New York City Restrictions (5 Boroughs) -
Junior Learner's Permit
With Your Junior Learner Permit
You may drive:
- Only between the hours of 5 AM and 9 PM and only under the direct supervision of:
- Your parent, guardian, or a person "in loco parentis," or
- A driver education teacher or a driving school instructor.
- The person who supervises your driving must be at least age 21 and have a license valid for the vehicle you are driving.
- The vehicle being driven must have dual controls (dual brakes).
- The only passenger allowed in the front seat is your supervising driver.
- With no more than one passenger under age 21 unless the passengers are members of your immediate family.
- You can have more than one passenger under age 21 if your supervising driver is your licensed parent, guardian, person "in loco parentis," driver education teacher or driving school instructor.
- Only when you and every passenger wears a seat belt, one seat belt per person. All children under age four must ride in federally-approved child safety seats.
- If the child is more than 40 pounds in weight, they must use a proper child restraint system such as a booster seat.
- Until their 8th birthday children must use a proper child restraint system.
- Children more than four feet nine inches tall are allowed to use a seat belt and shoulder harness.
You may not drive:
- Anywhere for any reason between 9 PM and 5 AM.
- At any time on any street within a park in New York City, or any bridge or tunnel under the jurisdiction of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
- At any time on the Cross County, Hutchinson River, Saw Mill River, or Taconic State parkways in Westchester County.
- At any time in a DMV road test area.
- At any time without a proper supervising driver or in violation of the above restrictions.
Important Information for Junior Drivers with Permits
When you take your road test, you must give the DMV license examiner:
- Your photo learner permit.
- A completed form MV-262 (Certification of Supervised Driving). With this statement your parent or guardian verifies that you have completed at least 50 hours of practice driving with a proper supervising driver (as defined above), with at least 15 hours at night (after sunset).
- An MV-278 pre-licensing course completion certificate. Before you can make a road test appointment, you must first complete an approved pre-licensing safe driving course. If a certified driver education course is completed, and an MV-285 Student Certificate of Completion is issued, the MV-278 is not required. However, the driver education teacher may issue an MV-278 when what would be covered in the 5 hour course has been covered during the driver education course. To complete this requirement, all other drivers must take a special five-hour course available at most professional driving schools. To locate where this course is offered, look in the yellow pages of your local telephone directory under "Driving Instruction."
New York City Restrictions (5 Boroughs) -
Junior License
After you have held a permit in valid status for six months you may schedule a road test. When you pass the road test, DMV will issue you a junior license (Class DJ or MJ).
Once an individual has taken their road test and received their DJ or MJ License they may no longer drive within the five boroughs of New York City under any circumstances.
It is advised that Junior Permit holders, who consistently drive in New York City, delay their road test until their 18th birthday in order to allow for continued practice driving with approved supervising drivers in vehicles with dual controls (dual brakes). Please see the restrictions for Junior Permit for more information.
This prohibition does not apply to 17 year old drivers who have completed a State Education Department approved Driver and Traffic Safety Education Course (and submitted to DMV their MV-285 DTSE Course Completion Certificate) and received their class D, adult license. With an adult Class D license a 17 year old may drive unrestricted anywhere in New York State.
Penalties for Traffic Violations as a Junior Driver
Your junior permit, license, or privileges will be suspended for 60 days if you are convicted of one serious traffic violation or two other violations that were committed while you held a junior permit or license.
Your junior permit, license, or privileges will be revoked for 60 days if you are convicted of one serious traffic violation or two other violations within the first six months after your permit, license or privileges are restored after a suspension or revocation.
A "serious traffic violation" is normally a violation that carries three or more driver violation points.
New York City Restrictions (5 Boroughs) -
Senior License
When you are age 18, the DMV will issue you a senior license (Class D or Class M). If you have a valid junior license (Class DJ or MJ) you will automatically receive your senior license in the mail. If you pass your road test when you are age 18 you will automatically receive a senior license.
If you are age 17, you are eligible for a senior driver license if you have a junior driver license and have completed a state-approved high school or college driver education course. To change your junior license to a senior license, bring your junior license and the form MV-285 driver education certificate that you received from your instructor to any motor vehicle office. You must give the DMV office your certificate and junior license to receive a senior license. If you do not change your junior license to a senior license, you still must obey the restrictions for junior drivers until you are age 18, even if you carry the completion certificate with you.
With a senior license you are allowed to drive without any restrictions.
Alcohol and Other Drug Violations by Drivers under Age 21
If you are under age 21 when arrested, your permit, license, or driving privileges will be revoked for at least one year if you are convicted of any alcohol- or drug-related driving violation. You will also be revoked if a judge finds that you refused to submit to a chemical test (includes a test under the NYS "Zero Tolerance Law").
Even if you complete an approved Drinking Driver Program in fewer days, your revocation will continue until the end of the scheduled period of revocation. A second violation finding within five years requires a revocation for one year or until you turn age 21, whichever is longer.
These penalties apply even if you are adjudicated as a youthful offender, or if you were arrested or convicted in another state.