Missouri Graduated Driver Licensing

Missouri's Graduated Driver License law requires that all first-time drivers between 15 and 18 years old complete a period of driving with a licensed driver (instruction permit), and restricted driving (intermediate license), before getting a full driver license.

If the permit holder is under age 16, the licensed driver occupying the seat beside the permit holder for the purpose of giving instruction while driving must be a qualified person, grandparent, qualified driving instructor, or in case of disability, their designee.

At age 16, the driver may apply for an intermediate license. The intermediate license allows the driver to drive alone except during a late night curfew (1:00 am to 5:00 am). The driver and passengers must use seat belts, be free of alcohol and drugs, and obey the traffic laws.

At age 18, or within the 30 days immediately preceding his/her 18th birthday, the intermediate license holder may apply for a full driver license.

Definitions

Immediate family shall include parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, and adopted or foster children residing in the driver's household. Parent shall include a foster parent, stepparent or adoptive parent. Grandparent shall include a foster grandparent, step-grandparent or adoptive grandparent.

Qualified driving instructor is defined as an instructor who has a valid driver education endorsement on a teaching certificate issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or a driver training instructor employed by a private driver education program.

Qualified person is a parent, legal guardian, or certified trainer with a federal residential job training program with a valid driver license.

STEP ONE: Instruction Permit

Eligible Age: 15

Cost: $3.50

Valid for: 0-12 Months

To Obtain:

You must pass the vision, road sign, and written tests. A qualified person must accompany you to the license office to sign a permission statement.

Permit Notes:

Under age 16, you may drive only when accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is a qualified person, grandparent, or qualified driving instructor. At age 16 or older, you may drive when accompanied in the front seat by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license. Seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers. Your test paper alone is not legal for driving. Be sure to carry your permit with you. You may renew your instruction permit.

To Graduate to an Intermediate License:

You must have an instruction permit for a minimum of 182 days (beginning the day after issuance). You may not have any alcohol-related convictions in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions within the last 6 months. You must have received 40 hours of driving instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime driving instruction between sunset and sunrise, with a qualified person, grandparent, or qualified driving instructor.

STEP TWO: Intermediate License

Eligible Age: 16 to 18

Cost: $7.50

Valid for: 0-2 Years

To Obtain:

You must hold the instruction permit for at least 182 days (beginning the day after issuance). You may not have any alcohol-related offenses in the last 12 months and no traffic convictions in the last 6 months. A qualified person or grandparent must accompany you to the license office to verify you have received 40 hours of driving instruction, including a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime driving instruction between sunset and sunrise. You must pass the vision, road sign, and written tests if previous results are more than one year old. You must pass the driving test.

License Notes:

Your test paper alone is not legal for driving. Be sure to carry your intermediate license with you. Seat belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers. Passenger restrictions outlined below may not be applicable to an intermediate license holder who is operating in agricultural work-related activities.

Driving Restrictions:

During the first 6 months, you may not operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger who is under 19 years old and who is not a member of your immediate family. After the first 6 months, you may not operate a motor vehicle with more than three passengers who are under 19 years old and who are not members of your immediate family. You may not drive alone between 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m. except to and from a school activity, job, or for an emergency, unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years old or older.

To Graduate to an Under-21 Full Driver License:

Your driving privilege cannot be suspended, revoked, or denied at the time of application. You may not have any alcohol related offenses or traffic convictions within the last 12 months.

STEP THREE: Under 21 Full Driver License

Eligible Age: 18

Cost: $10

Valid for: 0-3 Years

To Obtain:

You must satisfy the requirements for an Intermediate License, including having no alcohol-related offenses or traffic convictions in the last 12 months. You must have a valid intermediate license. Your driving privilege cannot be suspended, revoked, or denied when you apply for a full license. You must pass the vision and road sign recognition tests. (You are not required to pass the written and driving tests if already completed.)

What is Missouri Graduated Driver Licensing?

What is Missouri GDL? Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri curriculum and training videos available. You will need to allow Missouri 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.

Missouri 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 Missouri Graduated Driver Licensing.