Driving Permit Laws for Teens

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, "Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of people ages 16-17." For this reason it is good to have strict driving permit laws for teens. Some of these permit laws outline the age for obtaining a permit, transferring permits from state to state, who can ride with the teen, and who sits in the front passenger seat.

  1. Age &Type of Permit

    • In most of the 50 United States, the age to obtain a driving permit is 16 years. In addition, certain classes of licenses will not be issued to a teen under the age of 18. These special class permits are Class D and Taxi. Class D classifies driving trucks that have 26,000 lbs. or less weight. It also includes towing trailers that weigh no more than 10,000 lbs.

    Transferring Permits

    • Some state laws restrict teens holding a driver's permit. For example, if a teen currently holds a permit from one state and is moving to another he will need to obtain another permit for the new state based on that state's laws.

    Limit on Passengers

    • As a teen driver with a driver's permit, the amount of underage passengers in the vehicle is limited while the teen learner is in the driver's seat. This limit is set to no more than two passengers under age 21 years. There are two exceptions to this rule. The teen can have more than two passengers in this age range if they are immediate family members. This rule is also exempt when passengers are not immediate family members but the licensed driver with the teen is his guardian or parent.

    Location of Passengers

    • The teen driver must avoid having any one other than a licensed driver riding in the front seat. This means all unlicensed individuals sit in the rear. This includes individuals of any age who also hold a driving permit. In addition, the licensed driver in the front seat is required to be 21 years of age or older.

    Permit Revocation

    • If within 60 days the teen commits a traffic violation that results in three points or more on his permit, his permit will be suspended. This rule also applies once he receives his license.

    Driving Time

    • The driving time for a teen driving permit holder is limitless. However, once he obtains his license it is different. Depending upon the location of the teen driver, certain restrictions may apply for driving during specific hours of the day. Take New York State as an example. In the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island, a teen driver cannot drive alone at any hour of the day while holding a junior license. However, in Upstate New York, a teen driver holding the same junior license can drive at any time. Restrictions only apply for where he drives to and from.

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