Arkansas Teen Driving Laws, Insurance Requirements & Drivers License

Arkansas law offers an incremental licensing program for teen drivers. Any driver between the ages of 14 and 18 can be issued a drivers license under Arkansas's Graduated Licensing Law. The Arkansas graduated license program consists of three levels.

• Level 1 – The Learners License
• Level 2 - The Intermediate License
• Level 3 - The Regular License

The Arkansas Learners License

You must be a minimum of 14 years of age to qualify for a State of Arkansas learners license. This license will expire on the 16th birthday of the licensee. To receive a learners license the teen driver must pass both written and road tests given by the Arkansas State Police. In addition, the teen driver must have a vision exam and no record of serious accidents or driving convictions within the most recent 6 months.

Once the teen driver has received the learner's license:

• a licensed driver of 21 years of age or older must accompany the learners license holder anytime the teen driver is driving.
• all passengers must have their seat belts attached at all times.
• the use of a cellular phone or other interactive wireless device while driving is prohibited except for emergency purposes. (Read more about Arkansas' driving laws on cell phone usage.)

When the learner's license expires on the teen driver's 16th birthday, the driver may then apply for an intermediate drivers license if the driver has had no serious traffic convictions or accidents within the 6 most recent months prior to application. If there are serious accidents or traffic convictions the teen driver holding the learners permit must wait until 6 months has passed since their most recent serious accident or traffic conviction.

The Arkansas Intermediate License

The Arkansas intermediate license can be issued to teen drivers between 16 and 18 years of age. This license expires when the licensee reaches the age of 18 years old.

When the intermediate license holder is driving:

• all passengers, including the driver must be wearing a seat belt at all times.
• the use of a cellular phone or other interactive wireless device while driving is prohibited except for emergency purposes.
• intermediate license holders under the age of 18 must have an adult with them when they drive for the first 6 months after receiving their intermediate license or until they reach 18 years of age.

The Arkansas Regular License

The Arkansas regular license is issued to the teen driver when the driver reaches the age of 18 at the expiration of the intermediate license. Drivers who are at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age may only use hands-free wireless telephones while operating a motor vehicle.

The teen driver's record must not contain a serious traffic or a serious accident for 12 months prior to application. If the applicant does have such a record then they must retain the intermediate license until they have 12 months without a serious traffic accident or traffic conviction.

Arkansas Insurance Requirements

Every driver in the State of Arkansas must be covered by minimum liability coverage. The minimum liability allowed in the State of Arkansas is:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury,
• $50,000 for each accident and
• $25,000 for property damage.

Drivers that do not carry a minimum of liability insurance will not be able to renew their license or register their vehicles.

For more information on Arkansas teen driving and insurance requirements please use the State of Arkansas links below.

Source Links for This Information

• Graduated Licensing Information
• Arkansas Insurance Information and Requirements