Maximum Driving Age by State: What Every Senior Driver Must Know

Is There a Legal Maximum Driving Age in the U.S.?

As of 2023, no state in the U.S. has a legal maximum driving age. That means even in states like Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Massachusetts, and New York, seniors can keep their driver’s licenses as long as they meet the required standards for safe driving.

But while there’s no official age cut-off, most states do require older drivers, typically starting between age 69 and 80, to take additional steps to prove they’re still fit to drive. This can include:

• Vision tests to ensure eyesight is sharp enough for the road
  
• Written knowledge tests in certain cases
  
• Behind-the-wheel exams, especially after a crash or a medical report
  
• In-person license renewal, which is more common for seniors than younger drivers
  

For example, Florida requires drivers aged 80 and older to pass a vision test every time they renew their license. Iowa, Georgia, and Nebraska also have special renewal procedures for senior drivers to assess their physical and cognitive abilities.

Those with commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) may face even stricter requirements. A medical exam and a doctor’s note confirming their physical and mental fitness might be necessary to maintain their license.

Depending on how they perform in these evaluations, older drivers may face restricted driving privileges, such as:

• Driving only during daylight hours
  
• Wearing glasses or hearing aids while driving
  
• Using adaptive equipment in the vehicle

In many cases, it’s a family member who first notices signs of declining driving ability amongst older licensed car drivers. Most states like Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana have systems in place that support highway safety by allowing concerned relatives, doctors, or even law enforcement to report such issues to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). 

Based on the report, the DMV may initiate a license program review and require car insurance documentation, medical evaluations, or retesting to determine if the individual can continue driving safely.

State-by-State Driving Age for Seniors 

Every state in the U.S. has its own rules regarding driving age, and most use a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program to ease young drivers into full driving privileges. These programs usually include three stages:

1. Learner’s Permit
   
2. Intermediate or Provisional License
   
3. Full Driver’s License

Let’s take a quick look at a few examples:

• Michigan: Licenses renew every 4 years; no age-based restrictions or in-person requirements. No maximum age for driving.
• Alaska: Starting at 69, seniors must renew in person and pass a vision test every 5 years. There is no maximum age limit, but it is known for early independence. Teens can apply for a learner’s permit at 14, the lowest minimum age in the U.S.
• Colorado: Seniors renew every 5 years with mandatory vision tests. There is no upper age limit for drivers.
• Wyoming: Vision tests are required at every 4-year renewal, but no specific rules for seniors or age caps exist.
• New Hampshire: Drivers renew every 5 years with required vision tests. There is no maximum driving age.
• Alabama:  Licenses renew every 4 years without a vision test or senior-specific requirements. There is no age cap for driving.

Each state’s driving laws are unique, with different rules about night driving, passengers, and required practice hours. Below, you’ll find the total number of senior licensed drivers in some states and the District of Columbia. 

Driving License Rules for Older Adults By State

As older drivers age, their licensing experience starts to look a little different, especially across various U.S. states. While no state has a legal maximum driving age, many states ask older adults to renew their driver’s licenses more often, pass vision tests, or even submit medical evaluations.

Iowa

In Iowa, drivers must begin renewing their licenses every two years, starting at age 70, instead of the standard five-year cycle. The state is especially proactive when it comes to medical concerns; one-year licenses may be issued to older drivers with conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

The Department of Transportation may also impose driving restrictions, such as limiting driving to daylight hours or within a certain distance from home, depending on a driver’s health and performance.

Texas

In Texas, drivers must begin in-person renewals starting at age 79 and must take a vision test. At age 85, drivers are required to renew every two years instead of every six. These rules were enacted after “Katie’s Law,” following a tragic crash involving a 90-year-old driver in 2006.

Virginia

All drivers in Virginia renew their licenses every 8 years. However, once drivers turn 80, they must renew in person and either take a vision test or present proof of a recent eye exam.

Washington

In Washington, licenses are renewed every five years. Beginning at age 65, drivers can no longer renew online. They must do it in person, giving officials a chance to assess physical or cognitive health.

Utah

In Utah, the renewal cycle is every five years for all drivers. However, starting at age 65, a vision exam is required with each renewal, regardless of prior health records.

South Carolina

Drivers in South Carolina face more frequent renewals starting at age 65, every five years instead of every ten. A vision test is also mandatory at each renewal past this age.

South Dakota

Interestingly, South Dakota makes no special provisions for older adults. All drivers, regardless of age, renew their licenses every five years.

New York

New York doesn’t have age-specific rules for renewals. Licenses last eight years for all drivers. Still, the DMV can require a re-evaluation for any driver based on a doctor’s report, a police officer’s concern, or a family member’s request. Restrictions like daylight-only driving can be imposed if needed.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, license renewal shifts from every eight years to every five years starting at age 66. The DMV accepts reports from doctors, law enforcement, or family members, triggering medical evaluations or potential driving restrictions.

North Dakota

Driving car licenses in North Dakota last six years for most adults, but starting at age 78, they must be renewed every four years.

Bottom Line

While no state imposes a driving age limit, aging drivers often face additional checks to ensure safety, like vision tests, driving exams, in-person renewals, and even medical evaluations starting as early as age 65 in places like Utah, Georgia, South Carolina, and Delaware.

States like Florida and Texas go a step further with stricter rules past age 79, while Arkansas maintains uniform renewal policies for all ages, without extra steps for seniors. Meanwhile, states like New York and South Dakota have no specific age-based requirements but still allow family members, doctors, or officials to report safety concerns.

In the end, it’s not age that determines whether someone can drive; it’s ability. These laws are in place to ensure every driver, regardless of age, remains safe, alert, and responsible behind the wheel.

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