What is the Driving Age in Arizona?

You must be at least 15 ½ years old to begin the Graduated Drivers License program in Arizona to receive an unrestricted license when you are 18 years old.
Written by John Pickhaver
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
background
Many states, including
Arizona
, have instituted the Graduated Drivers License program (GDL) to create a multi-step process for teen drivers—at least 15 ½ years old—to gradually work toward earning an unrestricted
driver’s license
when they turn 18.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting the open road for the very first time. Each state, however, determines its own driving age.
Here to tell you everything about
getting your license as a teen driver
in the Grand Canyon State is
Jerry
, the top-rated
car insurance
app and licensed broker. Follow this useful guide on how to get your Learner’s Permit and Graduated Driver’s License and learn how to find the cheapest car insurance in Arizona.

What is the driving age in Arizona?

The minimum driving age is 15 ½ years old for a
Graduated Driver’s License in Arizona
. Drivers need to be 18 years of age before they can apply for a standard unrestricted driver’s license. 

What is the Graduated Drivers License program in Arizona?

Arizona, along with several other states, follows a Graduated Drivers License program (GDL). Such a program helps decrease the number of teenage car accidents, a number that is unfortunately quite high. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), traffic accidents are the second leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. 
The GDL program enables teen drivers to accrue valuable experience behind the wheel before being granted the full privileges of driving. In most cases, such programs involve these three stages:
  • Graduated instruction permit stage: supervised driving
  • Graduated license stage: limited unsupervised driving
  • Full license stage: unrestricted standard driver’s license
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Find insurance savings

How to get your instruction permit in Arizona

Drivers under the age of 18 are required to follow Arizona’s GDL program through the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), which casts restrictions on young drivers in specific phases over the course of their journey to an unrestricted driver’s license. Though prior to setting off to an
Arizona MVD location
, you’ll need to assemble all required documents to apply for a learner’s permit. 
Here are the requirements to obtain an instructional permit:
Check out the
Arizona Driver Handbook
to prepare for the test. The permit test in Arizona consists of 30 questions. You must get 24 questions right in order to pass the exam. This is an accuracy rate of 80%. You are allowed no more than 3 tries to pass the road test within 12 months.
Once you pass the knowledge test, you’ll be issued a graduated instruction permit

Graduated instruction permit restrictions

In Arizona, you can start driving once you have your graduated instruction permit, but you must have a licensed adult who is at least 21 years old seated next to you at all times. 
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
icon4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars
icon4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers

How to get your graduated driver’s license in Arizona

Once turning 16 years old, you may obtain a graduated driver’s license, assuming you have held a graduated instruction permit for six months prior and have completed 20 hours of supervised, daytime driving practice and 10 hours of supervised, nighttime driving practice.
You’ll also need to pass an eye exam, and written exams. No road test is required provided you complete a High School Driver Education or Authorized Third Party Driver License Driver Education Program. You must provide proof of completion within 12 months of issuance.

Graduated driver’s license restrictions and exceptions

Woo-hoo! You have your first driver’s license – congrats! But understand as a young driver, you’ll still be under a number of restrictions.
With a graduated license, you cannot drive between the hours of 12:00AM and 5AM for the first six months. However, this restriction does not apply when:
  1. You are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is sitting in the front seat
  2. You are driving to or from work and home
  3. You are driving directly home after a school or religious activity, or
  4. You are driving in an emergency
For the first six months with a graduated driver's license, you won’t be able to drive a car containing more than one passenger under the age of 18, unless: 
  1. The passengers are your siblings 
  2. You are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with a valid Class A, B, C or D driver's license sitting in the front seat.
Additionally, you are not allowed to operate a cellphone while driving during the first six months of having a license. You may, however, use a cellphone during an emergency if it is impossible to stop or if you are simply using the phone's turn-by-turn navigation.
MORE:

How to save on car insurance in Arizona

Getting your license is a major milestone on the road to becoming an adult. One milestone that quickly follows is securing quality
car insurance coverage for a teen driver
. This is especially important for a teenager driver. Luckily, comparison super app
Jerry
can make the process as smooth as possible for you. 
All you need to do is download the
trustworthy insurance shopping super app
, put in your info, and answer a few questions. Then in 
In just 45 seconds, Jerry’s magic team will present you with personalized quotes from some of the top insurance companies. Choose which policy you like best, and Jerry will handle the rest! 
Jerry not only saves you time, but money too! On average, Jerry customers save over $800 annually on car insurance!
“I’m young and just got my first car, so choosing an insurance company for the first time was scary. My friend recommended this app to me and
Jerry
made everything simple! I put in my info and got something more affordable than what I expected for my age!” —Leslie T.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Find insurance savings

FAQs

In Arizona, you may get your graduated driver’s license at the age of 16 if you have held your instructional permit for six months, provide proof of a completed driver’s education course along with 30 hours of supervised driving practice (including 10 hours at night).
Once you get your graduated driver’s license, you may drive by yourself only under certain circumstances. Until you’re 18 years old, you cannot drive between 11PM and 5PM alone.
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
Try Jerry

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings