A 3-minute lesson from the New Mexico course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
The provisional license is the middle GDL step. You can drive alone, but New Mexico limits late-night driving and how many young passengers you carry, because those are the riskiest situations for new drivers.
To get a provisional license you must:
Be at least 15 years and 6 months old and have held your permit for 6 months
Complete at least 50 hours of practice driving, including at least 10 hours at night
Have a parent or guardian certify the practice driving
Pass a written test, a road test and a vision screening
Have no traffic-violation conviction in the 90 days before you apply
Unless a licensed driver 21 or older is in the vehicle, you may not carry more than one passenger under 21 who is not a member of your immediate family.
You're a provisional driver heading home alone at 12:30 a.m. from a friend's party. That's not an exception, so you may not drive. Driving home from a night shift is allowed if you carry a signed statement from your employer.
Put it into practice
You want to drive two friends, ages 16 and 17, to the mall with no adult. Not allowed: only one non-family passenger under 21. Your younger brother doesn't count against the limit.
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.
What is the minimum age to receive a provisional license, assuming 6 months on a permit?
15 years, 6 months
15 years
16 years, 6 months
17 years
Answer: 15 years, 6 months
The minimum age for a provisional license is 15 years and 6 months, after holding a permit for 6 months.
Which of these is NOT listed as an exception letting a provisional driver drive between midnight and 5 a.m.?
Family necessity certified by a parent or guardian
A medical emergency
Driving to and from work
Driving home from a friend's party
Answer: Driving home from a friend's party
Exceptions include a licensed adult passenger, family or medical necessity, work, school/religious activity, or a medical emergency — not a purely social outing.