Starting Aug. 1, teens across Minnesota will be facing some stricter driving laws.

Under the state’s law for graduated driver’s licensing, there will soon be two critical components that limit nighttime driving for teens and the number of teen passengers allowed in a vehicle.

The new law states that for the first six months teens have their license, their driving is prohibited from midnight to 5 a.m. each night. Exceptions are for:

– When the teen is driving accompanied by a licensed driver 25 or older.

– When the teen is driving between home and place of employment.

– When the teen is driving to or from home and a school event and the school does not provide transportation.

– When the teen is driving for employment purposes.

This nighttime limitation is lifted after the first six months of licensure.

Albert Lea Police Lt. Phil Bartusek said Albert Lea has a similar curfew law in place that goes from midnight to 5 a.m. for teens. Locally, this new law would not have much of an impact.

What will have an impact locally, however, is the new law that limits how many teen passengers are allowed in a vehicle driven by another teen.

The law states that during the first six months of licensure, teens are only allowed one passenger younger than 20, unless accompanied by a parent or adult.

For the second six months of licensure, no more than three passengers younger than 20 are permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

“Law enforcement is really going to have to take a look at the license for when they became eligible to drive,” Bartusek said.

These new laws go along with several other ones already in place, including seat belt laws, cell phone and texting restrictions, and drinking and driving laws.

Drivers and passengers younger than 18 must wear a seat belt or be properly secured in a child restraint.

Likewise, it is illegal for drivers under 18 to use a cell phone — whether hand-held or hands-free — except to call 911 in an emergency. This includes composing, reading and sending text messages while driving on the road.

Drivers over 18 can use a cell phone for calls, but are not allowed to make or check text messages.

“From our experience, a lot of crashes we have on Bridge Avenue are a result of young drivers who are on a cell phone or who have a lot of friends with them,” Bartusek said. “That’s usually a contributing factor when it comes to traffic crashes.”

Lastly, it is illegal for people under 21 to drive after consuming any amount of alcohol.

“I know parents are always concerned about their kids driving,” he said. “They need to know that this is state law.”

Provisions also apply to teens licensed before Aug. 1. For example, a teen licensed on July 1 would have five months remaining of their first six months of requirements and a subsequent six months of their second limitation requirements, rather than starting the limitation time periods anew on Aug. 1.