North Carolina · Handbook chapter 2 · 4 min read

North Carolina's three-level graduated licensing system: the Level 1 limited learner permit, Level 2 limited provisional license and Level 3 full provisional license, with hours, curfews, passenger limits, the cell phone ban and supervising driver rules.

Why this chapter matters

Teens in North Carolina do not go straight to a full license. They move through three levels, each with its own time limits, hours and passenger rules. These numbers turn up again and again on the knowledge test, and breaking them can cost you your license.

Before you start: driver education

• You can enroll in an approved driver education course from 14 1/2.
• The course has a 30-hour classroom phase (with a vision and medical screening) and at least 6 hours behind the wheel.
• From 1 October 2026, NCDMV no longer requires a Driving Eligibility Certificate for a limited learner permit (Session Law 2026-46). The handbook, revised May 2025, was written before this change.

Level 1: Limited Learner Permit

All passengers must wear a seat belt or be in a child safety seat.

Who can supervise

A parent, grandparent or guardian, or a responsible adult the parent or guardian approves. The supervisor must hold a valid license, have been licensed for at least five years, and sit beside you.

Level 2: Limited Provisional License

To move up you must be 16 or 17, have held Level 1 for nine months, have logged your 60 hours, have no convictions for moving violations, seat belt or cell phone infractions in the past six months, and pass a road test.

• You may drive alone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and at any hour when driving directly to or from work or a volunteer fire, rescue or emergency medical service you belong to.
• From 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. a supervising driver is required.
• When driving without supervision, you may carry one passenger under 21 who is not a member of your household. One more such passenger is allowed when that passenger is a student being driven directly to or from school.
• If every passenger is a household member, the under-21 limit does not apply, but under-21 household members may not ride when an under-21 non-household passenger is in the car.
• Hold Level 2 for at least six months before Level 3. The fee is $25.50.

Level 3: Full Provisional License

• Available after six months at Level 2 with a clean six-month record. You can upgrade online.
• The time, supervision and passenger limits end.
• At 18 you can upgrade to a regular Class C license online, even straight from Level 2.

Rules for every driver under 18

• No cell phone at all while driving, except to call 911, a hospital or doctor, an ambulance service, a fire department, a law enforcement agency, or your parent, legal guardian or spouse in an emergency.
• Driving after drinking any amount of alcohol or taking drugs brings a one-year revocation.
• Everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt.
• A parent or legal guardian must sign for a minor.
• A school suspension of more than 10 consecutive days for discipline can cost you your license for 12 months.
• Your license can be suspended for 30 days after a second moving violation in 12 months, 90 days after a third and six months after a fourth.