Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing

From the GDL Bill (HB 2143) - "Any person who held any valid restricted class C or class M driver's license, instruction permit, restricted instruction permit or farm permit on the effective date of this act may continue to operate motor vehicles subject to the conditions, limitations and restrictions contained in KSA 8-237, 8-239 and 8-296, and amendments thereto, as in effect on December 31, 2009."

To correctly determine how the Graduated Driver's License law will affect you as a teenager, you must first answer this question - Did you obtain an instruction permit, farm permit or restricted license prior to January 1, 2010? If the answer to that question is Yes - the GDL requirements do not apply to you (see Teen Driving Information for drivers obtaining their permit or restricted license prior to 01/01/2010). If the answer to that question is No - then all of the new requirements and restrictions shown below that take effect on January 1, 2010 are what apply to you.

INSTRUCTION PERMIT - AGES 14, 15 AND 16

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 14 years old Testing Required: Vision. Written - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: Yes for 14 and 15 year olds Driver Education Required: No Driving Restrictions: Licensed adult in front seat at all times - minimum age 21 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 license

INSTRUCTION PERMIT - AGE 17 AND UP

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 17 years old Testing Required: Vision. Written - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: No Driver Education 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

FARM PERMITS - AGE 14 AND 15

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 14 years old but less than 16. Testing Required: Vision. Written and Drive - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: Yes Farm Affidavit Required: Yes Driver Education Required: No Instruction Permit Required: No 50 Hour Affidavit Required: No - must provide prior to 16 to move to lesser restrictions Driving Restrictions: To or from farm job, employment or other farm related work; To or from school; Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult Wireless Restriction: No use of wireless communication devices except to report illegal activity or to summons medical or emergency help Passenger Restriction: May not transport any non-sibling minor passengers Time Required to be Held: At 16 will move to less restricted privileges if 50 hour affidavit has been turned in

LESS RESTRICTED FARM PERMIT PRIVILEGES - AGE 16

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 16 years old but less than 17 Testing Required: Vision. Written and Drive - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: No Driver Education Required: No Instruction Permit Required: No 50 Hour Affidavit Required: Yes Driving Restrictions: Anywhere from 5am to 9pm; Anytime to or from farm job, employment or other farm related work; Anytime going to or from authorized school activities; Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult Wireless Restriction: No use of wireless communication devices except to report illegal activity or to summons medical or emergency help Passenger Restriction: No more than one non-sibling passenger under the age of 18 Time Required to be Held: 6 months - after licensee has held the restricted Farm Permit for 6 months or until age 17, whichever occurs first, if they have complied with all laws the restrictions will no longer apply

RESTRICTED DRIVER’S LICENSE - AGE 15

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 15 years old but less than 16 Testing Required: Vision Parental Approval Required: Yes Driver Education Required: Yes Instruction Permit Required: Yes - must have held at least 1 year 50 Hour Affidavit Required: No - at 15 must have at least 25 hours; must provide 50 prior to 16 to move to lesser restrictions Driving Restrictions: To or from work; To or from school; Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult Wireless Restriction: No use of wireless communication devices except to report illegal activity or to summons medical or emergency help Passenger Restriction: May not transport any non-sibling minor passengers Time Required to be Held: At 16 will move to less restricted privileges if 50 hour affidavit has been turned in, and maintains a satisfactory driving record

LESS RESTRICTED PRIVILEGES - AGE 16

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 16 years old but less than 17 Testing Required: Vision. Written and Drive - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: No Driver Education Required: No Instruction Permit Required: Yes - must have held at least 1 year 50 Hour Affidavit Required: Yes Driving Restrictions: Anywhere from 5am to 9pm; Anytime going to or from work; Anytime going to or from authorized school activities; Anytime/anywhere with licensed adult Wireless Restriction: No use of wireless communication devices except to report illegal activity or to summons medical or emergency help Passenger Restriction: No more than one non-sibling passenger under the age of 18 Time Required to be Held: 6 months - after licensee has held the restricted DL for 6 months or until age 17, whichever occurs first, if they have complied with all laws the restrictions will no longer apply

NON-RESTRICTED DRIVER’S LICENSE

Present acceptable proof of identity Age: Minimum 17 years old Testing Required: Vision. Written and Drive - or certificate of completion from driver education. Parental Approval Required: No Driver Education Required: No Instruction Permit Required: No 50 Hour Affidavit Required: Yes if 17; No if 18 or older Driving Restrictions: None Wireless Restriction: No Passenger Restriction: No Time Required to be Held: None

What is Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing?

What is Kansas GDL? Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing is a system for phasing in on-road driving, allowing beginners to get their initial experience under conditions that involve lower risk and introducing them in stages to more complex driving situations.

Take some time to watch the Young Drivers video here. See if your teen likes this video. If they do, they will love our Kansas graduated driver licensing program.

We begin with combining the in-class with the behind-the-wheel training process concurrent with one another. Then we add more hours behind-the-wheel to give the new drivers an opportunity to experience all four seasons and weather conditions under a controlled risk factor. We take away the 6 hour driver training clock and base achievement and graduation on performance, skill and experience.

Remember when we were trying to teach our new teenagers as if we were traveling on a two-lane dirt road at 35 MPH, when our average traveled speed in Kansas exceeds 55 MPH on a six-lane highway? Most families had a single vehicle in the fifties and sixties, and then to two vehicles in the seventies. The days of driving on weekends with mom and dad for the first year or two is over. In today’s hectic schedules, we are not allowing ourselves time to protect our Kansas teens and teach them to drive as we should be. Parents need to realize that as the times change we must keep pace with that change.

Our driving generation, 35 to 50 years old, will be remembered as the worse driving generation in the history of the vehicle. We average 40,000 fatalities per year. Our generation needs to change the way we think and teach Kansas graduated driver licensing.

If you look closely, you'll realize we spend about 12 years on basic education, reading writing, math, history and physical education…and only 6 hours behind the wheel training in a vehicle.

We need to be remembered as the generation that created the best Kansas drivers in history. The generation that did something about the way we think and teach driver training. We need help from every mom and dad to complete this goal. We need to invest our time in our teenagers and take the time needed to teach our children to drive better.

This could mean as much as 1 or two years of guidance. And to do this you will need the very best Kansas curriculum and training videos available. You will need to allow Kansas graduated driver licensing to become part of your families dinner conversation and sharing experiences on new intersections, changes on the interstate on ramps or maybe a lost of a fellow student friend.

Kansas Driver education and training is no longer a project to hire out to the local driving school. Parents need to get involved and stay involved for at least two or three years. Placing driving restrictions and hours on when a new driver is allowed to drive and with whom. This, in essence, is Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing.