Instruction permit, farm permit and the 15 year old restricted license

Key points

1. New residents must get a Kansas driver's license within 90 days of moving to Kansas.

   Source: Handbook p. 11

   “You are required to have a Kansas Driver's License within 90 days of moving to Kansas.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 11

2. The Class C or M instruction permit starts at age 14, and under 16 a parent or guardian must apply in writing.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Instructional Permit Class C or M K.S.A. 8-239 • Minimum age of 14 • Less than 16 requires written application by the parent/guardian”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

3. An instruction permit expires in 1 year and can be renewed by testing again.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Expires in 1 year - may be renewed with testing”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

4. A permit holder may drive only with a licensed adult in the front seat who is at least 21 and has at least 1 year of driving experience.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “May only drive with a licensed adult in the front seat • Licensed adult must be at least 21 years old and have at least one-year driving experience”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

5. Nobody except the supervising adult may sit in the front seat with a permit holder.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “No person but the supervising adult in the front seat”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

6. Permit holders may not use wireless communication devices while driving, except to report illegal activity or call for emergency help.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “No wireless communication devices while driving except to report illegal activity or summon emergency assistance”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

7. A farm permit is for ages 14 up to 17 and requires living on a farm or being paid to work on one.

   Source: Handbook p. 11

   “Farm Permit K.S.A. 8-296 • Minimum age 14 but less than 17 • Must reside on a farm OR be employed for compensation on a farm”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 11

8. For a farm permit, a farm means at least 20 acres used in agricultural operations.

   Source: Handbook p. 11

   “A farm is at least 20 acres used in agricultural operations”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 11

9. A restricted license starts at 15 and requires holding a state issued learner's permit for 1 year or more.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Restricted License K.S.A. 8-2,101 • Minimum age of 15 • Must have held state issued Learner’s Permit for 1 year or more.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

10. At 15 you also need 25 hours of supervised driving and an approved driver's education course.

    Source: Handbook p. 12

    “15-year-old applicants must have completed 25 hours of supervised driving. • 15-year-old applicants must have completed an approved Driver's Education course”
    Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 12

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Kansas practice test

1. 1. How many hours of supervised driving must a 15-year-old complete before applying for a Kansas restricted license?

   1. 10 hours
   2. 50 hours
   3. 25 hours
   4. 100 hours
   Show answer

   25 hours. A 15-year-old applicant must have 25 hours of supervised driving. The full 50 hours with 10 at night applies to 16-year-old applicants, and a 15-year-old who applied with only 25 hours must later file another affidavit for the additional 25 hours before moving to the 16-year-old rules. Ten hours is too few, and 100 hours is more than Kansas requires at any stage.

2. 2. Who must sit in the front seat beside a Kansas instruction permit holder while driving?

   1. Any adult, licensed or not
   2. Any licensed driver
   3. A parent only
   4. A licensed adult at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience, and no one else
   Show answer

   A licensed adult at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience, and no one else. A Kansas instruction permit holder may only drive with a licensed adult in the front seat. That adult must be at least 21 years old and have at least one year of driving experience, and no person other than the supervising adult may occupy the front seat. Use of wireless communication devices is also barred. The permit expires in one year and may be renewed with testing.

3. 3. What is the youngest age for a Kansas farm permit, and who can get one?

   1. 12, for any child in a farming family
   2. 16, for any resident of a rural county
   3. 14, for someone who lives on a farm or is paid to work on one
   4. 15, for anyone who has finished driver education
   Show answer

   14, for someone who lives on a farm or is paid to work on one. The farm permit starts at age 14 and ends before 17, and the applicant must either live on a farm or be employed for pay on one. Twelve is below the minimum age. Living in a rural county is not enough, since the rule turns on the farm itself, and the handbook defines a farm as at least 20 acres used in agricultural operations. Driver education alone does not qualify anyone for this permit; the farm connection is the requirement.

Source: the Kansas Driving Handbook, Section 1: The Driver's License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.