Learner Permits and Junior Licenses

From Mr. Odell’s Office

Parents and students will sometimes have debates about the regulations and restrictions regarding a Learner’s Permit and a Junior Driver’s License. Below are the official regulations as stated by the Suffolk County Police Department:

Subject: LEARNER PERMITS and JUNIOR DRIVER’S LICENSE REGUALTIONS:

Learner permits and junior driver licenses allow limited driving privileges for people learning to drive and for drivers under 18. The law and regulations restrict where, when and under what special circumstances you may drive. The restrictions vary with the time of day and the geographic area of New York State in which you are driving.

DEFINITIONS:

"Guardian" means a person who has, on a regular and extended basis, assumed the character of a parent and is discharging parental duties as the result of the death, disability or absence of the natural parent.

"School" means instruction, education or training which is licensed or approved by a state agency or department…The term "school" does NOT include extracurricular activities, sports or social events for which no scholastic credits are given.

"Work" means a place of business at which the driver is employed on a regularly scheduled basis. You may NOT drive during work or as part of your work duties, such as for deliveries.

"Work-Study Program" means a state-approved cooperative work-study program…for which academic credit is granted for work experience.

"Directly to or from (between)" means driving only to or from the activity and/or work site. It does NOT include driving to school or side trips of any kind. The fact that a student has an after school job does NOT allow him/her to drive to school and then from school to work.

GENERAL PERMIT RESTRICTIONS

The restrictions listed below apply to all learner permit holders regardless of age.

You May Not Drive:

Unless accompanied by a person at least 18 years old who has a valid license for operating the vehicle you are driving.
In a DMV road test area.

REGIONAL RESTRICTIONS: (Nassau & Suffolk Counties) Applicable to those under 18:

YOU MAY DRIVE WITH A JUNIOR LEARNER PERMIT

Long Island
(Nassau & Suffolk)

5 AM to 9 PM

Only when accompanied by a licensed parent, guardian, driver education teacher, or driving school instructor.

9 PM to 5 AM

At no time and under no circumstances

YOU MAY DRIVE WITH A JUNIOR LICENSE

5 AM to 9 PM

When accompanied by a licensed parent, guardian, driver education teacher, or driving school instructor or.

ANYTIME

Not accompanied, you may drive only directly between your home and work, a work-study program, a course at a college, university, or registered evening high school, a driver education course (ONLY On Days When Taking a Driver Education Class) or while engaged in farm employment.

NOTE: You MUST abide by definition of "Directly to or from (between)"

You MUST carry form MV-58A, completed by your employer when driving to or from work or engaged in farm employment.

Your MUST carry form MV-287A, completed by the appropriate school or program official, when driving to or from a qualifying education program.

The information was compiled from documents available from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. (Lieut. H. Bishop, SCPD Highway Patrol Bureau)

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last updated 01/13/2003