Kentucky Instruction Permit

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

A Kentucky instruction permit is the first stage of the state's graduated driver license program. It allows a 16-year-old to drive under adult supervision while completing driver education and accumulating the supervised hours required to advance to an intermediate license.

Minimum age and prerequisites

An applicant must be at least 16 years old on the date of application. Kentucky also requires concurrent enrollment in a state-approved driver education course for any applicant under 18; the permit cannot be issued until the driver education provider verifies enrollment to KSP. Adult applicants 18 and older can apply for an instruction permit without driver education and must still hold the permit for at least 30 days before the road test.

Documents required

A minor applicant and a parent or legal guardian must visit a KSP testing center together with:

Proof of identity — certified U.S. birth certificate with raised seal or valid U.S. passport.
Proof of Social Security number — Social Security card, W-2, or SSA-1099.
Two proofs of Kentucky residency from separate sources, each dated within 60 days — utility bill, bank statement, school enrollment letter, parent's lease with mail addressed to the minor at that residence.
Proof of school attendance or completion — current enrollment letter, recent report card, or high school diploma. Kentucky issues a No Pass/No Drive notice that suspends permits for students who are not academically compliant.
Driver education enrollment certificate from a state-approved Kentucky program.
A completed permit application; the parent or guardian signs a financial responsibility affidavit assuming legal responsibility for the minor's driving.

Knowledge test and vision screening

Permit applicants take the same 40-question knowledge test used for the full operator license, with a passing score of 80%. The KSP testing center also runs a vision screening (20/40 corrected in at least one eye). Both tests happen at the KSP location; applicants then take the certification slip to the county circuit court clerk to be issued the permit card.

Fees

The Kentucky instruction permit fee is roughly $15, paid at the circuit court clerk's office when the permit is issued. Re-tests for failed knowledge exams cost a few dollars at the KSP testing center.

Driving rules during the permit

While holding a Kentucky instruction permit, the new driver may operate a vehicle only when:

A licensed adult 21 or older is in the front passenger seat.
The supervising adult holds a valid Kentucky operator license.
All occupants are wearing seatbelts.
No driving between midnight and 6 a.m. for permit holders under 18.
No more than one passenger under 20 in the vehicle (other than family members).
No use of any cell phone or wireless device, including hands-free, by drivers under 18.

Required supervised practice

Before applying for a Kentucky intermediate license, the permit holder must:

Hold the permit for at least 180 days.
Complete 60 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night.
Submit a parental affidavit certifying the supervised hours (Kentucky doesn't require the affidavit to be notarized but recommends it).
Have no moving-violation convictions or alcohol-related offenses during the permit period.

Driver education

Kentucky requires under-18 applicants to complete a state-approved driver education course before advancing to the intermediate license. The course consists of 4 hours of classroom instruction (often online) plus 4 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor. Public schools, private high schools, and commercial driving schools all offer the program. Some Kentucky counties include driver education as part of the high school curriculum at no additional cost; in others, families pay $300-$500 to a commercial driving school.

No Pass/No Drive law

Kentucky's "No Pass/No Drive" statute (KRS 159.051) suspends instruction permits and intermediate licenses for under-18 drivers who:

Drop out of school before age 18.
Have nine or more unexcused absences in a single semester.
Receive a failing grade in four or more courses in a single semester.

The school district reports academic deficiencies to KYTC, which can suspend driving privileges until the student returns to academic compliance. Reinstatement requires verification from the school. See the Kentucky suspended license page for the cleanup process if a No Pass/No Drive suspension has been entered.