Kansas Restricted License (Teen License)

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

Kansas's graduated driver licensing system has three stages: Instruction Permit at 14, Restricted License at 15, and a full unrestricted Class C license at 16. The Restricted License is where teens earn the right to drive alone, but with several important restrictions designed to reduce crash risk during the highest-risk learning months.

Eligibility for the Restricted License

To upgrade from the Instruction Permit to the Restricted License at 15, the teen must:

Be at least 15 years old.
Have held a Kansas Instruction Permit for at least 12 consecutive months.
Submit a certificate of completion for an approved driver education course (school-based or commercial).
Submit a parent-signed log showing at least 50 hours of supervised practice, with at least 10 hours at night.
Pass the Kansas road test in a vehicle with proof of car insurance and current registration.
Show updated proof of school enrollment under the "no pass, no drive" law (or proof of graduation/GED).
Have a parent or legal guardian sign the renewed financial-responsibility consent.

Restrictions during the Restricted stage

The Restricted License lifts the supervised-only rule of the Instruction Permit but layers in a set of teen-only restrictions:

Nighttime restriction. The teen may not drive between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless going directly to or from work, school activities, or in a documented emergency.
Passenger limit. The teen may not transport more than one non-sibling passenger under 18 during the first six months of the Restricted License. Immediate family members do not count toward the limit.
Wireless device prohibition. Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone or any wireless device while driving, including hands-free operation.
Seat belts required for all occupants. Kansas's seat-belt law applies primarily to drivers and front-seat passengers, but for teen drivers all occupants must be belted.

The road test

The Kansas road test for the Restricted License is administered at a Driver License Examination Station in the family's vehicle. The examiner checks:

Pre-drive vehicle inspection — signals, brake lights, mirrors, horn, and tires.
Smooth, controlled acceleration and braking with no abrupt corrections.
Signaled lane changes with full mirror and head-check sequence.
Proper turning — correct lane in, correct lane out.
Stopping behind the limit line at controlled intersections, no rolling stops.
Backing in a straight line and either parallel or angle parking.
Highway entry and merging if the route includes a controlled-access road.

Penalties for breaking the rules

A Restricted License holder who is convicted of a curfew violation, the passenger limit, or the cell-phone rule faces:

A traffic-court fine, typically $25 to $100 for a first violation.
An extension of the Restricted License period for repeat infractions.
Possible license suspension at the parent's or court's request.

A DUI offense by a teen on the Restricted License triggers Kansas's underage 0.02% threshold and an automatic suspension regardless of the criminal outcome — see Kansas DUI laws.

Graduating to the full license

The Restricted License remains in effect until the teen turns 16, with a clean record over the prior six months. At 16, the teen can apply at any Driver License Examination Station for the full unrestricted Kansas Class C driver's license. The application uses the standard DC-78 form. If the teen has accumulated moving-violation convictions during the Restricted stage, the upgrade can be delayed until a clean six-month window is established.

Tips for parents

Keep a written log of supervised hours throughout the Instruction Permit year. The Examination Station can request the log at the road test.
Practice the parking maneuver expected at your local Examination Station — some stations test parallel parking, others use angle or perpendicular.
Use the Restricted License period to talk through real-world driving situations: night fatigue, weather, distractions, and the consequences of speeding.
Confirm the family's car insurance covers the teen as a listed driver before the road test — an unlisted teen driver in an at-fault crash can create coverage problems.