Driving laws for teens are getting stricter every year. New laws aimed at reducing the number of accidents among teen drivers went into effect Jan. 1. Teen drivers now are not allowed to drive alone between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Teen drivers who get out of work after 11 p.m. are the only ones who can be driving at that hour. Exceptions will also be made for teens while traveling to school-approved events like dances or helping meet the needs of family members. They must have a note from a parent.

Teens are also required to have their license for one year before they are allowed to transport passengers under the age of 20, unless there is a licensed driver in the car 25 years old or older.

The new law, known as the Graduating Driver Licensing Laws, also applies to teens who received their license in 2005. It is designed to reduce the number of accidents by teen drivers due to inexperience and distraction from other young passengers.

In California, to get a license, a teenager must be at least 16 years old. If you are under 18, you must complete a drivers education course and drivers training. Once a teen has their certificate of completion from an approved driver education course, they can make an appointment at the Department of Motor Vehicles to take the written exam. After passing the written exam, the DVM will give teens their permit to start practicing their driving. After teenagers have their permit for six months, they can go to the DMV and take the driving test. By passing those two tests, a teenager can then get his or her license.