I am a 14-year-old girl. Can I have a driver's license?

You can't get a full-fledged driver's license yet -- one that would allow you to drive anytime without a supervising adult in the car. Whether you're old enough to apply for a learner's permit depends on where you live.

Licensing laws vary by state. Most states require teens to be at least 15 to get a permit, but several allow 14-year-olds to get learner's permits, including Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. In Idaho and Montana, you can get a learner's permit when you're 14 1/2 and in Michigan, you must be at least 14 years 9 months.

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Most states require you to pass a written exam to get a learner's permit and a behind-the-wheel test to get a driver's license. Once you have a learner's permit, you must hold onto it for a certain number of months and meet a specific number of hours of supervised driving before you can apply for a driver's license.

Even after you have a driver's license, you might be restricted to when you can drive. Many states have some form of graduated licensing laws, which lets new teen drivers gain experience in lower-risk conditions before being allowed to drive under more complex conditions, such as at night or with a full carload of passengers.

Talk to your parents about their expectations. They will need to contact their insurance agent about adding you to their car insurance policy once you start driving.

For more, see state laws for teen drivers and when to add your teen to your car insurance policy.