Frequently Asked Questions - Graduated Driver License Law
- If I am 16 and driving on an instruction permit, may I drive with my 17-year-old friend who has an intermediate license?
- Will the time that I drive with a qualified driver training instructor count towards the 20* hour behind-the-wheel requirement for an intermediate license?
- If I have an intermediate license, may I ride around town with my friends without an adult in the vehicle?
- If I am under age 18 and I have a full license from another state when I move to Missouri, what type of license will I get?
- Who must accompany me to the contract office to get my instruction permit and intermediate license?
- If my intermediate license expires on a weekend or legal holiday, can I still drive?
- Can I drive in other states with my valid Missouri instruction permit?
- If I am under age 21 with an intermediate license, and I have an alcohol-related offense or traffic conviction on my record from within the last 12 months, can I get a full license?
* Effective January 1, 2007, state law requires 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction, including a minimum of ten hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction that occurs during the nighttime hours falling between sunset and sunrise.
If I am 16 and driving on an instruction permit, may I drive with my 17-year-old friend who has an Intermediate License?
No. If you are driving on an Instruction Permit at age 16, the person beside you when you are driving must be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver license. If the adult driver has restrictions on his/her driving, then those restrictions must be followed when accompanying the teen driver.
Will the time that I drive with a qualified driver training instructor count towards the 20* hour behind-the-wheel requirement for an intermediate license?
Yes. When you apply for your intermediate license, a qualified person or grandparent must accompany you to the contract office and sign your application, stating that you have completed 20* hours of behind-the-wheel driver training while operating on an instruction permit. This 20* hours may also include any time that you have operated a vehicle with a qualified driver training instructor.
If I have an intermediate license, may I ride around town with my friends without an adult in the vehicle?
For the first six months, you cannot drive with more than one passenger who is under the age of nineteen who is not a member of your immediate family. After the first six months, you cannot operate a motor vehicle with more than three passengers who are under 19 years old and who are not members of your immediate family.
Everyone in the vehicle must wear seat belts and obey the curfew (1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.). For more information on the curfew, refer to the intermediate license driving restrictions.
If I am under age 18 and I have a full license from another state when I move to Missouri, what type of license will I get?
If you are eligible to receive a Missouri driver license, an intermediate license will be issued. However, if you apply within 30 days immediately preceding your 18th birthday, a full driver license may be obtained.
Who must accompany me to the contract office to get my instruction permit and intermediate license?
- In order for you to obtain the instruction permit, a qualified person must accompany you to the contract office and sign your application stating that he or she will provide you with at least 20* hours of behind-the-wheel driver training.
- In order for you to obtain the intermediate license, a qualified person or grandparent must accompany you to the contract office and sign your application stating that you have received at least 20* hours of behind-the-wheel driver training.
If my intermediate license expires on a weekend or legal holiday, can I still drive?
If your intermediate license expires on a weekend or legal holiday, you may continue to drive for a period of five business days. This will allow you to legally drive to your local contract office to renew your license.
Can I drive in other states with my valid Missouri instruction permit?
There is nothing in Missouri law that prevents you from driving while visiting other states -- assuming that you continue to observe the restrictions placed on your driving by Missouri's Graduated Driver License Law. It is recommended that you contact the state(s) where you will be driving in order to verify that you are not subject to any additional driving restrictions.
If I am under age 21 with an intermediate license, and I have an alcohol-related offense or traffic conviction on my record from within the last 12 months, can I get a full license?
No, you can not get a full driver license until the offense/conviction date is 12 months old, or until you turn 21 (whichever comes first). Until then, you can only renew the intermediate license.
For additional information, please visit our Graduated Driver License page, call (573) 751-2730, or email dlbmail@dor.mo.gov