The Kansas restricted license

Who can get a Kansas restricted license?

The handbook lists these rules:

• You must be at least 15
• You must have held a state-issued permit for a year or more. Time on the driver's education permit slip doesn't count
• At 15, you need 25 hours of supervised driving
• At 15, you need an approved driver's education course. It isn't required if you apply at 16
• At 16, you need 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night
• At 16, you pass the vision, written and driving exams, or bring the DE-99 completion slip from driver's education
• A parent or guardian signs an affidavit for the supervised driving
• If you got the license at 15 with 25 hours, you file another affidavit for the next 25 hours, 10 at night, to move to the 16-year-old rules

Where you can drive at 15

At 15, the handbook allows driving only:

• To and from, or in connection with, any job or farm work
• Directly between home and school, by the most direct route, on school days, to attend school (not school activities)
• Directly to and from religious activities held by a religious organization
• With a licensed adult in the front seat

You can't carry minor passengers who aren't your siblings, and you can't use a wireless device while driving except to report illegal activity or call for emergency help.

Where you can drive at 16

At 16, the handbook says you may drive:

• Any time from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• To and from school and authorized school activities
• Directly to and from religious activities held by a religious organization
• To and from, or in connection with, any job or farm work
• With a licensed adult in the front seat

You may carry only one minor passenger who isn't your sibling, and the same wireless device rule applies.

When the restrictions end

KDOR's graduated license page says the 16-year-old stage ends after six months on the restricted license or at 17, whichever comes first, as long as you've obeyed all laws. KDOR's teen FAQ adds that two or more moving violations on separate occasions before 16 keep the license restricted until 17.

The handbook (revised February 2022) words it differently: restrictions end once you're 16 and have held the restricted license for six months. KDOR's teen FAQ adds that without the 50-hour affidavit, restrictions last until 17. If your dates fall between the two, ask the office.

Restricted driving privileges after a suspension

KDOR uses a similar name for something else. Drivers with a suspended license can apply for restricted, or modified, driving privileges. KDOR's page for that asks you to register with its Customer Service Center and lists forms DC-1015, DC-1020 and DC-1018 for restricted privileges and DC-2377 for an ignition interlock waiver. It doesn't say who qualifies, and it sends questions to Driver Solutions at 785-296-3671.