Driving Tests

NY Junior License (Class DJ) Rules: NYC, Long Island and Upstate

informational·how to guide·Published June 5, 2026

What are the New York Class DJ junior license rules?

The rules depend on where you drive. With a Class DJ junior license you cannot drive in New York City at all. On Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) you need a supervising driver age 21 or older, except on direct trips between home and listed places. Upstate you may drive alone from 5 AM to 9 PM, and at night only between home and work or a school course.

Where these New York junior license rules come from

The rules come from the New York State DMV Graduated License Law page, the DMV page for parents and the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21). This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the New York State DMV (dmv.ny.gov) before you drive.

How you get a junior license in New York

You pass the road test with a junior learner permit. The permit must be valid for at least six months before the test. You also need at least 50 hours of supervised practice, 15 of them at night (after sunset), certified on form MV-262. After you pass, the DMV issues a Class DJ junior license (Class MJ for a motorcycle). Your rules then depend on the region where you drive.

Class DJ rules by region at a glance

Class DJ rules by region at a glance
Region	Driving alone in daytime (5 AM to 9 PM)	Driving at night (9 PM to 5 AM)
New York City (the five boroughs)	Not allowed. You cannot drive in the five boroughs under any circumstances.	Not allowed.
Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk)	Only directly between home and certain places: work, a work-study program, a college course for credit, evening high school, farm work or a driver education course. Otherwise you need a supervising driver.	Only directly between home and a work-study program, a college course for credit, evening high school, farm work or a driver education course. Otherwise you need a supervising driver.
Upstate (any county north of New York City)	Allowed without a supervising driver.	Alone only directly between home and your job or a school course. Otherwise you need a supervising driver.

Can you drive in New York City with a junior license?

No. A Class DJ or MJ license does not let you drive in the five boroughs under any circumstances. The ban does not cover a 17-year-old who finished a state-approved driver and traffic safety education course, gave the DMV the Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285) and received a Class D license. With a Class D license, a 17-year-old may drive anywhere in New York State without restriction. If you plan to drive a lot in the city, the DMV advises you to delay your road test until your 18th birthday. The road test guide covers test day.

Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk): who must supervise you

Your supervising driver must be your parent, your guardian, a person in the place of a parent ("in loco parentis"), a driver education teacher or a driving school instructor.
Your parent, guardian or in loco parentis person can also name another supervising driver in writing.
The supervising driver must be 21 or older and hold a license that is valid for the vehicle you drive.
The supervising driver must be the only passenger in the front seat.
Without a supervisor, you may drive only directly between home and the places in the table above. A trip to your job is allowed only from 5 AM to 9 PM. Carry proof of employment and a filled-out Certificate of Employment (MV-58A).

Upstate: driving alone at night to work or school

From 9 PM to 5 AM you may drive alone only directly between home and your job or a school course. A job means a place where you are paid to work on a regular schedule. Carry proof of employment and a Certificate of Employment (MV-58A) that your employer fills out. You may not drive during work, for example for deliveries. A school course means training that a state agency licenses or approves, or U.S. Armed Forces training. Sports and social events without school credit do not count. The practice question on a junior license at night upstate tests this rule.

Upstate night rules when you are not driving to work or school

Your parent, guardian, in loco parentis person, driver education teacher or driving school instructor must supervise you directly.
The supervising driver must be 21 or older and hold a license valid for the vehicle.
The supervising driver must be the only passenger in the front seat.

How many passengers can a junior license holder carry?

Upstate and on Long Island, you may carry no more than one passenger under 21, unless the passengers are members of your immediate family. You can carry more only when your supervising driver is your licensed parent, guardian, in loco parentis person, driver education teacher or driving school instructor. The question on the junior license passenger limit shows how this works for classmates.

Seat belt rules for a junior license holder

You and each passenger must wear a seat belt, one belt per person, in the daytime and at night. Children under age four must ride in a federally approved child safety seat. Older children must use a proper child restraint system until their 8th birthday.

How to change a junior license to a senior license at 17

1
Check your age and course
You must be 17 and hold a junior license. You also need a state-approved high school or college driver education course.
2
Get your certificate
Your instructor gives you the Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285).
3
Go to a DMV office
Bring your junior license and the MV-285 to any DMV office. There you receive a senior license (Class D).
4
Do not skip the change
If you do not change the license, the junior restrictions stay until you are age 18, even if you carry the certificate with you.

What happens after a violation on a junior license?

You are convicted of 1 serious traffic violation or 2 other violations committed while you hold a junior license

Your junior license privileges are suspended for 60 days. A serious violation is normally one with three or more points.

You are convicted of 1 serious violation or 2 other violations within the first 6 months after your privileges are restored

Your junior license privileges are revoked for 60 days.

You are convicted of a first cell phone or texting violation

Your license or permit is suspended for 120 days. The practice question on a texting conviction on a junior license tests this penalty.

You are convicted of a second cell phone or texting violation within six months after the license is restored

Your Class DJ or MJ license is revoked for at least one year.

Key takeaways

You cannot drive in New York City with a Class DJ junior license. Upstate, you may drive alone from 5 AM to 9 PM, and at night only between home and your job or a school course.
On Long Island, you drive only with a supervising driver age 21 or older, except for direct trips between home and listed places such as work-study, evening high school or a driver education course.
Upstate and on Long Island, carry no more than one passenger under 21 unless they are immediate family, and everyone wears a seat belt.
At 17, bring your junior license and the MV-285 to a DMV office to get a senior license. Without the change, junior restrictions last until age 18.
Next step: practice on the free New York Class D permit practice test (English only).

New York junior license: common questions

What is the curfew for a junior license in New York?

The cutoff is 9 PM. Upstate, you may drive alone from 5 AM to 9 PM. From 9 PM to 5 AM you need a supervising driver age 21 or older, unless you drive directly between home and your job or a school course. On Long Island, trips alone are limited to the listed places at all hours. In New York City you cannot drive at all.

Can I drive to my friend's house at night with a junior license?

Not alone. Between 9 PM and 5 AM, a trip to a friend's house is not an allowed trip without a supervisor. Upstate, your parent, guardian, in loco parentis person, driver education teacher or driving school instructor must supervise you. The supervisor must be 21 or older and the only passenger in the front seat.

Can I use my New York junior license in another state?

Yes, if the other state's laws allow it. You must obey the license restrictions that apply in that state. Check with the police or motor vehicle authorities in that state before you go.

Can my parents take back their consent for my junior license?

Yes, while you are under 18 and hold a license class with a "J", such as DJ or MJ. Your parent or guardian completes the Withdrawal of Consent form (MV-1W) and sends it to the DMV. They cannot do this for a 17-year-old who already has a license without the "J", such as a senior Class D license.