New York Graduated Driver Licensing

The New York State Graduated Driver License Program limits the driving privileges for New York drivers under the age of 18 and who posses either a junior learners permit or a junior drivers license. Some of the limitations placed on the young drivers include where in New York State they can drive and what times of the day they are permitted to drive. Understanding the privileges and limitations is extremely important because if young drivers are convicted of violating the rules their driving privileges could be suspended or revoked for 60 days. New York State has general restrictions for young drivers with learner permits and junior licenses. However, there are also specific restrictions for young drivers depending on the region of the state in which they are driving.

The general restrictions for young drivers with learners permit are the same throughout the state. Teenagers are eligible to obtain their learner’s permit once they turn 16. After they have held their learners permit for six months they are eligible for their junior driver’s license.

Drivers with learner’s permits are prohibited from driving:

On streets within New York City Park’s On bridges or through tunnels under the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority’s jurisdiction On the following parkways in Westchester County: Cross Country, Hutchinson River, Saw Mill Ricer and Taconic State On a DMV Road Test Area Without a proper supervising driver

After someone under the age of 18 has held their permit for at least six months they are eligible to take the road test and obtain their Junior Driver License. Drivers possessing a Junior License are not permitted to have more than one passenger under the age of 21 in their vehicle. The only exception to this rule is for immediate family members. In New York State, in order to get a Senior Drive License at 17 instead of 18 young drivers need to take a driver education course as well as complete 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of which needs to take place after sunset.

New York State has specific driving restrictions for young drivers depending on which region of they state they are driving in. New York is divided into four regions and each region has different restrictions for young drivers. Below, you will see a breakdown of the restrictions by region for drivers with learner’s permits and junior licenses.

Upstate New York – Junior Learner’s Permit

Supervised driving between 5am – 9pm. Under the supervision of someone at least 21 and with a valid license Supervised driving between 9pm – 5am. The supervisor must be a parent, guardian or driving instructor. Only one passenger under the age of 21 is allowed in the vehicle. Unless they passengers are member of your immediate family.

 

Upstate New York – Junior Driver’s License

Unsupervised driving between 5am – 9pm Unsupervised driving between 9pm – 5am only to and from employment (must have proof) or a school course. Supervised driving by a parent, guardian, or driving instructor between 9pm-5am when not driving to or from work or a school course. Only one passenger under 21 that is not immediate family.

Lower Hudson Valley – Junior Learner’s Permit
(Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties)

Follows the same privileges and restrictions for as Upstate New York.

Lower Hudson Valley - Junior Driver’s License
(Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties)

Follows the same privileges and restrictions for as Upstate New York.

Long Island – Junior Leaner’s Permit
(Nassau and Suffolk Counties)

Supervised driving between 5am-9pm. The supervisor must be a parent, guardian, a person with written authorization from your parent or your guardian to supervise your driving or a driving instructor. The supervisor must be at least 21 with a valid driver’s license. Driving is prohibited between 9pm-5am Only the supervising driver may sit in the front seat Only one passenger under 21, unless the passenger(s) are immediate family.

 

Long Island – Junior Driver’s License
(Nassau and Suffolk Counties)

Unsupervised driving between 5am-9pm between home, place of employment (must have proof) and school or driver’s ed courses. Supervised driving between 9pm-5am. The supervisor must be a parent, guardian or driving instructor. No more than one passenger under 21, unless the passenger(s) are immediate family.

 

New York City – Junior Learner’s Permit
(5 Boroughs)

Supervised driving between 5am-9pm. Supervisor must be a parents, guardian or driving instructor. Vehicle being driven must have dual breaks. The only passenger allowed in the front seat is the supervising driver. No more than one passenger under 21 that is not immediate family.

 

New York City – Junior Driver’s License
(5 Boroughs)

Supervised driving between 5am-9pm. Supervisor must be a parent, guardian or driving instructor. Supervised driving between 9pm-5am. Supervisor must be a parent, guardian or driving instructor. The vehicle must have dual breaks. No more than one passenger under 21 that is not immediate family.

What is New York Graduated Driver Licensing?

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

New York 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 New York Graduated Driver Licensing.