Class D License Massachusetts 2026: Permit to Full License

What is a Class D license in Massachusetts?

It’s one of five license classes in the Driver’s Manual. Class D covers any vehicle that isn’t in another class, typically cars, SUVs and family vans.

Class	What it covers
A	Combinations of 26,001 pounds or more, towing over 10,000 pounds
B	Single vehicles of 26,001 pounds or more
C	Vehicles for 16 or more people, or placarded hazardous materials
D	Vehicles not in Class A, B, C or M
M	Motorcycles

Classes A, B and C are commercial driver’s licenses. With the right endorsements, a Class A license also covers Classes B, C and D, Class B covers C and D, and Class C covers D.

Commercial permit exams →

Junior Operator License requirements

Between 16½ and 18, the RMV asks you to:

Hold a learner’s permit for at least 6 months in a row before the road test. A suspension voids the permit, and the 6 months start again when it ends
Keep a clean driving record for those 6 months: no surchargeable incidents, such as at-fault crashes or moving violations, and no drug or alcohol violations
Finish an RMV-approved driver education course and pass its final exam
Drive at least 40 hours under supervision, certified by a parent or guardian, or 30 hours if you finish a driver skills development program
Have a parent or guardian take 2 hours of the driver education course, unless they did within the past 5 years

What driver’s ed in Massachusetts includes

A course has two parts, the RMV says:

At least 30 hours of classroom teaching, on Massachusetts motor vehicle law and safe driving
18 hours in a training car: at least 12 behind the wheel and 6 watching another student drive

You must finish both parts within 2 years of your first session, and you need a valid learner’s permit and to be 16 before the on-road part. Courses run at public high schools and RMV-licensed driving schools, and they must meet the same RMV criteria.

State law (Mass. General Laws c. 90, § 8) also requires a module on the science of addiction and a module on wrong-way driving; Chapter 137 of the Acts of 2026 added the wrong-way module. The law allows one on-road session a day, of up to 2 hours.

Find a licensed driving school ↗How to study and practice →

Junior operator rules after the road test

Once you hold a JOL, the Driver’s Manual sets these limits:

For the first 6 months, no passengers under 18 other than immediate family, unless a licensed driver 21 or older with at least one year of experience sits beside you. The limit ends early if you turn 18
No late-night driving unless a parent or legal guardian is with you. Breaking this rule counts as driving without a license, a criminal violation
No mobile electronic devices at all while driving, hands-free included, except to report an emergency
No vehicles that need a commercial driver’s license

Penalties for breaking these rules are on the fines page.

Junior operator penalties →

Your license card

The Driver’s Manual says a license typically expires on your birthday, and you can renew it up to a year early. If you get or renew it before 21, it’s a vertical card printed “Under 21”, valid until it expires; after your 21st birthday you can get a horizontal one.

After the road test, the road test page explains the temporary license and when the card arrives.

Road test steps →

Sources: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles · Commonwealth of Massachusetts · Massachusetts Legislature and 4 more. Checked November 2026.