The Kentucky House voted Thursday to pass a bill that would allow teens who are 15 or older to apply for a driver’s permit. The bill now goes to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk.
“With the final passage of HB 15, we are one step closer to lowering the permit age to 15 in Kentucky,” said Rep. Steven Rudy, a Republican from Paducah. “This measure would give young drivers the opportunity to develop safe driving habits before obtaining their operator’s license and would bring our state in line with neighboring states.”
Right now, teens have to be 16 to apply for a driver’s permit.
House Bill 15 would also require that teens be 16 and have held their permit for 180 days before obtaining an intermediate license, according to a release from the Legislative Research Commission.
“They must then hold their intermediate license for 180 days and be at least 17 before applying for an operator’s license,” the release says. “The bill would also extend the validity of a driver’s instruction permit from three years to four years.”