Under Kansas driving laws for a 16-year-old, a teen drives on a restricted license that keeps three limits in place for six months or until the driver turns 17, whichever comes first: a nighttime curfew, a cap on teen passengers, and a ban on handheld phone use. A licensed adult in the passenger seat lifts the curfew. Break any of these rules and the license is suspended.
How a 16-Year-Old Qualifies
Kansas has two paths to a restricted license at 16, and which one applies depends on whether the teen took driver education.
A teen who got a learner’s permit at 14 or 15 and finished an approved driver education course can receive an early restricted license under K.S.A. 8-2,101(a). Before turning 16, a parent submits an affidavit certifying 50 supervised driving hours, at least 10 of them at night. The supervising adult must be 21 or older with a valid Class A, B, or C license.1Justia. Kansas Code 8-2,101 – Restricted License; Conditions, Restrictions and Requirements
A teen who skipped driver education uses a different route under K.S.A. 8-2,101(c): hold an instruction permit for at least one year, then submit the same 50-hour affidavit (10 hours at night). Without a driver education certificate, the applicant must pass both the written knowledge test and a behind-the-wheel driving test at the licensing office.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Requirements for Teen Drivers The driver education certificate waives both.
Nighttime Driving Curfew
For the first six months on a restricted license, a 16-year-old can drive freely only between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Outside those hours, driving is allowed only for one of four reasons:1Justia. Kansas Code 8-2,101 – Restricted License; Conditions, Restrictions and Requirements
- Driving to, from, or in connection with a job, employment, or farm-related work.
- Driving to or from an authorized school activity.
- Driving directly to or from a worship service held by a religious organization.
- Driving at any hour with an adult at least 21 years old, holding a valid Class A, B, or C license, seated in the passenger seat.
That last exception is the one families often miss. A parent riding along effectively removes the curfew. If a teen is stopped during restricted hours, an officer may ask about the purpose of the trip, so keeping a work schedule or event confirmation in the car is worthwhile.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Requirements for Teen Drivers
Passenger Limit
During the same six months, a 16-year-old cannot carry more than one non-family passenger under age 18. Siblings and other immediate family members under 18 do not count.1Justia. Kansas Code 8-2,101 – Restricted License; Conditions, Restrictions and Requirements
In practice, a younger brother plus one friend is fine. A younger brother plus two friends is not. Adult passengers do not count toward the limit at all.
Phone and Device Rules
Kansas moved to a hands-free law for every driver effective July 1, 2025, with full fine enforcement starting January 1, 2026. No driver in Kansas may physically handle a cell phone while the vehicle is in operation. Voice commands and phone mounts are allowed. Picking up the phone is not.
For drivers under 18, the rules bite harder. Any handheld cell phone use is a primary offense, meaning an officer can stop a teen driver solely for holding a phone. The underlying texting ban in K.S.A. 8-15,111 already prohibits writing, sending, or reading text-based messages while driving, with narrow exceptions for reporting illegal activity, preventing imminent injury, or using a device that is fully voice-operated.3Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-15,111 The safest habit for a 16-year-old is to stow the phone before starting the car. A mounted phone used for hands-free navigation is fine; anything that requires tapping the screen is not.
Zero Tolerance for Alcohol
Kansas holds every driver under 21 to a zero-tolerance standard. Driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 or higher triggers a 30-day license suspension followed by 330 days of restricted driving privileges.4Kansas Highway Patrol. Alcohol Violations and DUI For a 16-year-old, that resets the graduated licensing clock and pushes full driving privileges further out. A .02 BAC is below what most people can even feel, so the workable standard is zero.
Penalties for Breaking the Restrictions
Violating any restriction on a learner’s permit or restricted license carries mandatory suspensions under K.S.A. 8-291. The same penalty schedule applies whether the violation was the curfew, the passenger cap, or the device rule:5Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Code 8-291 – Violation of Restrictions on Driver’s License or Permit; Misdemeanor; Penalties
- First offense: 30-day license suspension.
- Second offense: 90-day license suspension.
- Third or later offense: one-year license suspension.
These suspensions are not discretionary. A 30-day loss for a first offense might not sound severe, but for a teen counting down the six-month restricted window, it adds real time before full privileges arrive.
Insurance Minimums
Before a 16-year-old drives, the vehicle must be covered by liability insurance meeting the Kansas minimums: $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.6Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 40-3107 Those numbers satisfy the law. Many families carry more because a serious accident can blow past them quickly. Adding a teen to an existing policy typically raises the annual premium substantially, and some insurers discount for driver education completion or a GPA threshold.
When the Restrictions End
The curfew, passenger cap, and enhanced device rule all lift after the sooner of two events: six months on the restricted license, or the driver’s 17th birthday. A teen who receives the restricted license on their 16th birthday reaches full privileges at 16 and a half, provided they have complied with driving laws in the meantime.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Graduated Driver License Requirements for Teen Drivers Any suspension along the way pushes that date back.
At 17, a Kansas driver can apply for a standard non-restricted license outright, without driver education or a prior instruction permit, though the 50-hour parental affidavit is still required.1Justia. Kansas Code 8-2,101 – Restricted License; Conditions, Restrictions and Requirements From that point, the curfew, passenger limits, and under-18 device rules no longer apply.