New York Licensing Process for Teenage Drivers
New York has a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) policy in place which temporarily restricts high-risk driving conditions for young drivers as a way of reducing teen accidents and deaths. GDL is a good thing because it saves lives; the number of accidents decreased by over 60% in the first year the GDL program went into effect in
New York State. Here is the process a new teenage driver should follow to get their Driver Permit and License.

New York Driver
Licensing Process
Minimum Age

Learner Stage

Intermediate Stage

Fully Licensed Stage

16

16 years, 6 months

18

Requirements:
• Classroom
• Behind-the-Wheel
• Observation

None
None
None

DMV Requirements

Pass written test

Pass road test

Automatically Issued by
DMV

Learner Permit

Junior License

Senior License

Result

Restrictions

5 Hours
50 Hours
None

Must be accompanied by parent/guardian, certified driving instructor or other designated adult driver at all times

1. No driving without a parent/guardian between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM
2. No more than one passenger younger than 21 years old

None
None
None

No Restrictions

Step 1
Your child can get a Learner Permit once he/she turns 16 by passing a short written test administered by the
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Be sure to bring both your child’s birth certificate and social security card to either the Peekskill or Yonkers DMV Office; the White Plains office does not process learner permits.
NY DMV phone number: (718)477- 4820
Step 2
In order to get a Junior License, your child must complete:
• Five hours of state-mandated classroom instruction offered through a commercial driving school
• Fifty hours of behind-the-wheel practice/instruction with a certified driving instructor, a parent or another designation driver over the age of 21
Step 3
After having a permit for at least six months and completing the steps above, your child can take the road test administered by the DMV. (This test is available at all three DMV offices in Westchester.)
Step 4
Once your child passes their road test, your child receives their Junior License which allows them to drive alone or with others, with the following restrictions:
1. No driving between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM without a parent or guardian in the car.
2. No more than one (1) passenger in the car who is younger than 21 years old.
These restrictions are designed to eliminate the two most dangerous situations that exponentially increase your child’s risk of being killed in a car accident: driving late at night and driving with more than one friend in the car.
Step 5
At age 18, the driving restrictions are lifted and your child automatically receives a full license.

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914.921.8888

www.freshgreenlight.com

New York Licensing Process for Teenage Drivers
Full Licensure at Age 17
Most parents don’t realize that getting behind the wheel of a car is the most dangerous thing their child may ever do. And the first year of driving is the riskiest. Six out of every 10 teenagers has an accident within a year of getting their license. (Source: Crash Proof Your Kids)
Despite the fact that the number of accidents dropped 61% after New York adopted a GDL policy that places restricts on drivers under the age of 18, some teenagers are still getting a full, unrestricted license early. If a teenager takes Driver Education through a