Kentucky Graduated License Program - KY Graduated Drivers License Requirements
The latest edition of the Kentucky graduated drivers license program was introduced on October 1, 2006. The graduated driver license requirements apply to everyone who chooses to apply for a Kentucky drivers license before he or she turns 18. The program addresses the issue of high crash rates among teenage drivers and utilizes a number of restrictions that were designed to improve the current situation. Today, similar graduated license programs are used by most states around the country and their effectiveness has be statistically proven.
Stages of the Kentucky Graduated License System
Under the Kentucky graduated license law, the licensing procedure is broken up into a number of smaller steps, each step designed to teach the license applicant a new set of skills. This approach allows to ensure that by the time a new driver hits the road alone, he already has some driving experience and should be able to deal with most of the on-road situations.
The graduated drivers license program in Kentucky is divided into the following phases:
- Learners permit
- Intermediate license
- Full unrestricted drivers license
Remember: the graduate drivers license laws apply only to driver license applicants who are under 18 years of age. If you are 18 or older, you do not have to follow these rules.
Phase 1 - Kentucky Learner's Permit
The first phase of the Kentucky graduate license system is obtaining a drivers permit and you have to be at least 16 years old to be eligible. Before you can be issued with a permit, you will need to take a drivers permit test which is administered by the Kentucky State Police License Examiner.
If you want to pass the test the first time you take it, you will need to study. Thankfully, today we are blessed with abundance of information and you can choose between a number of free and paid study sources. Your first stop should be the official Kentucky driver handbook, which is provided free of charge and can be downloaded from the Internet. The book contains everything you need to know in order to be able to pass the test. Once done with the book, you can take a few Kentucky practice permit tests that will help you see how well you learned the road rules.
If you are willing to spend a few bucks on your education, you may sign up for one of the state-approved drivers education classes. The class will contain more information that the regular drivers handbook and it will teach you some advanced defensive driving techniques that may come in handy on the road. Another great thing about the class is that those who choose to participate in a drivers education program won't have to take a mandatory 4 hour class before applying for a drivers license.
Once you pass the permit test and get your Kentucky drivers permit, you can start driving, however, you must observe the phase one restrictions. For instance, you are only allowed to drive if you are being accompanied by another licensed driver who is at least 21 years old. If you want to find out more about the graduated license restrictions, please see the Kentucky permit restrictions page.
You have to hold your learners permit for at least 180 days and log at least 60 hours of supervised driving hours during this period. If you fulfill these requirements, you can apply for the intermediate drivers license.
Phase 2 - Intermediate Drivers License
You have to fulfill all learners permit requirements prior to proceeding to phase 2 of the graduated license. You will also be required to take a road skills exam to prove that you are able to safely operate a motor vehicle on public roads.
The intermediate drivers license allows you to drive unsupervised during daylight hours, however you must still have a supervising driver seated next to you if you intend to drive between midnight and 6 a.m.
Phase 3 - Unrestricted Drivers License
The intermediate drivers license restrictions are lifted once the license holder turns 18 years of age. Starting this point, you have an unrestricted Kentucky drivers license and you don't have to observe the curfew or passenger restrictions.
For more details on the graduated drivers license system in Kentucky, please call the Graduated Licensing Office at (502) 564-6800, ext. 5363 or (859) 622-2446.
