Two layers of rules
New York permit rules come in two layers, both set out on the DMV's Learner Permit Restrictions page:
- Rules for every permit holder, at any age. They apply to an adult learner of 30 as much as to a teenager.
- Regional rules for junior permit holders (drivers under 18). They are written by region of driving: the New York City rules, for example, are about driving "in any of the five boroughs".
The DMV divides the state into three regions: Upstate New York (any county north of the New York City border), New York City (the five boroughs) and Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties). A teen from Westchester who drives into the Bronx must follow the New York City rules the moment they cross the line.
How to get the permit (the written test, documents and fees) is covered on our New York permit practice test page. This guide is only about what you may and may not do once you hold it.
Rules for all permit holders
According to the DMV, whatever your age:
- You may not drive unless you are accompanied by a supervising driver age 21 or older with a license valid for the vehicle you are driving. Only someone with a motorcycle license can supervise a motorcycle learner, for example.
- You may not drive with a permit on any street within a park in New York City, on any bridge or tunnel under the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, on the Cross County, Hutchinson River, Saw Mill River or Taconic State parkways in Westchester County, or in a DMV road test area.
- Outside New York, you may drive with your permit only if the other state's laws allow it.
The regional rules at a glance (junior permit)
| Region | 5 AM to 9 PM | 9 PM to 5 AM |
|---|---|---|
| Upstate | Any supervisor aged 21+ with a valid license | Only a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor |
| New York City | Only a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor, in a car with dual controls (dual brakes) | No driving under any circumstances |
| Long Island | Parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, an adult they authorize in writing, driver education teacher or driving school instructor | No driving under any circumstances |
Source: NYS DMV, Learner Permit Restrictions. In every case the supervisor must be at least 21 and licensed for the vehicle.
Upstate New York
Upstate is the most flexible region. During the day, the DMV lets any licensed adult aged 21 or older supervise you: an older sibling, a grandparent or a family friend. At night the circle narrows to a parent, a guardian, a person "in loco parentis" (someone who has taken on the role of your parent on a regular and extended basis), a driver education teacher or a driving school instructor.
New York City
In the five boroughs, the DMV allows junior permit holders to drive only between 5 AM and 9 PM, only with a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or instructor, and only in a vehicle with dual controls. Most family cars do not have a second brake pedal, so in practice most NYC teens practise in a driving school car, or practise with family outside the city.
Long Island
On Long Island there is no driving from 9 PM to 5 AM. During the day, the supervisor list is the same as in New York City plus one addition: a person your parent, guardian or person in loco parentis has authorized in writing to be your supervising driver (DMV). There is no dual-controls requirement.
Passengers, seat belts and child seats
These rules apply to a junior permit in all three regions (DMV):
- The only front-seat passenger is your supervising driver.
- No more than one passenger under 21, unless the passengers are members of your immediate family. You may carry more than one only if your supervisor is your licensed parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, driver education teacher or driving school instructor.
- Every passenger wears a seat belt, one belt per person.
- Children under four ride in a federally approved child safety seat. A child over 40 pounds uses a proper restraint such as a booster seat, and children must use a proper child restraint system until their 8th birthday; children taller than four feet nine inches may use a seat belt and shoulder harness.
Penalties while you hold a junior permit
The DMV sets out the consequences on the permit restrictions page:
| Conviction | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 serious traffic violation or 2 other violations | Permit privileges suspended for 60 days |
| The same, within the first 6 months after privileges are restored | Privileges revoked for 60 days |
| First cell phone use or texting conviction | Permit suspended for 120 days |
| Second phone or texting conviction within 6 months of restoration | Class DJ or MJ permit revoked for at least one year |
A "serious traffic violation" is normally one that carries three or more driver violation points, according to the same page.
After the road test: junior license rules
Once you have held your permit for six months and met the pre-licensing requirements, including 50 hours of practice with at least 15 after sunset, you can take the road test and receive a junior license (Class DJ or MJ). The regional split continues, with different limits (DMV, Graduated License Law):
- Upstate: you may drive alone from 5 AM to 9 PM, with no more than one passenger under 21 unless they are immediate family. From 9 PM to 5 AM you may drive alone only directly between home and work (carrying a completed employer form MV-58A) or a school course; otherwise you need a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or instructor. Sports and social events do not count as a school course.
- New York City: a junior license holder cannot drive in the five boroughs under any circumstances. The DMV suggests that junior permit holders who plan to drive a lot in the city delay their road test until 18 to keep practising with approved supervisors in dual-control cars.
- Long Island: supervision is required except when driving directly between home and work, a state-approved work-study program, a credit course at a post-secondary institution, a registered evening high school, farm employment or an approved driver education course. From 9 PM to 5 AM, work trips are no longer an exception.
The way out at 17
A 17-year-old with a junior license who has completed a state-approved high school or college driver education course can exchange it for a senior license (Class D or M) by bringing the Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285) to a DMV office (DMV). With a Class D license, a 17-year-old may drive unrestricted anywhere in the state, New York City included. If you give the certificate to the examiner at your road test, you receive the senior license automatically when eligible.
Probation for every new driver
Separate from the junior rules, every driver who passes a road test starts a 6-month probationary period. A conviction for speeding, a speed contest, reckless driving, following too closely, using a mobile phone or portable electronic device, or any two other moving violations suspends the license for 60 days.
Common mistakes
- Assuming home rules follow you. An upstate teen driving into Manhattan at 10 PM is breaking the law even with a parent in the car.
- Filling the back seat with friends. One passenger under 21 is the limit unless the supervisor is a parent, guardian or instructor.
- Forgetting the banned roads. Westchester's four named parkways and the Triborough bridges and tunnels are off-limits to every permit holder.
These rules are also fair game on the written test: the permit and junior license rules are one of the topics of our original New York practice questions, written from the Driver's Manual and the DMV pages, not taken from the real test.
Sources
- Learner Permit Restrictions — New York State DMV (checked September 30, 2026)
- The Graduated License Law and Restrictions for Drivers Under 18 — New York State DMV (checked September 30, 2026)
- New Driver Restrictions (6-month probationary period) — New York State DMV (checked September 30, 2026)
- Complete Pre-Licensing Requirements — New York State DMV (checked September 30, 2026)
passmock is an independent practice resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
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