If you are not from California you might be surprised to learn that you must be a minumum of 18 years old in order to obtain a driver’s license. But like all of Cali’s rules and regulations, it’s not that simple. You can still receive a provisional permit if you are over 16 years old (actually 15 and a half), but under 18.

This provisional permit has a set of rules. The main thing to worry about is the regulations for the first year:

First 12 months of the provisional permit

You must be accompanied and watched over by a licensed parent, guardian or other licensed driver who is 25 years of age or older or a licensed or certified driving instructor when you:

• Transport passengers under 20 years of age at any time
• Drive between 11 pm and 5 am

As you can imagine, it is hard for the police to monitor all these conditions. However, you never know when they are going to get you—so I would recommend following these rules.

If you are interested in this permit, click here for more information on applying.