
• Phone or device violation: license can be suspended for up to 90 days.
• Alcohol restriction: after a first violation you must use an ignition interlock device or serve a 6-month suspension; after a second, your license is revoked.

Sanctions for Moving Violations

These sanctions apply after a conviction or PBJ for a moving violation while you hold a provisional license. They come in addition to any court penalties.

After each conviction or PBJ you must begin a new 18-month conviction-free period. If a driver under 18 is cited, the MVA notifies the co-signer.

Other MVA Sanctions for Provisional Drivers

• 5 or more points within 12 months: a 6-month suspension the first time, then 12 months for each later time.
• High-risk driving (speeding, racing, reckless, aggressive or negligent driving): a 6-month suspension for the first offense and 1 year for later offenses.

Worked Example

Sam, 17, has driven on a provisional license for 14 clean months and is then convicted of a red-light violation, a first offense. Sam must complete a driver improvement program, and the 18-month clock starts over from the conviction date. A second conviction before 18 would bring a 30-day suspension and then 90 days of driving only to work or school.

Exam Traps

• The passenger limit lasts 151 days, not the entire provisional period.
• The night restriction runs from midnight to 5 a.m., not from 10 or 11 p.m.
• Under 18, hands-free use is still illegal; only 911 calls are allowed.
• PBJ counts the same as a conviction for GLS sanctions and clean-period resets.
• The restrictions travel with the driver, not the car. They apply in a parent's car, a friend's car or a rental.
• Seat belt rules cover every passenger, and the provisional driver is responsible for making sure they are buckled.