Registry Requirements

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Basic driver's education requirements

• 30 Hours of classroom instruction
• 12 hours of on-road driving (up from six hours)
• 6 hours of on-road observation
• 2 hours of Parental participation including instruction on driver's education curriculum, junior operator restrictions and penalties and tips for teaching your child to drive during the 40 hours or parental supervision

Supervised driving to obtain a junior operators license

• 40 hours of parent/guardian-supervised driving (up from 12 hours)
• Allows for 30 hours of parent/guardian-supervised driving if child completes advanced driver training course

Effective March 31, 2007, penalties and reinstatement fees were increased for Junior Operators who are found responsible for the following violations:

• Passenger restriction
• Time restriction
• Operating to endanger/recklessly or negligently
• Drag racing
• Speeding

Certain offenses will also require the Junior Operator to complete retraining courses including a Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course and State Courts Against Road Rage (SCARR) program.

Requirements to Obtain a JOL

An applicant for a driver's license between ages 16 1/2 and 18 must comply with several requirements to obtain a JOL:

• Have a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive months before taking the road test. (Any suspension will invalidate the permit and the six months will start to run anew when the suspension is lifted.)
• Maintain a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months before taking the road test.
• Successfully complete a Registrar-approved driver education and training program, which includes 30 hours of classroom instruction; six hours of in-car, behind-the-wheel training; and six hours of in-car experience observing other student drivers.
• Complete at least an additional 12 hours of supervised, behind-the-wheel driving as shown by a certified statement provided by a parent or guardian.

Note: If your permit was issued on or after September 1, 2007, you must meet the following requirements to obtain a license.

• Driver education must consist of 30 hours classroom instruction, 12 hours of in-car, behind-the-wheel training, and six hours of in-car experience observing other student drivers.
• You must complete at least an additional 40 hours of supervised, behind-the-wheel driving as shown by a certified statement provided by a parent or guardian.
• The RMV will accept 30 hours of driving supervised by a parent or guardian if the applicant completed a driver skills development program.
• Your parent or guardian must participate in two hours of instruction on the driver’s education curriculum (unless they have participated within the past five years).
• You must pass a final exam to have a driver’s education certificate electronically filed with the RMV.

JOL License Restrictions

The following restrictions apply to all Junior Operators:

• You may not operate a motor vehicle within the first six months after receiving your JOL while any person under age 18 is in the vehicle (other than you or an immediate family member), unless you are accompanied by a person who is at least 21 years old, has at least one year of driving experience, holds a valid driver's license from Massachusetts or another state, and is occupying a seat beside you.
• The passenger restriction that applies to you as a JOL holder under age 18 is lifted once you complete the six-month period (or the portion that applies to you) or you reach age 18, whichever occurs first.

JOL regulations and penalties were signed into law on January 3, 2007. The law requires that additional components be added to the driver’s education curriculum.

• The six-month passenger restriction period will stop running, temporarily, during any suspension. When your JOL is reinstated, you will still have to complete the remainder of the six-month restriction period that existed at the beginning of the suspension period, unless you have already turned 18.
• As the holder of a JOL, you may not operate a motor vehicle between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless you are accompanied by one of your parents or your legal guardian. If you are found operating a motor vehicle in violation of this restriction, you may be charged with operating a motor vehicle without being licensed. This is a criminal violation.
• The law states that between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. and between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., the provisions of the law shall be enforced by law enforcement agencies only when a Junior Operator of a motor vehicle has been lawfully stopped for a violation of the motor vehicle laws or some other offense. This is called "secondary enforcement." However, it is still illegal for you to operate during those times without a parent present in the car.
• If you violate the passenger restriction or the night restriction, you will be subject to a license suspension of 60 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second offense, and one year for subsequent offenses. For a second or subsequent offense, you will also be required to complete a Driver Attitudinal Retraining course. The law requires the Registrar to impose this suspension in addition to any other penalty, fine, suspension, revocation, or requirement that may be imposed in connection with a violation committed at the time you were violating the passenger or night restriction.
• You may not operate a motor vehicle that requires a commercial driver's license (CDL).
• You will be suspended for one year if you are under 18 when you have committed certain driving offenses and alcohol or drugs were involved (180 days if age 18 to 21), in addition to any penalty assessed by a court or other law. (For details, see the License Suspension or Revocation section of Chapter Two.)
• You will be ineligible for a full license until you have completed the period of suspension imposed while operating with a JOL and you reach age 18.
• You will face additional suspension periods of one year for a first drag racing offense and three years for a subsequent offense. For a first speeding offense, you will be suspended for 90 days; for a subsequent offense, you will be suspended for one year.

Click below to bring you to the Registry site for confirmation of Drivers Education Certificate: https://secure.rmv.state.ma.us/DriverEdLookup/driverlookup.aspx

This no-fee transaction allows you to verify if you have been issued a driver’s Education Certificate. You must have successfully completed all portions of your driver’s education program before a certificate will be issued.