If you’re under 18, you’ll be issued an intermediate driver license and must follow these special rules:

Passengers:
For the first 6 months, you can’t drive with passengers under the age of 20 unless they’re members of your immediate family (such as a spouse, child, stepchild, or siblings, both by birth and marriage).

For the next 6 months, you can’t carry more than 3 passengers who are under 20 years old and aren’t members of your immediate family.
Nighttime driving:

For the first 12 months, you can’t drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless you’re with a licensed driver age 25 or older. The only exception to this rule is driving for agricultural purposes (transporting farm products or supplies under the direction of a farmer as described in RCW 46.20.070).

Cell phones:
You aren’t permitted to use wireless devices while driving, even with a hands-free device. This includes talking on cell phones and sending or receiving text messages. You may only use a wireless device to report an emergency. All restrictions are lifted after one year from the date the student obtains a license unless the teen is involved in a crash or has a moving violation, in which case the restrictions remain in place until the student is 18 years old.

These restrictions are extremely effective in reducing injury and death to teenage drivers. Parents believe that the restrictions don’t go far enough and they decide to impose their own additional restrictions on their young drivers. For current laws, you can refer to a copy of the Washington State Driver Guide or the guidelines posted on the WA State DOL’s website http://www.dol.wa.gov/