After you pass in Kansas: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe the limits on a restricted license at 15 and during the six-month period at 16.
• You can say when the restrictions end.
• You can explain what can extend your restrictions.
• You can list your ongoing duties as a newly licensed driver.

What you need to know and understand

• Restricted license at 15: drive alone only to or from work, to or from school on school days, and directly to or from religious activities between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Any other trip needs a licensed adult beside you.
• Under 16: no minor passengers who are not your siblings.
• For six months at 16: drive for any purpose from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus work, authorized school activities and religious activities at any hour.
• During those six months: no more than one passenger under 18 who is not immediate family.
• After six months, or at 17 if that comes first, the restrictions end if you have kept to the rules.
• Restricted license holders may not use a wireless device while driving except to report illegal activity or summon emergency help.
• Tell KDOR within 10 days if you move or change your name.

Your first six months at 16

The six-month period (which ends early if you turn 17 first) starts on your 16th birthday if you began with a restricted license at 15, or when the license is issued if you got it at 16. Here is what it allows:

• 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.: any trip.
• 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.: only to or from work or farm work, authorized school activities or religious activities, or with a licensed adult beside you.
• Passengers: at most one person under 18 who is not immediate family.
• Phones: no use while driving except the two emergency exceptions.

What can keep the limits in place

• Two or more moving violations on separate occasions while under 16 mean no unrestricted license until 17.
• Two or more moving violations between 16 and 17 mean no unrestricted license until 18.
• Not filing the 50-hour affidavit after starting at 15 keeps the under-16 limits until you file it or turn 17.
• Two or more chargeable crashes lead to suspension, with no reinstatement for one year.
• Breaking any restriction leads to suspension.

Habits for the long run

Carry your license whenever you drive. A license issued to someone under 21 expires on the 21st birthday, so expect to renew then. Keep your insurance current, update your address within 10 days of moving, and keep building experience on highways, at night and in bad weather before you take on tougher trips. Our deeper guide on Kansas restricted license rules at 15 and 16 covers more scenarios.

Common mistakes

• Staying out past 9 p.m. for a movie during the six-month period. Only certain trips are allowed after 9 p.m.
• Driving a carload of friends home from practice. The limit is one passenger under 18 who is not immediate family.
• Thinking a hands-free call is fine. Any wireless device use is banned except emergencies.
• Forgetting to update your address after a move.

Test yourself: After you pass in Kansas: restrictions and your licence

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Kansas 50 Hour Supervised Driving Affidavit
• Kansas Driving Test and the Driver’s Ed Waiver
• Kansas Farm Permit for Teen Drivers