The Missouri Department of Revenue today reminded young drivers that state law will soon require teens to obtain 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction before graduating from an Instruction Permit to an Intermediate License. This compares to the 20 hours required prior to the law change.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Senate Bill 1001 increases the driving instruction requirement effective Jan. 1. The bill was passed in May of 2006 and was signed into law by Gov. Matt Blunt in June.
According to the law, the required 40 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction must include at least 10 nighttime hours. Nighttime hours can be logged between sunset and sunrise. The driving instructor must be a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, certified trainer with a federal residential job training program, or a qualified driving instructor.
Regardless of the length of time the young person has held an Instruction Permit, 40 hours of instruction will be required immediately after Jan. 1 when graduating to the Intermediate License.
More information about Missouri’s Graduated Driver License program can be found at http://www.dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/gradlaw.htm.