How many people drive without a license?

Asked by: Hattie O'Reilly  |  Last update: October 9, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (18 votes)

About 9% of adult Americans don't have a valid driver's license but it's a guess how many of that group actually drive without a license. The age groups with the highest percentage without a driver's license are 19 years old and under (60.5%), 85 and older (30.9%) and 20 to 24 (19.0%).

What percentage of Americans don't drive?

Still, 10% of U.S. adults are nondrivers – that is, they say they seldom or never drive a car or other vehicle – according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This includes 6% who say they don't drive at all.

How many Gen Z don't have a driver's license?

Gen Z opt out of driving; only 1 in 25 have a license in the US: Study.

Is it normal to not have a license?

Yes, it's quite common. Estimates are that about 15 percent of the adult US population is without drivers licenses or other, equivalent state-issued ID.

Can you drive without a license in the US?

Driving without a license is illegal in every state. Still, most states differentiate between lacking a valid driver's license and lacking proof of your license. Police officers likely won't arrest you for forgetting your wallet before getting behind the wheel.

How to drive without a license.

29 related questions found

How many people in the US drive without a license?

About 9% of adult Americans don't have a valid driver's license but it's a guess how many of that group actually drive without a license. The age groups with the highest percentage without a driver's license are 19 years old and under (60.5%), 85 and older (30.9%) and 20 to 24 (19.0%).

Why do people think they don't need a driver's license?

One of the freedoms in the U.S. Constitution is our freedom of movement and right to travel. Some people interpret this right as meaning that they do not need a driver's license to operate a vehicle on public roadways.

Why are Gen Z not driving?

Gen Z is more environmentally conscious than generations past, and many don't want to exacerbate the climate crisis by driving.

How many people don't have a driver's license?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, approximately one-third of the nation's residents don't have driver's licenses.

Is it common law to not have a driver's license?

Sorry, the right to travel is common law, but the privilege to drive a motor vehicle is not. A motor vehicle requires training for the safety of other people on the roads. Therefore the privilege to drive one is contingent upon receiving that training and getting a license.

What Gen Z will never know?

Along with many other novelties, here are 10 things Gen Z will never know about:
  • Movie Rentals. RIP Blockbuster. ...
  • Taking Backwards Phone/Camera Selfies. ...
  • CDs (and CD Players) ...
  • Phonebooks. ...
  • VHSs and VCRs. ...
  • Maps. ...
  • Saturday Morning Cartoons. ...
  • Burning CDs.

What percent of 17 year olds have a driver's license?

A 2023 report conducted by automotive market research imprint Hedges & Company, found that just 34.8% of 16- to 19-year-olds in the US have their driver's licenses, the lowest percentage by far of any eligible age group.

Why does Gen Z not drink alcohol?

Another reason Gen Zers avoid alcohol is they perceive it as unhealthy—and other options are more appealing, such as cannabis, where use is frequent at home and away from home, she said. “This is the first generation to come into legal drinking age with cannabis as an option, now in 24 states,” she said.

What percent of people can drive manually?

Yet surprisingly, when I tell people that fact, they give me a weird look. Honestly that confuses me. So, I did a little research and found that only about 18% of Americans actually know how to drive a stick shift.

Why do some adults not drive?

There are many [people] who just aren't [ever] going to have that option to buy into car mobility — whether it's because we have a disability where it's just not safe to be able to drive, or because we're aging out of driving. Or young folks; a big chunk non-drivers are actually folks who are under the age of 16.

What percentage of drivers never get pulled over?

survey revealed that 21% of male respondents said police never pulled them over. That's compared to 37% of female drivers who said they've never been pulled over. This is a much closer gap than last year's survey when it was 29% male and 71% female.

What percentage of Americans don't have a license?

driver's license.

Twenty-one percent of adult Americans in states with strict photo ID requirements do not have a driver's license with their current name and/or address, including 7% who do not have a license at all.

What percentage of Gen Z can drive?

Gen Z makes up a smaller portion of licensed drivers

Data from 2022 (the most recent year available) shows that younger members of Generation Z (those aged 24 and below) make up about 12.4% of all licensed drivers. The smallest age group of drivers are people aged 80 and older, who make up 3.7% of drivers.

Is it illegal to not have an ID at 18?

While not carrying an ID is perfectly legal, failing to identify yourself verbally to an officer can lead to your arrest. Most states have 'Stop and Identify' laws which require individuals to provide their full names to law enforcement officers when asked. Failing to identify yourself can lead to being arrested.

Why do people not get their driver's license?

Blakney says money is a factor, too. The cost of lessons, teen driver insurance rates, and historically high prices for used cars. Another factor is the new online generation. “I don't know if they crave that face-to-face interaction anymore, like they need to go see each other to connect,” said Mary Jane Youngerman.

What percentage of adults can't drive?

So too would many folks living with disabilities. Then there are people who just don't have their license for one reason or another. Per automotive marketing agency Hedges & Co., 15.9 percent of American adults don't have a valid driver's license.

Is there a right to travel without a driver's license in the United States?

A: If you're going to operate a motor vehicle on public roads, you need a license, insurance and vehicle registration. You have a right to travel, but doing it in a motor vehicle on public roads is a privilege and the government regulates that.

Is it unconstitutional to require a driver's license?

There is nothing written in the Constitution that requires a drivers license. There is also nothing that states you do not require a drivers license.

What state does not require a driver's license?

There is no law that says you don't need a driver's license to operate a motor vehicle on the public roadways of any State in the U.S. That's sovereign citizen nonsense. The Constitution does not provide a right to DRIVE. It provides a right to TRAVEL.