Kentucky Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program
This domain tests Kentucky’s staged licensing system: learner permit, intermediate license, and full license. Expect items on ages, holding periods, supervised hours, night driving, passenger limits, curfew exceptions, and violations.
Stage rules
- Learner permit: generally available at 16, or 15 with approved driver education. The permit must be held 180 days. Supervised driving is required with a licensed driver at least 21 in the front seat.
- Before intermediate, the teen must complete 60 supervised hours, including 10 hours at night.
- Intermediate restrictions include a midnight–6 a.m. curfew unless driving for school, work, church, or emergency, and no more than one unrelated passenger under 20. Cell phone use is restricted.
- Full license generally becomes available at 17 after holding intermediate for at least six months without a violation, or at 18 under the fallback rule.
Worked example
A 16-year-old has held a permit for five months and has 60 supervised hours, but only eight night hours. The teen is not eligible for intermediate. The permit must be held 180 days, and the night requirement is 10 hours-not “some night driving.” The instructor should document the shortfall and schedule night practice rather than rounding up the log.
Traps that cost marks
Do not treat all 60 hours as interchangeable; night hours are separate. Do not apply the curfew to school or work trips. Do not assume the passenger limit applies to siblings. Do not confuse the permit age with the intermediate age.
Exam focus
Identify the exact stage, the unmet requirement, and the consequence. GDL answers should be specific about hours, times, and exceptions.