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Driver's License - Teen Drivers
Guidelines & Frequently Asked Questions

Guidelines for Parents and Guardians of Teen Drivers

Instruction Permit -- AGES 14, 15 AND 16

Present acceptable proof of identity
Age: Minimum 14 years old
Testing Required: Vision and written tests. (Pink copy of DE-99 Form required at Renewal Station if approved Driver Education course taken.)
Parental Approval Required: Yes for 14 and 15 year olds
Driver Education Required: No at Exam Station & Yes at Renewal Station
Driving Restrictions: Licensed adult with minimum age of 21 in front seat at all times
Wireless Restriction: No use of wireless communication devices except to report illegal activity or to summons medical or emergency help
Passenger Restriction: No
Time Required to be Held: 1 year to advance to restricted

INSTRUCTION PERMIT - AGE 17 AND UP

Present acceptable proof of identity
Age: Minimum 17 years old
Testing Required: Vision and written or Driver’s Education completion slip (Pink copy of DE-99 required at Renewal Station)
Parental Approval Required: No
Driving Restrictions: Licensed adult in front seat at all times - minimum age 21
Wireless Restriction: No
Passenger Restriction: No
Time Required to be Held: None

Restricted Driver’s License (Class C or M)

Must be 15 years of age but less than 16.
Parent or guardian consent required.
Driver’s Education completion slip (Gold copy of DE-99 Form) required.
Required to have had a Kansas photo Instruction Permit for at least 6 months, during which time the licensee must have completed at least 25 hours of supervised driving. Additional 25 hours required prior to age 16. All 50 hours can be completed anytime after obtaining Instruction Permit.
Prior to age 16, applicant must provide affidavit showing at least 50 hours of adult supervised driving, with 10 of those hours being at night, by a licensed driver at least 21 years old. If affidavit is not provided prior to age 16 the driver will remain restricted until age 17 or until affidavit is provided, whichever occurs first. Affidavit or Teen Driving Experience Log can be found at: www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/teen_driving_log.pdf
Restricted licensee may drive to and from school (not school activities); to, from or in connection with any employment or farm related work, or at any time when accompanied by a licensed adult driver 18 years of age or older.

Non-Restricted Driver’s License (Class C or M) for 16 & 17 Year Olds

Full test (vision, written, & drive) or Driver’s Education completion slip (Gold copy of DE-99 Form) required.
Applicant must provide affidavit showing at least 50 hours of adult supervised driving, with 10 of those hours being at night, by a licensed driver at least 21 years old, and signed by a parent or guardian. Affidavit or Teen Driving Experience Log can be found at: www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/teen_driving_log.pdf

Miscellaneous Information

Any person under the age of 16 with a restricted license that is convicted of 2 or more moving violations will remain restricted until age 17.
Any licensee issued a Farm Permit or Restricted license may not transport non-sibling minor passengers. Any conviction for this is considered a moving violation.

Frequently Asked Questions – Teen Driving

What are the requirements to obtain an unrestricted Driver’s License at age 16 in Kansas?
If the licensee has a Restricted License that was issued after July 1, 1999, it will be necessary for the licensee to provide an affidavit to the Driver’s License Bureau stating that they have completed at least 50 hours of practice driving, with at least 10 hours at night, supervised by a licensed adult 21 years of age or older and signed by their parent or guardian. If the affidavit is not provided, the license restrictions will continue until age17. If the licensee is convicted of two or more moving violations on separate occasions before age 16, the license will remain restricted until age 17. Effective July 1, 1999, a violation for transporting non-sibling passengers will be a moving violation.

Is it necessary for a person who obtained a Farm Permit or a Restricted License before July 1, 1999, to complete 50 hours of supervised driving before their license will no longer be restricted?
No. The supervised driving requirement only applies to Farm Permits and Restricted Licenses issued after July 1, 1999. A Farm Permit or Restricted License issued before July 1, 1999, will remain restricted until the licensee is 17, however, if the licensee is convicted of two moving violations committed on two separate occasions. The license will also be suspended for one year or the term of the diversion agreement if the licensee fails a chemical test or has an alcohol or drug related conviction.

Will the Driver’s License Bureau accept supervised driving time that was completed before July 1, 1999?
Yes.

A driver with an Instruction Permit, a Farm Permit or Restricted License may drive at any time when accompanied by an adult who is the holder of a valid commercial driver’s license, class A, B or C driver’s license and who is actually occupying the seat beside the driver. Must the accompanying adult be 21 years of age or older?
No. The adult accompanying the holder of an Instruction Permit, Farm Permit or Restricted License must be 18 years of age or older. However, hours driven with an adult under 21 years of age cannot be credited toward the 50 hours of adult supervised driving.

Will the Driver’s License Bureau require documentation such as a log showing the total number of hours of supervised driving completed?
No. The Bureau will not require a log; however, we encourage parents or guardians to use a log to keep track of supervised driving time.

Can a license or Instruction Permit issued by another state be accepted in lieu of a Kansas Instruction Permit, if it has been held for six months or more?
No. The law states that the Instruction Permit must be issued in Kansas (pursuant to K.S. 8-239).

Is it necessary to return to a Driver’s License office to have the age restriction removed from a Farm Permit or a Restricted License when the licensee turns 16 or when the 50 hour requirement is met?
All Kansas Driver’s Licenses issued to persons under 21 years of age and all Farm Permits are valid until the applicant's 21st birthday. So, it is not necessary to return to a driver license office to have the restriction removed. The computer record of all licensees will be updated to remove the age restriction when all criteria to remove the restriction have been met. If the licensee wishes to have a new license issued without the restriction, he or she may return to a Driver’s License office and have a new license made for a charge.

Will the Division of Vehicles require an affidavit to verify the first 25 hours of supervised driving?
No. An affidavit is only necessary upon the completion of the entire 50 hours of driving, 10 of which must be done at night.

Will the affidavit required be retained by the Driver’s License Bureau?
If the affidavit is provided to an examiner, it will be verified and returned to the applicant. If it is submitted by mail to the Driver’s License Bureau, it will not be returned.

If a student has held an Instruction Permit for 1 year and allowed it to expire, will the Driver’s License Bureau accept the time the permit was held toward the six month requirement?
Yes.

Will a Farm Permit be accepted in lieu of an Instruction Permit to meet the six month requirement?
Yes. If the applicant has held a Farm Permit for at least six months before making application for a Restricted License, the Division will accept the Farm Permit in lieu of the Instruction Permit.

Will the hours of driving completed by a Driver’s Education student count toward the 50 hours of required supervised driving?
Actual time spent behind the wheel will be counted toward the requirement if the instructor is 21 years of age or older. Time spent observing or spent doing “range” driving, when not actually accompanied by an adult 21 years or older, will not be counted.

May a student who has completed a Driver’s Education course continue to use the blue DE-99 permit until they have completed the six month Instruction Permit requirement?
No. The blue DE-99 Instruction Permit is only valid during the Driver’s Education course. All applicants for a Restricted License after July 1, 1999, must have held an Instruction Permit (or a Farm Permit) issued by the Driver’s License Bureau for at least six months.

Will the time that a Restricted Instruction Permit (the blue form) issued with the DE-99 count toward the six month Instruction Permit requirement?
No. All applicants for a Restricted Driver’s License after July 1, 1999, must have held an Instruction Permit for at least six months issued by the Driver’s License Examining Bureau, (or a Farm Permit as discussed above).

Will the Driver’s License Bureau accept a DE-99 Driver’s Education completion certificate in lieu of written testing for an Instruction Permit?
Yes. If the applicant has completed Driver’s Education and can provide proof of name and date of birth as required, the Driver’s License Bureau will accept the completion certificate and issue an Instruction Permit.

In the above scenario, will the Driver’s License Bureau know that the person has completed Driver’s Education, so when they have held the Instruction Permit for six months they may return for a Restricted License?
Yes. A notation will be made on the permit holder’s computer record to show completion of Driver’s Education.

Can a student re-enroll in Driver’s Education multiple times to document the necessary hours of driving time?
This would be up to the Driver’s Education instructor and the student’s parent or guardian.

Will an applicant for an Instruction Permit, Farm Permit or Restricted License be required to take a vision test each time he visits the Driver’s License Examining Bureau?
Any time a change is made to the license type held, the Driver’s License Bureau will require a vision test.

We live in another state and will be traveling through Kansas by car. Can my child drive with his or her restricted license or learner’s permit?
Answers to these questions can be found at: http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/faqs/dl.html

Under 21 Processing Information Effective July 1, 2006
This information pertains to Regular driver’s licenses, Commercial driver’s licenses, Moped licenses, and Farm Permits that have already been issued or will be issued to applicants under the age of 21.

Pertaining to New licenses issued after July 1, 2006 to individuals less than 21 years of age –
All will expire on the applicant’s 21st birthday, regardless of how near or how far away that birthday might be.

The license fee for a first time license is $20.00 per class regardless how long the license will be valid. That fee does not include the $8.00 photo fee or any applicable exam or county fees.

Example Fees – An applicant for a Class C only, that has not taken Driver’s Ed would pay the $20.00 license fee, plus $8.00 photo fee, plus a $3.00 exam or $3.00 county fee for a total of $31.00.

Pertaining to licenses that expire on an applicant’s 21st birthday –
They will not be able to renew until their 21st birthday or after.

If that day falls on a day that our offices are not open, the applicant can go in to an office a few days ahead of time and obtain a 15 day permit allowing them to drive legally for up to 15 days from the date on the permit.

Pertaining to licenses issued prior to July 1, 2006 that expire after an applicant’s 21st birthday –
Nothing is required of the applicant in this situation. Their license will remain valid. Expiration dates will not change, with this exception –

Exception – If they apply for something after July 1st, 2006 (address change, restriction removal, name change, class change, etc.) prior to their 21st birthday – the expiration date will be backed up to their 21st birthday.

What does this mean? This means that after July 1st, 2006, a 20 year old that just renewed his/her license in May could walk in with a license valid until their 24th birthday and request an address change and say they want it on their license, not just a no-fee paper change. If a fee is charged, the expiration date on the new license will be changed from their 24th birthday to their 21st birthday. The applicant will lose 3 years, and be required to renew again when they turn 21.

The fee for this transaction (when the expiration date is getting backed up) will only be the $8.00 photo fee plus the $3.00 county fee for a total of $11.00.

What happens when the applicant described in the Exception situation above turns 21?
They will have to renew their license and pay full renewal fees.

Pertaining to licenses issued prior to July 1, 2006 that expire prior to the applicant’s 21st birthday –
Existing licenses that expire prior to the applicant’s 21st birthday will be renewed only up to the 21st birthday. Fees for renewal of an existing license are $3.00 per year per class plus a $8.00 photo fee and a $3.00 county fee.

Kansas Department of Revenue Teen Driving Site:
www.ksrevenue.org/faqs-dmvteen.htm

Revised 01-20-09