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

   “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

   “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

   “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

   “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 old must the licensed adult in the front seat be when supervising a Kansas instructional permit holder?

   1. 18 years old
   2. 19 years old
   3. 21 years old
   4. 25 years old
   Show answer

   21 years old. A Kansas instructional permit holder may drive only with a licensed adult in the front seat, and that adult must be at least 21 years old with at least one year of driving experience. The age choices below 21 do not satisfy the handbook's minimum, while 25 adds a requirement the passage does not state. Do not overlook the separate experience condition: age alone is insufficient. A strong study cue is 21 plus one year, both attached to the supervising adult rather than the permit holder.

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 wireless-device rule applies to a Kansas 15-year-old with a restricted license?

   1. No wireless devices while driving, except for illegal activity or emergency help
   2. Hands-free calls are always required but texting is allowed
   3. Wireless devices are allowed until the driver reaches age 16
   4. Only navigation devices are prohibited while the vehicle moves
   Show answer

   No wireless devices while driving, except for illegal activity or emergency help. A 15-year-old with a restricted license may not use wireless communication devices while driving, except to report illegal activity or summon emergency help. The handbook therefore creates a narrow emergency exception, not a general hands-free privilege. Allowing texting reverses the safety rule, and the restriction does not expire simply because the vehicle is being driven before age 16. Navigation devices are not singled out as the only prohibited equipment in this passage. The recall cue is no wireless use during driving, with two urgent exceptions.

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.