Licensing, insurance and the law
You are 17, got your provisional license eight months ago, and want to drive your 16-year-old friend home at 6 p.m. Is that allowed?
- Not unless your parent or guardian, or another California-licensed driver at least 25 years old, rides with you. Correct answer
- Yes; the passenger restriction only applies between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Yes, as long as you carry a note signed by your friend's parents.
Why
A provisional license comes with restrictions. The hours from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. are closed to you for the first 12 months you hold the license. You also cannot carry passengers under 20 unless your parent or guardian, or another California-licensed driver who is at least 25, is in the car. The two rules are independent: the passenger limit applies at 6 p.m. just as it does at midnight. There are exceptions, but each requires a specific note: from a physician for a medical need, from the school for schooling or a school activity, from an employer for work, or from your own parent or guardian to drive an immediate family member. A note from your friend's parents is not on that list. Provisional drivers also may not drive for pay.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Not unless your parent or guardian, or another California-licensed driver at least 25 years old, rides with you.
The rule behind this one
License, points and insurance in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
In real life
More on licensing, insurance and the law
- You move to a new home within California. Within how many days must you notify DMV of your new address?
- What is the minimum liability insurance coverage California requires for property damage?
- You are in a collision in which another driver is injured. Within what time must a report be made to law enforcement?
- You are 17 and applying for your first driver's license. How much supervised practice driving do you need, and with whom?