What is a NY Senior License?

One of the first things you’re going to need for a senior license is the approval of your parent or guardian.

That should tell you that a senior license is for a high schooler. New York has some funny laws in place, but last we checked, a senior citizen doesn’t need permission from mom and dad to get behind the wheel of a car.

A senior license is the first real, unrestricted driver’s license you’re allowed to get in New York State. It basically gets you behind the wheel six months earlier than just waiting until you’re a legal adult. There are a lot of special requirements you’ll need to get your senior’s license at seventeen years and six months old. For some, it’s easier to just wait the extra six months than it is to meet these requirements. But, if you really can’t wait, what you need to do is get your junior license, and then just be an amazing driver for a full year.

Here’s what we mean by that:

• You can’t have had any driving violations in the last year.
• You should not have been found at fault in an accident for the last year.
• You’ll need to have held your junior license for at least a year.

Any one of these is an instant disqualification from getting your senior license.

And if you are a great driver, and you’ve held your junior license for a year, there’s one more requirement besides a parent’s permission:

• You must have completed a driver’s education class.

That’s a lot of steps, right? This is why a lot of people just wait the six months, take the driven and written exams, and call it a day. Of course, if you just can’t wait, then hey, who are we go judge? We do have some tips to help you keep your record clean between now and then, however. Here they are!

Take A Defensive Driving Course

Taking defensive driving courses in New York will automatically get you five percent or more off your car insurance, and it’ll help you to stay safer on the roads. Every little bit helps. Hey, you’re still learning, and this will give you a major leg up in keeping your record free of points between now and the day you apply for your senior license. Just one little fender bender can ruin a year of perfect driving, so a defensive driving course can really help you out.

Drive Less

Avoiding unnecessary trips means avoiding unnecessary risks. After you get your senior license, maybe dinging someone else’s bumper isn’t going to matter. Until then, anyone who’s had a bad day and wants to make a big deal out of a tiny dust-up that didn’t even leave a scratch can totally derail your plans. The less you drive, the less likely you are to get into one of these situations.

We especially recommend against driving in NY on NYE. Maybe if you’re out in the country you’ll be fine, but in NYC you’re basically guaranteed to have some minor accident or other, if you’re lucky. People love to just wander out into traffic on New Year’s Eve, so our advice is to let someone who already has a full license handle the transportation on that night, and any other holiday.

Getting your senior license at seventeen and a half isn’t impossible, but it might be tricky. Stay safe and you might just get there.