Provisional license, Vanessa's Law and the under-21 license
A 4-minute lesson from the Minnesota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
After the road test, teens get a provisional license — the second GDL phase. It carries night and passenger limits for the first year, and serious violations trigger Vanessa's Law.
To qualify for a provisional license:
Be at least 16 years old
Complete the classroom and behind-the-wheel phases of driver education
Hold a permit 6 months with no moving or alcohol/controlled-substance convictions
Submit a supervised driving log
Pass the road test
Have a parent, guardian or other approved adult sign and approve your application
With a provisional license, everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt or use a child restraint, and you may not use or talk on a cell phone while driving — even hands-free.
Named for Vanessa Weiss, killed in 2003 riding with an unlicensed 15-year-old. It applies to teens who commit an impaired driving crime or crash-related moving violation.
An unlicensed teen convicted of a crash-related moving violation or alcohol/controlled substance violation (DWI, implied consent, open bottle, Not a Drop) can't get a permit or license until 18. Then: meet reinstatement requirements, pass the written test, get a permit, hold it 6 months (3 if 19+), and take the road test.
A provisional license holder revoked for one of these violations can't regain a license until age 18 or the end of the withdrawal period, whichever is longer.
Four months into your provisional license, two friends aged 17 and 18 want a ride home at 11 p.m. You may take only one of them. You must also be off the road by midnight unless an exception — like a licensed driver 25 or older — applies.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
If a parent completes the approved parent class, how many hours of supervised driving must the teen's log show, including nighttime hours?
At least 40 hours, including 15 nighttime hours
At least 50 hours, including 15 nighttime hours
At least 20 hours, including 5 nighttime hours
At least 40 hours, with no nighttime requirement
Answer: At least 40 hours, including 15 nighttime hours
With the parent class completed, the log must show at least 40 hours of supervised driving, including 15 nighttime hours.
During the first six months of a provisional license, when is nighttime driving restricted?
Midnight to 5 a.m., with limited exceptions
10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with limited exceptions
Midnight to 5 a.m., with no exceptions ever
9 p.m. to 5 a.m., with limited exceptions
Answer: Midnight to 5 a.m., with limited exceptions
Provisional drivers may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. during the first six months, except for specific exceptions like work or accompanied driving.