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New York’s junior license (Class DJ or MJ) rules depend on where you drive, not where you live. With a junior license you cannot drive in New York City at all, you can drive alone on Long Island only for set trips such as work or school courses, and upstate you can drive alone from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. These rules apply to drivers under 18 who pass the road test. This guide sets out each region’s rules, the passenger limit, the paperwork you must carry and the penalties.
New York junior license rules at a glance
| Region | 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. |
|---|---|---|
| New York City (five boroughs) | No driving | No driving |
| Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) | Alone only directly between home and work, a work-study program, a college course, a registered evening high school, a driver education course, or while doing farm work. Otherwise with a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor. | Alone only directly between home and a work-study program, a college course, a registered evening high school, a driver education course, or while doing farm work. Note: work is not on this list. |
| Upstate (all other counties) | Alone, no supervisor needed | Alone only directly between home and work or a school course. Otherwise with a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor. |
The DMV defines upstate as any county north of the New York City border, apart from Long Island.
Can you drive in NYC with a junior license?
No, not at any time and not with any supervisor. The DMV suggests that junior permit holders who plan to drive a lot in the city delay their road test until 18, so they can keep practicing with approved supervisors in dual-control cars.
The one way around it before 18: at 17, finish a state-approved driver education course, file your Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285) and switch to a senior Class D license, which lets you drive anywhere in the state. See getting a New York senior license at 17.
Long Island junior license rules
Long Island is trip-based. Unsupervised driving must go directly between home and an approved destination. With any other trip, you need a supervisor: your parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher, driving school instructor, or someone your parent or guardian has authorized in writing. The supervisor must be 21 or older with a license valid for the vehicle and must be the only front-seat passenger.
Upstate junior license rules
Daytime driving is unsupervised. At night, you can drive alone only directly to or from work or a school course. Any other night driving needs a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor aged 21 or older, sitting in the front.
Passenger and seat belt rules, every region
- No more than one passenger under 21, unless they are immediate family or your supervisor is your licensed parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor.
- Everyone wears a seat belt, one belt per person.
- Children under 4 ride in a federally approved child safety seat, and children must use a proper child restraint until their 8th birthday.
What counts as “work” or a “school course”?
- Employment: a place where you are paid to work on a regular schedule. You cannot drive during work or as part of your job, such as deliveries.
- School course: instruction licensed or approved by a state agency, or U.S. Armed Forces training. It does not cover extracurricular activities, sports or social events without academic credit.
Paperwork to carry when driving alone
- For work: a completed Certificate of Employment (MV-58A) from your employer. Upstate only, a dated, signed employer letter can be used instead. It must show the business name, address and phone number, your name, date of birth, license number, job description, and your work days, hours and location.
- For a school course or work-study: a dated, signed letter on the school or program letterhead with the official’s address and phone number, the dates, hours and location of the course, and your name, date of birth and license number.
Junior license penalties in New York
| Conviction | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 serious violation (usually 3 or more points) or 2 other violations | Suspended for 60 days |
| The same within 6 months of getting your license back | Revoked for 60 days |
| First phone or texting conviction | Suspended for 120 days |
| Second phone or texting conviction within 6 months of restoration | Revoked for at least 1 year |
More detail: the New York phone and texting law for junior drivers and New York probation and the point system.
Common questions
Can I drive through NYC to get somewhere else?
Not with a junior license. The DMV says junior license holders cannot drive within the five boroughs under any circumstances.
Can I drive friends home from school upstate?
In daytime, yes, but only one passenger under 21 unless they are immediate family.
Can I drive to sports practice at night upstate?
Not alone. Sports and social events do not count as a school course, so you need a qualifying supervisor.
When do the junior restrictions end?
At 18, or at 17 if you switch to a senior license after driver education.
Do these rules apply if I visit New York with a license from another state?
Yes. Drivers 16 and older from other states must follow their home state’s restrictions and New York’s junior rules while under 18. Under 16, you cannot drive in New York at all.
Can I drive my junior license in another state?
Only if that state’s law allows it, and you must follow its rules. See GDL laws by state.
Back to the full New York learning to drive guide. For the permit stage rules, see New York learner permit rules.
Sources
- New York State DMV, “The Graduated License Law and Restrictions for Drivers Under 18” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “New York State Driver’s Manual and Practice Tests: Chapter 1, Driver Licenses” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “New York State Driver’s Manual and Practice Tests: Chapter 2, How to Keep Your License” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “Cell Phone Use and Texting” (dmv.ny.gov)