What is the Driving Age in Kentucky?
You can get your learner's permit at 16 years old in Kentucky. You will need to have a license for six months before you can drive without restrictions.
Written by Sean Boehme
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
- What is the driving age in Kentucky?
- What is the Graduated Driver Licensing program in Kentucky?
- How to get your learner’s permit in Kentucky
- How to get your intermediate driver’s license in Kentucky
- How to get an unrestricted driver’s license in Kentucky
- Exceptions for older drivers
- How to save on car insurance in Kentucky
- FAQs
Load full table of contents
Kentucky is one of many states that uses the Graduated Driver Licensing program to help prevent teenage motor accidents. Although young people hoping to drive in Kentucky can get a permit at 16, they won’t be able to get an unrestricted license until they are 17.
Learning to drive is exciting, but getting behind the wheel can be dangerous, especially when you’re inexperienced. Many states have come to recognize the risks of teenagers learning to drive, developing driver education programs in response to help keep these teens safe.
But with every state having different rules, keeping track of which rules you need to follow can be tough.
Jerry
, the licensed broker app for car insurance
savings, is here to break down everything you need to know about the driving age in Kentucky, plus the quickest way to score cheap car insurance in Kentucky
as a new driver.RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
What is the driving age in Kentucky?
The youngest age at which you can apply for a learner’s permit in Kentucky is 16. Young drivers need to have a permit for six months before moving onto a restricted license.
Once you’ve had the restricted license for six months and completed all other requirements, you can apply for an unrestricted driver’s license. This means the youngest a Kentucky driver can be to get an unrestricted driver’s license is 17 years old.
What is the Graduated Driver Licensing program in Kentucky?
Despite teenagers only accounting for 6% of the drivers in Kentucky, they are involved in a whopping 20% of all highway crashes in the state. This is a high figure, and part of the reason why Kentucky has instituted the
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program
. The GDL program seeks to curb teenage motor accidents by having young drivers go through a more rigorous education before obtaining an unrestricted license. With the resisted license provided by GDL, teens are unable to drive at night or with a large group of their peers, both of which are situations that tend to lead to more accidents.
The GDL program breaks down into the following three stages:
- Permit phase: All driving must be supervised.
- Intermediate license phase: Most driving can be unsupervised but must adhere to specific limitations.
- Full unrestricted license phase: Standard driving privileges do not have limitations.
How to get your learner’s permit in Kentucky
Anyone under 18 who’s looking to drive in Kentucky will have to adhere to the GDL program implemented throughout the state. To get started, potential drivers should apply for their learner’s permit as soon as they turn 16.
To get your learner’s permit, you’ll need to pay an in-person visit to a
Driver Licensing Regional Office
within the state. You will need to bring: - Proof of your current residence
- Your Social Security card
- Your birth certificate or a certified copy of the document
Assuming you are under 18, a parent or guardian will have to accompany you to the office. While there, you’ll need to pass both a written test and a vision test. Be sure to study for the written test using the
Kentucky Driver Manual
. Assuming you have all the necessary documentation and pass the tests without issues, you’ll be on your way with an instruction permit in no time. Getting your permit early is excellent for young drivers since you’ll need to have it for 180 days before moving on to the next GDL phase.
Learner’s permit restrictions
You’re Kentucky instructional permit is quite limited when compared to an actual license. You can only operate a vehicle using the permit if you are accompanied by someone 21 or older with a valid driver's license.
When driving with a learner’s permit you are not permitted to drive between 12 and 6 a.m. You cannot drive with more than one individual 20 or younger to whom you are not related in the car.
MORE: How to get cheap car insurance for young drivers
RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
How to get your intermediate driver’s license in Kentucky
Once you’ve had your learner’s permit for over 180 days and completed 60 hours of practice driving, you can apply to take a
driving skills test
and move on to the next GDL phase. Assuming that you pass the test, you’ll be rewarded with an intermediate license.Intermediate driver’s license restrictions
Unlike with a Kentucky learner’s permit, you’ll no longer need to be accompanied by a licensed adult to drive with an intermediate driver’s license. Many of the other restrictions you faced with the permit will still apply, however.
This mean’s that you still aren’t allowed to drive from the hours of 12 to 6 a.m., meaning you can’t drive a car with multiple unrelated young people in it. Although these rules may seem frustrating, Kentucky has put them in place to avoid further tragedy among young drivers.
How to get an unrestricted driver’s license in Kentucky
Once you’ve had your intermediate driver’s license for 180 days and completed the state’s required driver’s education, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for an unrestricted driver’s license. Assuming you follow every step as soon as it becomes available, you could get the license when aged 17.
Since the license is unrestricted, you’ll be allowed to drive at night and allowed to drive young people around, even if they are unrelated to you. However, the license will be marked as “under 21,” and you can get into serious trouble for driving with even a drop of alcohol in your system
Exceptions for older drivers
The steps and phases described above pertain to Kentucky’s GDL program, which is only necessary for young drivers to complete. Potential drivers over the age of 21 will find that their process to obtain a license is much easier.
If you’re over 21, you only have to drive with a permit for one month before you can apply for a driver’s license. You also don’t have to apply for a limited driver’s license, and can instead obtain the unrestricted license outright.
You’ll still need to pass the same vision, written, and driving skills tests as a younger driver would.
How to save on car insurance in Kentucky
Now that you’ve figured out when you can get a driver’s license in Kentucky, it’s time to start thinking about car insurance. If you’d rather not spend hours looking for the most affordable coverage, you should consider downloading the Jerry app.
Jerry
is a car insurance comparison app that makes finding cheap car insurance
easier than ever. Simply enter in your information and the trustworthy super app
will be able to find you affordable quotes from over 50 car insurance providers.You can sign up for the Jerry app in under a minute and, on average, Jerry users save $800 each year on their coverage.
“I just financed a new car and knew my insurance premium was going to rise.Jerrywas well worth it to use. They helped me find a lower premium and canceled my old policy instantly when I was ready to switch!” —Meghana D.
RECOMMENDED
Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
FAQs
Can you get a Kentucky driver’s license at 16?
Although you can get a Kentucky learner’s permit the day you turn 16, you’ll need to wait 180 days before applying for a limited driver’s license. You’ll need to wait an additional 180 days before applying for an unrestricted license.
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.7You might also be interested
