License Restrictions in Alabama
In certain situation, the Department of Public Safety may be forced to place a restriction onto your Alabama drivers license, to keep you and other drivers around you safe. Restrictions are placed onto your Alabama drivers license at the time of issuance and they usually denote a limitation in your driving ability or a health condition that may affect your ability to operate a vehicle. Removing a restriction from your Alabama driver license will require you to to submit to additional testing that will prove that the condition that warranted for the restriction in the first place no longer applies. Teen drivers should be mindful of Alabama provisional license restrictions that are part of the state's graduated license program.
Driver License Restriction Codes
In order to save space on your driver license, each restriction is coded with a letter. You can find a list of Alabama driver license restriction codes below, however keep in mind that the list is not full. If you need information about a restriction that is not present here, just go ahead and contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety, they will decipher the code for you.
- A - Corrective Lenses
- B - Motor Driven Cycle
- D - Outside Mirror - Left
- E - Daylight Driver only
- F - Hand Controls
- G - Automatic Transmission
- H - Outside Mirror - Right
- I - Outside Mirror - Right and Left
- J - Hearing Impaired
- K - Commercial Vehicles without Air Brakes
- L - Power Steering
- M - Power Brakes
- N - Built up Pedals
- O - Built up Seat
- P - Left Foot Accelerator
- R - Mechanical Signals
- S - School Bus
- V - Boating Daylight Only
- W - Intrastate Commerce Only
- Y - Learner’s License
One or more restrictions can be placed onto your Alabama drivers license at the time of issuance. In order to get rid of the restriction, you will have to go back to the DPS and prove that this license restriction no longer applies. For example, if you are limited to operating vehicles equipped with automatic transmission and you would like to get rid of this limitation, you will have to take the Alabama driving test in a vehicle equipped with manual transmission.
Probationary License Restriction Codes
Those who take a driving test and receive their drivers license before the 18th birthday must observe a number of Alabama provisional license restrictions. These restrictions are part of Alabama's graduated drivers license program and there is no way around them. Observance of these limitations is a must for everyone.
The current provisional license restrictions are as following:
- Curfew. You cannot drive between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. unless:
you are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
you are accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older who holds a valid drivers license and who has consent of the licensee's parents or legal guardians
you are traveling to or from work, school, a religious activity or in case of an emergency - Passenger restrictions. You are not allowed to carry more than four passengers, not counting your parents or legal guardians.
These driver's license restrictions are to be observed for not less than six months and you must be at least 17 years of age before you can obtain a full unrestricted drivers license. If you are caught breaking these restrictions, the restricted driving period of extended by another six months.
Learners License Restrictions
Applicants who just passed their Alabama drivers permit test are issued with a learners license for the purpose of practicing driving. The learners license, also known as the Alabama learners permit, comes with its own set of limitations, the main one being that you cannot operate a vehicle unless there is another licensed driver seated next to you. Alabama learners license restrictions are age dependent and you should know the restrictions that apply to you.
If you are not sure what restrictions you need to observe, you can either contact the DPS or read the Alabama drivers license handbook. The book is also useful for preparing for the permit exam. Although it does not contain any Alabama driver practice test, that is not a big loss, since you can find practice tests on the Internet.
