The legal patchwork manages the requirements for new drivers in the United States. A new wave of law has tightened up some of these rules.
Florida teens face new driver education requirements
Florida teens must complete their driver education before obtaining permission.
Fox-13 News
The new wave of state law enforces stricter requirements for new drivers, but the state is still unable to agree to the necessary practices.
Most states have step-by-step driver licensing laws starting from 20 supervision hours to 70 supervision hours, but supervision services are increasing, according to Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit based in D.C.
Florida, Washington and New Jersey tightened the requirements for new drivers in 2025, but even these new laws have inconsistent requirements. New laws will emerge, according to the US, some road safety advocates. You will benefit from more uniform laws on this topic.
“Teen drivers should have national laws,” says Sheryl Giles, a longtime owner of Lakeland Atlantic Driving School in Winter Haven, Florida, who runs around 1,000 student drivers exams per year. “We desperately need consistency.”
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says car crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of death among teens in the US. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teenage drivers also report disproportionately higher risk of crashes compared to older drivers.
“I call it a trend now. We all need to do something to control it,” said Brett Robinson, chief executive of the American Association of Drivers & Road Safety Education, a road safety expert for over 30 years.
Adkins said a recent GHSA report found crash and mortality rates for drivers under the age of 21 “dramatically improved” between 2002 and 2021, but there was a slight increase in teen driver-related deaths nationwide in 2022 and 2023.
“We’re not in a crisis yet, but it’s a concern and we want to continue to look at this more carefully,” Adkins said.
“I lost my son”
Tammy Gweed McGee of Hampton Road, Virginia, has spent several years on lawmakers for safe teen driving laws.
McGee’s teenage son, Connor, was killed in a 2019 car accident.
The 16-year-old was a passenger in a car with two other teenagers who died in a crash when a vehicle over 70 mph hit a tree and turned it over. Investigators later discovered that teenage driver Connor had been accused of riding.
“He went to a homecoming dance and never came back,” McGee told USA Today. “I lost my son very quickly.”
McGee currently oversees a nonprofit foundation that educates new teen drivers and their parents about the dangers of destructive driving decisions. As a leader in safe street families, McGee also helps pass state laws. This includes assisting Virginia’s law, which was renewed July 1, saying that if someone knowingly allows them to drive without their license or learner’s permission, a person could face criminal charges.
A new wave of law for young drivers
How much practice does a younger driver need? Many states have placed the numbers on 50 hours of supervised driver powers of attorney, Adkins said they are citing an investigation by the insurance agency Highway Safety Association (IIHS).
According to IIHS data, there’s more to be done. Pennsylvania has a 65-hour driver supervision, while Maryland and North Carolina each have 60 hours. Maine takes 70 hours.
Meanwhile, Iowa has a 25-hour supervised driving commission, and Kansas has 20 states, Arkansas and Mississippi, reports IIHS.
However, supervision times are not part of the licensing requirements. Driver education, age requirements, and other details about those eligible for learner permission are all working. In 2025, several states strengthened their requirements, including:
- Florida: The updated law requires 15 and up of the teenagers to complete a six-hour driver education course before receiving permission from the learner. (Previously, the only prerequisite for learner permission was completion of a 4-hour course.) Additionally, Florida teens must complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night. The law came into effect on July 1st.
- New Jersey: Earlier this year, the state established 50-hour drivers licenses for drivers under the age of 21, joining numerous states, including California, Delaware, Idaho and Wyoming, and implementing similar driving measures.
- Washington: The law passed in May will expand mandatory driver education to drivers up to age 21 by 2030. Washington’s law ultimately requires new license applicants up to the age of 25. This said Adkins is appropriate as some drivers have been waiting a long time and could age driver licensing requirements for alumni in some states. “It makes sense to make these additions for your first driver, no matter what age, for a first time driver,” Adkins said.
And Brett Robinson, CEO of the American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association, told USA Today he hopes that Washington’s new law will one day become a national benchmark.
“It’s probably the most important state bill in over a decade,” Robinson said. “I believe the Washington State bill is the new standard, so we need a state to do something for others to follow.”
Federal solutions?
With every state having its own transport that handles driver licensing, standardizing new driver laws is not easy, even if some safety advocates feel wary of contradictions.
“It should be more uniform with teenage driving practices nationwide,” McGee said. “Whether you’re in Virginia, Florida or Utah, even in the most rural parts of the country, roads can be extremely dangerous, especially if you don’t fully understand the dangers of driving.”
Adkins, head of the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, believes that teenage driving laws should remain under state authority.
“We see this as a state issue, not a federal issue,” Adkins said. “It’s not even on the table.”
Also, Robinson, a road safety expert and co-founder and president of Highway Safety Services (HSS), a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm, believes federal teen driver laws are unlikely.
“For me, federal law would be great, but I don’t think I’ll see it in the next 10 years,” Robinson said. “It definitely requires Congressional acts and I haven’t seen it happen.”
Florida’s Teen Driver Act came when Washington, another state, passed the law in May, expanding the education of mandatory drivers to drivers up to age 21 by 2030. Washington’s law ultimately requires new license applicants up to the age of 25.
“We have to start somewhere. These teens are so easily distracted, even when they’re in the car with us,” said Sheryl Giles, a longtime owner of Lakeland Atlantic Drive School in Winter Haven, Florida. “I hope this will bring more changes.”
“It is encouraging to see more states prioritize enhanced education for new drivers. This will help teens develop key skills that can reduce the risk of crashes in childhood behind the wheel,” says Megan Muhlbach, program coordinator for the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition and program coordinator for programs funded through the state Department of Transport and the NHTSA. “(These laws) encourage important conversations between parents and teens about safe driving habits, such as using safety belts, avoiding distractions, speeding or driving with disabilities.”
Experts: Washington’s updated driver ED method in 10 years “Most important”
Just as other states’ teen driving measures have been gaining more attention this year, experts say new Washington laws to improve driver safety could one day become a national model.
The new law, signed in May, will expand the state’s mandatory driver’s license to drivers by the age of 21, beginning at age 18 in 2027. Currently, only 16 and 17 year olds must obtain a driver’s license before obtaining their first license.
The law also requires safe driving courses for young drivers who accumulate traffic tickets. Also, from 2031 onwards, drivers under the age of 21 will be required to take the Road Safety Refresher Course to maintain their license.
The Washington state report found that people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for 10.6% of drivers, but were involved in crashes that resulted in 26% of all deaths and 29% of serious injuries between 2020 and 2022.
The law expands mandatory driver training to 21, but the goal is ultimately to expand the law to age 25, state officials argue.
“It’s probably the most important state bill in over a decade,” said Robinson, a national road safety expert, about Washington’s comprehensive new law. “I believe the Washington State bill is the new standard, so we need a state to do something for others to follow.”
New Jersey law requires young drivers to complete 50 hours of practice
In February, New Jersey law required drivers under the age of 21 to complete 50 hours of supervised driving care, including 10 hours at night, before obtaining a trial license. Parents, guardians, or supervising drivers must prove those times.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed the law. This stipulates that six months of supervised driving must be completed. The new law renewed the state’s graduation driver licensing program in January 2024.
“More practice leads to safer and more capable drivers. This leads to safer roads for everyone,” Latrecia ridtles-floyd, chief administrator of the New Jersey Automobile Board committee, said in a statement in January.
State officials say drivers must complete 50 hours of supervised driving care and be at least 17 years old to pass road tests before qualifying for a trial license.
The state requires that those with a probationary driver’s license continue to drive unsupervised for a year. After that period, you can upgrade to a basic driver’s license online.
Simon Mieloff, owner of Drive Right Academy, a nearby New York City driving school, believes New Jersey law could lead to a reduction in accidents.
“Not all drivers are properly taught,” Mieloff said. “We need to fix it and teach the drivers at an early stage possible.”
