New York Named the Best State in America for Teen Drivers

Getting a driver’s license is a huge milestone for a teenager. For parents, though, handing over those car keys can be a completely different experience.

Between worrying about accidents, distracted driving and the added cost of insurance, having a brand-new driver in the family can be stressful. But if your teen is learning to drive in New York, there is some good news.

A new WalletHub study has named New York the best state in America for teen drivers in 2026.

New York Is the Best State for Teen Drivers in 2026

WalletHub compared all 50 states using 23 different factors across three major categories: safety, economic environment and driving laws. Safety carried the most weight in the study, accounting for half of a state's overall score.

Read More: Vaping Is Highest Among College Students in New York

New York finished with an overall score of 72.14, narrowly beating Oregon's 72.00. New York ranked second in the country for safety, second for driving laws and 17th for its economic environment.

Why New York Ranked So High

One of New York's biggest strengths is teen driver safety.

New York has the fourth-fewest teen driver fatalities per capita in the country. We also have the fourth-lowest percentage of drivers who use their phones behind the wheel and the third-lowest prevalence of poor turning behavior.

There is another area where New York really stands out. The state has more driving schools per capita than anywhere else in the country.

WalletHub also found New York has the third-fewest teen DUI arrests per capita and the seventh-lowest percentage of teenagers who text while driving.

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New York also has nearly all of the driving laws recommended by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, helping the state earn that number two ranking for driving laws.

The Best States for Teen Drivers

New York wasn't the only Northeast state to perform well. In fact, six of the top 10 are in the Northeast.

Here are WalletHub's 10 best states for teen drivers in 2026:

1. New York
2. Oregon
3. New Jersey
4. Indiana
5. Connecticut
6. Massachusetts
7. Rhode Island
8. Washington
9. West Virginia
10. Maine

These Are the Worst States for Teen Drivers

At the other end of the list, Montana ranked dead last, followed by Missouri and Mississippi.

The 10 lowest-ranked states are:

1. Montana
2. Missouri
3. Mississippi
4. Wyoming
5. Alabama
6. Nebraska
7. Idaho
8. South Dakota
9. New Hampshire
10. North Dakota

So, while watching your teenager pull out of the driveway alone for the first time probably isn't going to become any less nerve-wracking, New York parents can at least take a little comfort in knowing their new drivers are hitting the road in the state WalletHub says offers the best overall conditions for teens behind the wheel.