Tesla Valet Mode, PIN to Drive and Speed Limit Mode

Published October 23, 2026 · Last reviewed October 23, 2026

Pick by situation, not by name

• A parking attendant or hotel valet — Valet Mode. It is designed to limit what a stranger can do with the car and your information.
• A new driver, a teenager or a borrower you trust — Speed Limit Mode. It caps top speed to a value you choose, protected by a PIN.
• Any time a stolen or borrowed key is a worry — PIN to Drive. The car asks for a PIN before it can be driven, even when a key is present.

Exact limits, ranges and menu names differ by model and software version. This guide does not list them as facts; read the entries in your owner’s manual and check the on-screen text when you turn each mode on.

What each setting typically does

• Valet Mode restricts parts of the car, commonly including driving performance and some storage or personal data. Your manual lists exactly what it restricts on your car.
• Speed Limit Mode sets a maximum speed and uses a PIN to turn it on and off.
• PIN to Drive adds a code step after the car is unlocked.

Turn one on, then prove it

Action

Choose the mode that matches the driver, then turn it on from the touchscreen under Controls › Safety or the location your manual names.

Why it helps

A mode that does not match the situation either blocks too much or protects too little.

Verification

An indicator for the mode appears on the main screen.

Action

Set a PIN you will remember and do not reuse a phone passcode, bank PIN or an obvious number.

Why it helps

A PIN shared with the person you are limiting defeats the point. A forgotten one can leave you waiting on a reset process.

Verification

You can turn the mode off and on again with the PIN once, standing at the car.

Action

Test as the driver would before handing over: sit in the seat, try to drive.

Why it helps

Assuming a setting is active is how limits fail on the day. Seeing it refuse is proof.

Verification

The car asks for the PIN, or shows the top-speed cap, or shows the Valet indicator.

Action

Turn it off afterward and check normal driving is back.

Why it helps

A mode left on is the usual cause of a puzzling restriction the next morning.

Verification

The indicator is gone and the car drives normally.

Profile B If you park in public lots and garages, a PIN to Drive is the layer to consider because a lost or copied key alone is then not enough. Profile E If you own a performance model and share it, Speed Limit Mode is the setting most worth testing before handing over the keys.

If you forget the PIN

Do not guess repeatedly. Check your owner’s manual and Tesla Support for the recovery steps on your model; proof of ownership may be required. Write the PIN down somewhere private and separate from the car, and note that updates are a reason to recheck the setting, as described in the updates guide.

How it works

These three settings work at different points. PIN to Drive sits at the start: the car is unlocked, but it will not be driven until the code is entered. Speed Limit Mode sits during the drive: the car lets the driver go, but caps how fast. Valet Mode sits around the whole handover: it narrows what the car will do or show to a person you do not know.

Because they work at different points, they can complement each other. A trusted younger driver might have a speed limit, while an owner who parks on the street might use PIN to Drive. They are not interchangeable and none of them is a guarantee against misuse. Each is a settings-based limit that a person with the PIN can change.

The PIN is the real control in every case. If the PIN is guessable, shared or written on the key card, the limit holds only as long as nobody tries it. Treating the PIN as a password rather than a convenience is the point of this guide.

Worked example

Suppose a parent lets a new driver use the car and chooses a speed cap of 60 mph. The cap is the parent’s choice; it is not a recommendation or a figure from Tesla.

What does the cap cost on an ordinary trip? On a 30 mile trip, travelling at 60 mph takes 30 minutes. At 70 mph the same trip takes 30 divided by 70 hours, which is about 25.7 minutes. The difference is about 4.3 minutes. A cap is cheap compared to the risk it is meant to reduce, and it usually saves range too, since consumption rises with speed.

The test before handover: sit in the driver’s seat, turn the mode on, and confirm the screen shows the cap. The verification is that the cap shows, and that the parent’s PIN is not known to the driver. After the trip the parent turns the mode off and checks normal driving returns.