Licensing & State Laws

Are you legally allowed to drive without supervision now? Learn more about Kansas’ three-stage licensing process.

 

As early as age 14, a teen may apply for either an instruction permit or a farm permit. You must make a written application with the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and you must pass a vision and written exam.

With an instruction permit, you may drive only with a licensed driver age 21 or older who has held a valid driver’s license for at least a year, supervising and sitting in the front seat. No one else is allowed to ride in the front seat. You are required to practice supervised driving for at least 25 hours.

When you turn 15 and have held an instruction permit at least one year, you may apply for a restricted license. You must have completed an approved driver education course and at least 25 hours of supervised driving. (Teens age 16 and older do not have to have completed an approved driver education course to apply.) Parents or legal guardians must sign the application form.

 

A teen younger than 16 with a restricted license is allowed to drive alone but must follow certain age-based restrictions. You may not drive with any non-sibling passengers and may only drive to certain locations: to or from or in connection with any job or farm-related work, over the most direct and accessible route between home and school, and to attend religious activities. You may also drive to other locations when accompanied by a licensed adult driver age 21 or older in the front seat. Teens under age 16 with a restricted license also must complete an additional 25 hours of supervised driving (10 of the 50 hours total must be at night).

 

A teen that turns 16 may begin driving alone to other locations between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. At other times, you must be accompanied by a licensed adult driver age 21 or older in the front seat. You may not drive with more than one non-immediate family member passenger under age 18. Restricted license holders may not use a cell phone (handheld or hands-free) while driving. Drivers of all ages are prohibited from texting or e-mailing while driving.

 

At age 16½, if all prior requirements have been met and no infractions have occurred in the last 6 months, the above restrictions end and you can drive unrestricted. At age 17, a teen who has not completed the previous GDL stage may also apply for a full unrestricted license but must pass vision, written, and driving exams, provide proof of age and identification, and submit a proof of having completed at least 50 hours of practice driving, with at least 10 of those hours being at night, with a supervising adult age 21 or older. Drivers of all ages are prohibited from texting or e-mailing while driving. The state does not place night or passenger limits on those with unrestricted licenses. However, AAA encourages you to continue maintaining your parents’ rules.

 

At age 14, if you reside on a farm (parcel of land larger than 20 acres used in agricultural operations) or employed for compensation on a farm, you may apply for a farm permit. This permit allows you to drive anytime to or from or in connection with any farm job or other farm-related work. You must pass written, vision and driving exams and submit the written application signed by your parent/guardian in order to obtain a farm permit.

 

Teens under age 16 with a farm permit may also drive only over the most direct and accessible route between home and school for the purpose of attendance or to and from religious activities. You may not drive with any non-sibling minor passengers. These restrictions do not apply when accompanied by an adult licensed driver age 21 or older.  Farm permit holders may not use a cell phone (handheld or hands-free) while driving. Drivers of all ages are prohibited from texting or e-mailing while driving.

 

Teens age 16 and older with a farm permit may drive to any location unsupervised between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. You may not drive with more than one non-immediate family member passenger under age 18. At age 16½, if all prior requirements have been met and no infractions have occurred in the previous 6 months, all restrictions on the farm permit holder end.