Driving Laws Teens and Their Parents Should Know

Teenagers turning 16 often have one thing on their minds; they’re excited to finally have the freedom of driving. Visions of cruising around with their friends are all they can think about. Parents may be thrilled to finally be able to retire as their teen’s chauffeur but they also have concerns about their teenager’s safety.

However, if everyone is familiar with the ins and outs of teen driving regulations parents can breathe a little easier. Teens can also relax knowing they are following New York’s driving laws.

New York’s Teen Driving Laws

Teens, like all other drivers, must follow all road laws—however, teens must also follow additional state laws. This includes obtaining a learner’s permit before applying for a driver’s license. Teens must be at least 16 years of age to hold a learner’s permit. They also need permission from their parents or guardians.

Teens can’t just walk into their local DMV office and request a learner’s permit; they will instead need to meet some additional requirements. These include providing proof of residency; a notarized birth certificate is usually enough, along with their social security card. If the teen doesn’t have these documents, they may need to request a copy of their birth certificate and apply for a social security card.

Learner Permit Restrictions

A learner’s permit isn’t the same as having a driver’s license; there are restrictions teens must follow. Along with following state seat belt laws, all drivers and passengers must wear a seatbelt, teens must have a licensed adult driver in the vehicle with them. The adult must be at least 21 years of age and have a current and valid driver’s license.

A licensed, adult driver must accompany teens with a learner's permit between 9 am and 5 pm, which can include either a parent, guardian, or driving instructor.

Teens are also limited in the number of passengers they can have in the vehicle, and they can only have one passenger who isn’t an immediate family member. In other words, teens with learner’s permits can legally drive with both parents in the car but can’t have more than one friend in the vehicle. The law is a little unclear when it comes to the number of driving instructors.

While most teens aren’t related to their driving instructors, your chances of getting a ticket if more than one is in the vehicle are pretty slim.

Getting a Junior Driver’s License

Teens can’t just go from a learner’s permit to a driver’s license, there’s another step. Six months after getting their learner’s permit, teens can apply for a junior license. There are still some restrictions placed on a junior’s license, but teens get a little more freedom compared to a learner’s permit.

Before a teen can apply for and receive a junior driver’s license, they must meet a few requirements. The teen must be at least 16 years old and not have a license suspension on their driving record. The teen must also complete 50 hours of supervised driving, usually with a certified driving instructor. The 50 hours of supervised driving time includes at least 15 hours of nighttime driving.

The application for a junior driving license requires either a parent or guardian’s signature, and there aren’t any exceptions for minors. The teen also needs to pass both a driver’s education course and a road driving test. If your teen is taking driving lessons at school or through another program, the education course is often included. An observer from the state’s DMV typically administers the road test.

The teen simply brings in their education course certificate and if they pass the road test, they can usually pick up their junior driver’s license the same day.

Restrictions on Junior Driver’s Licenses

A junior driver’s license is one step closer to a driver’s license, but teens still have some restrictions; they still can’t drive between 9 pm and 5 am in New York City. However, this restriction may not apply to all areas in the state so it’s best to check with your local laws.

NYC isn’t the only city that places restrictions on when teens can legally drive. These restrictions apply even if an adult with a valid driver’s license is also in the vehicle.

Getting a Driver’s License

The process of getting a driver’s license takes time, in most cases at least a year, but by the time the teen is 17 years of age or so, they should be able to apply for and get their unrestricted driver’s license.

For parents worried about their teens behind the wheel, the best advice is to continue talking to them about driver safety.