In order to improve the safety of your driving, the Department of Public Safety may choose to place one or more restriction onto your Texas drivers license. Some of the Texas driver's license restrictions are only temporary and can be removed by taking additional exams or meeting the requirements set by the DPS. Texas provisional driver's license restrictions is an example of such temporary limitations, as they are removed once the licensee meets all Texas graduated license requirements. All Texas driver license restriction codes can be found in the official driver's handbook.
Texas Drivers License Restriction Codes
Here are the Texas driver's license restriction codes that are listed in the official Texas drivers license manual. You should always refer to the latest copy of the manual as the book is revised and published every year.
- B LOFS age 21 or over
- C Daytime only
- D Not to exceed 45 MPH
- E No expressway driving
- I M/C not to exceed 250 cc
- J Licensed M/C Operator age 21 or over in sight
- K Moped
- L Vehicle w/o air brakes - applies to vehicles requiring CDL
- M CDL Intrastate Commerce only
- P Stated on license
- Q LOFS 21 or over vehicle above Class B
- R LOFS 21 or over vehicle above Class C
- S Outside mirror or hearing aid
- T Automatic transmission
- U Applicable prosthetic devices
- V Applicable vehicle devices
- W Power steering
Some of these driver's license restrictions apply only to commercial driver licenses and if you currently hold a regular Texas drivers license, you should not worry about those. If a restriction will be place onto your driver's license, the DPS clerk will explain to you what it means and what are the conditions for removing this restriction from your license.
Texas Provisional License Restrictions
Provisional driver's license restrictions are part of the Texas graduated driver's license program. These restrictions apply only to those who receive a drivers license before the age of 18 and you should not concern yourself with them if you are already over 18 years of age. Teenagers should keep in mind that provisional license restrictions are different from Texas drivers permit restrictions that apply to your Texas drivers permit.
At the moment, the following provisional license restrictions apply in Texas:
- Curfew. You cannot drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. If you are required to make a trip during this period, you have to be supervised as any learners permit holder.
- Passenger restrictions. You cannot carry more than one passenger who is under 21 years of age unless the passenger is your immediate family member.
- Cell phones. The cell phone restrictions for provisional driver license are the same as for the learners permit.
In certain situations, you may have to break these license restrictions, however that is allowed only in emergency situations. Breaking these rules without having a plausible reason to do so will see you lose your driving privilege in no time.
Removing License Restrictions
Keep in mind that there are different types of driver's license restrictions and thus removing these restrictions may require different approaches. Some of the restrictions will be lifted in some time, without your involvement, for example, the provisional license restrictions need to be observed for 12 months only. Some of the other restrictions will require you to submit to additional testing at the DPS, for example, restriction T that allows you to operate vehicles with automatic transmission only. In order to lift this one, you will have to take another Texas drivers test in a vehicle that is equipped with manual transmission. Some of the restrictions can be lifted once you are able to prove that the condition that made the DPS representative place the restriction onto your Texas drivers license is gone. Make sure to contact the DPS to check what the situation is in your particular case.
LOFS 21 or Over
This is one of the most common restrictions you would see on the Texas drivers license. There is actually a whole large list of LOFS restriction subtypes that restrict operation of certain classes of vehicles. The reason why you may end up with a LOFS 21 or Over restriction on your drivers license is quite simple – you are a student who does not have sufficient experience for operating a certain type of vehicle and you require supervision, so your drivers license is really more like a “learners license”. Another drivers with an unrestricted drivers license that allows for the operation of this vehicle type must be present in the front seat next to you while you are driving, providing guidance and making sure you are doing the right thing. The “21 or over” part simply means that this driver must be no younger than 21 years of age.
Certain types of LOFS restrictions allow for unsupervised driving if the driver is traveling to a certain location, for example, to or from school. Needless to say that such driver is required to select the shortest route to his destination, should he be pulled over traveling somewhere else, he will be fined for breaking the LOFS restriction.
Now that you know what does LOFS mean on drivers license, how do you actually get rid of it? The DPS advises that you contact them “to remove any restrictions from your drivers license”. Not very helpful, is it? Removing a LOFS 21 or over restriction from your Texas drivers license will take a little bit more work than a simple call to the local DPS office. In most cases, you must log a certain amount of driving time or hold your restricted drivers license for a period that would allow you to gain sufficient experience for unsupervised driving. Since there are many different LOFS restrictions, conditions for removing them will vary, but you are always advised on them at the time when the drivers license is issued. Not sure what they are for your license? Than by all means, call the DPS or visit them in person and they will be able to clarify it for you, just don't expect an immediate removal of the restriction upon your visit!
