Provisional driver's licenses: restrictions.

The Brady-Jared Teen Driver Safety Act of 1997 allows for the issuance of a driver's license to an applicant who is at least 16 years of age but under 18 years of age pursuant to the provisional licensing program. Existing law requires a person to have held an instruction permit for at least 6 months prior to applying for a provisional driver's license. A person licensed under this program is prohibited during the first 12 months after issuance of a license from driving during the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. or from transporting passengers who are under 20 years of age, subject to specified exceptions. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is an infraction. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2015, require that the restrictions on a person licensed under the provisional licensing program continue for the duration of the provisional license, and would additionally prohibit the licensee from driving between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. or transporting passengers who are under 21 years of age, except as specified. The bill would require a person to have held an instruction permit for at least 9 months prior to applying for a provisional driver's license. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.