New "Graduated" Drivers Licensing
The Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law HB 2143 which modifies the driving permit and license requirements for drivers younger than 17.
14 remains the minimum age for an Instruction Permit; the permit holder must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 21 yrs. Old.
Farm Permits available to those between 14 and 17. Farm permit holders may drive in connection with farm duties and to and from school. Those 16 and older can drive between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m., and to and from authorized school activities.
Restricted Licenses are available to those who have had an instruction permit for at least one year (up from the current 6 month requirement). If younger that 16, applicant must complete a driver's ed course. 15 yr olds must have at least 25 hours of adult-supervised driving. 16 yr olds must have 50 hours of adult-supervised driving, with 10 of those being adult-supervised night time driving. Those 16 or older may drive any time from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and while going to and from authorized school activities.
Drivers under 16 with a restricted license or a farm permit are not allowed to have non-sibling minors in the vehicle. Those over 16 can have 1 unrelated minor in the vehicle.
Drivers with instruction, farm or restricted licenses may not use any wireless communication device when driving (cell phone, blackberry, pager) except to report illegal activity or to call for emergency help.
Several changes were made in the penalties for violating driving restrictions. A farm permit or restricted license holder may have their permit or license suspended for a year if they have violated restrictions or had two or more accidents found to be their fault. If a permit or license holder is younger than 16 and convicted of two separate moving violations, they are not eligible for unrestricted driving until they're 18. Those guilty of violating permit or license restrictions, can lose driving privileges for 30 days with a first conviction, and one year for a third or subsequent conviction.
Information obtained from the Legislative Session Update 2009.
This is only a summary of the new changes the Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law. I would recommend parents, along with their teen driver, visit the Kansas Legislature website at www.kslegislature.org and type in 2143 in the Full Text of Bills section to read the full bill. This will help keep our teen drivers safe and ensure their compliance with the laws regarding their drivers licenses.
I encourage you to contact the St. John Police Dept. at 620-549-3443 if you have any questions.
Sgt. Adam S. Sayler
