Maryland Provisional Drivers License Rules

Maryland has a three-phase system for obtaining a permanent driver's license for new drivers. The first phase is the learner's permit, then comes the provisional license, and finally, the permanent license. To obtain a provisional license, you must be at least 16 1/2 years old. Here are the other Maryland provisional drivers license rules.

Step 1: Getting Ready for the Provisional License Test

First, you must gather the appropriate documents and bring them with you to the DMV when you go to take your provisional license test. You will need to bring the following:

• A certificate proving you took a driver's education course that includes 30 hours of training in the classroom and six hours of driving practice behind the wheel. You may take driver's education either in school or at a special driving school. You will submit this form electronically before you come in for your test.
• A valid Maryland learner's permit license
• The valid permanent license of the person bringing you to the DMV
• A completed Practice and Skills Log
• Registration and proof of insurance of the car you will be driving
• The fees to take the test

Step 2: Taking the Provisional License Test

Schedule your test ahead of time to make sure you don't have a long wait at the DMV. Confirm your appointment if the weather is bad, as it may need to be rescheduled. Once you get there, present your documentation. You will then go out with a testing facilitator and take the driving test on the road to demonstrate your driving skills.

3. Getting and Keeping Your Provisional License

When you pass the road test, you will be given your provisional license. The provisional license grants you more freedom in driving than the learner's permit, but not all of the freedoms that come with a permanent license. The rules you must follow with the provisional license are:

Never driving with a blood alcohol level of .02% or more. There will be an "Under 21" restriction stamped on your license indicating this to law enforcement officers, bar tenders, and liquor store clerks who ID you.

This will be the only restriction on your provisional license, unless you are younger than 18. If you are younger than 18, you will also have to follow these rules with your provisional license:

You are not allowed to drive between 12 am and 5 am unless you are accompanied by a fully licensed driver who is 21 years of age or older and with at least three years of driving experience, or if you are driving to or from work, school, or a school activity.

You may not transport passengers who are younger than 18 years old during the first five months you have your provisional license, unless you are accompanied by a fully licensed driver age 21 years or older, or unless the passengers are your direct relatives. Direct relatives include parents, children, siblings, step-parents, step-siblings, your spouse, or any other relative who lives with you.

You may not use a cell phone for calling or texting, even with a hands-free device, while driving, unless you're making an emergency call (and only 911 calls are considered emergency calls for provisional license holders).

Once you have maintained your provisional license for 18 months without getting any traffic violation convictions on it, you are eligible to apply for your full, permanent license. If you've met all of the requirements of your provisional license, the state of Maryland will automatically convert the provisional license to a permanent license for you.