What Are Minnesota Driver’s License Restriction Codes?

The restriction codes on a Minnesota driver’s license are single letters that tell you, and any officer who stops you, what conditions you must meet when you drive. The Department of Public Safety prints them on the card to cover things like wearing glasses, using hand controls, staying under a certain speed, or driving only a vehicle with an ignition interlock device. Driving against any of them is a criminal offense under Minnesota Statutes 171.09, not a simple traffic ticket.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 171.09 (2025) – Driving Restrictions; Authority, Violations

Code B: Corrective Lenses

B is the most common code on Minnesota licenses. It means you must wear your glasses or contacts every time you drive. The DPS applies it when your vision test shows you need lenses to reach the state minimum of 20/40 acuity in at least one eye, with a horizontal visual field of 105 degrees or greater.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Administrative Rules 7410.2400 – Vision If your eye doctor recommends lenses, or you only hit 20/40 while wearing them, the B goes on the card.

An officer can check at any traffic stop. Getting pulled over without your glasses when you have a B restriction is enough for a citation on its own.

Reduced-Vision Codes: Speed Caps and Daylight-Only Driving

If your corrected vision is worse than 20/40 but still good enough for a restricted license, Minnesota adds speed caps tied to your acuity:2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Administrative Rules 7410.2400 – Vision

  • 20/50: 55 mph maximum
  • 20/60: 50 mph maximum
  • 20/70: 45 mph maximum

Drivers in this range may also be limited to daylight hours or to specific geographic areas, based on what the DPS driver evaluation unit decides. If your corrected acuity falls between 20/80 and 20/100, the evaluation unit reviews your case individually to decide whether any restricted license is possible. At 20/100 or worse, you generally will not qualify to drive.

Adaptive Equipment Codes

If a physical impairment affects how you operate a vehicle, the DPS can require adaptive equipment and code the specific modifications onto your license. Recognized equipment includes hand controls, left-foot accelerators, pedal extensions, steering knobs, low-effort steering, lever extenders for turn signals or gear shifts, and prosthetic aids.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division. Just the Facts – Driving Restrictions

You take a driving test with the modifications installed, and whatever you use during the test is what appears as a restriction on your card. Driving a vehicle that lacks the required equipment is treated the same as driving without your glasses under a B restriction.

Ignition Interlock Restriction

An ignition interlock restriction is placed on the license of a driver whose privileges were revoked, canceled, or denied for an alcohol-related offense. The device tests your breath before the engine will start; a reading of 0.02 or higher locks the vehicle out, and rolling retests are required while you drive.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.306 – Ignition Interlock Device Program

While you are in the program, you must install the device on every vehicle you operate, pay for the device and its upkeep, bring the vehicle in for calibration on the schedule the commissioner sets, and complete any chemical-use treatment recommended in your assessment. Drivers under 18 cannot participate at all. Tampering with the device, or having someone else blow into it, can extend your time in the program or trigger full revocation.

CDL Restriction Codes

Commercial licenses carry a separate set of letter codes that limit what type of commercial vehicle you can drive:5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. CDL Endorsements and Restrictions

  • E: no manual transmission commercial vehicles
  • K: intrastate only
  • L: no commercial vehicles with air brakes
  • M: not valid for Class A passenger bus
  • N: not valid for buses over 26,000 pounds GVWR
  • O: not valid for tractor semi-trailers
  • P: no passengers in a commercial bus (learner’s permit only)
  • V: FMCSA waiver
  • W: buses with fewer than 24 passenger capacity
  • X: no cargo in a commercial tank vehicle (learner’s permit only)
  • Z: air-over-hydraulic brake system only

CDL holders who self-certify as interstate non-excepted must also keep a valid federal Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file. If it lapses, your commercial privileges are downgraded until you update the record.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Removing a CDL restriction or adding an endorsement takes additional testing and fees.

What Happens if You Drive Against a Restriction

Minnesota treats a restriction violation as a crime, and the level of the charge depends on which restriction was broken:1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 171.09 (2025) – Driving Restrictions; Authority, Violations

  • Alcohol or controlled-substance restrictions, including driving without a required ignition interlock device: gross misdemeanor. Maximum 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.0342
  • All other restrictions, including corrective lenses, speed caps, and adaptive equipment: misdemeanor. Up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The commissioner can also suspend or revoke your license on the same evidence, as a separate administrative action. That means one incident can produce both a criminal conviction and a license suspension. If the violation contributes to a crash, additional charges can be added on top.

Getting a Restriction Removed

A restriction stays on your card until you show the DPS the underlying condition has changed. What you need depends on which code you want off.

For a B restriction, submit a new vision report showing you now meet 20/40 acuity without lenses, whether from LASIK, another surgery, or a natural change.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Administrative Rules 7410.2400 – Vision For an adaptive equipment code, you need an evaluation confirming you can safely drive a standard vehicle, plus a driving test in an unmodified one.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division. Just the Facts – Driving Restrictions For an ignition interlock restriction, removal happens only after you complete the full program without violations under the commissioner’s guidelines.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.306 – Ignition Interlock Device Program

Once your documentation is approved and any required test is passed, a new license reflecting the change costs $26, the same as a duplicate.8Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Driver’s License and ID Card Fees The DPS may also schedule periodic reevaluations for medically based restrictions, so a code placed today can be revisited a year or two later without any request from you.