1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to drivers'
licenses; requiring persons under 21 years of age to complete
1.3 driver education course
before obtaining a driver's license;amending Minnesota
1.4 Statutes 2024, section
171.04, subdivision 1.
1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes
2024, section 171.04, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision
1.Persons not eligible. The department shall not issue a driver's
license:
1.8 (1) to any person under 18
years unless:
1.9 (i) the applicant is 16 or 17
years of age and has a previously issued valid license from
1.10 another state or country or the
applicant has, for the 12 consecutive months preceding
1.11 application, held a provisional
license and during that time has incurred (A) no conviction
1.12 for a violation of section
169A.20, 169A.33, 169A.35, sections 169A.50 to 169A.53, or
1.13 section 171.177, (B) no conviction
for a crash-related moving violation, and (C) not more
1.14 than one conviction for a
moving violation that is not crash related. "Moving violation"
1.15 means a violation of a traffic
regulation but does not include a parking violation, vehicle
1.16 equipment violation, or warning
citation;
1.17 (ii) the application for a
license is approved by (A) either parent when both reside in the
1.18 same household as the minor
applicant or, if otherwise, then (B) the parent or spouse of the
1.19 parent having custody or, in
the event there is no court order for custody, then (C) the parent
1.20 or spouse of the parent with
whom the minor is living or, if subitems (A) to (C) do not apply,
1.21 then (D) the guardian having
custody of the minor, (E) the foster parent or director of the
1.22 transitional living program in
which the child resides or, in the event a person under the age
1.23 of 18 has no living father,
mother, or guardian, or is married or otherwise legally
2.1 emancipated, then (F) the
minor's adult spouse, adult close family member, or adult employer;
2.2 provided, that the approval
required by this item contains a verification of the age of the
2.3 applicant and the identity of
the parent, guardian, adult spouse, adult close family member,
2.4 or adult employer; and
2.5 (iii) the applicant presents
a certification by the person who approves the application
2.6 under item (ii), stating that
the applicant has driven a motor vehicle accompanied by and
2.7 under supervision of a
licensed driver at least 21 years of age for at least ten hours during
2.8 the period of provisional
licensure;
2.9 (2) to any person who is 18
years of age or younger, unless the person has applied for,
2.10 been issued, and possessed the appropriate
instruction permit for a minimum of six months,
2.11 and, with respect to a person
under 18 years of age, a provisional license for a minimum of
2.12 12 months;
2.13 (3) to any person who is 19
years of age or older, unless that person has applied for,
2.14 been issued, and possessed the
appropriate instruction permit for a minimum of three months;
2.15 (4) to any person whose license
has been suspended during the period of suspension
2.16 except that a suspended license
may be reinstated during the period of suspension upon the
2.17 licensee furnishing proof of
financial responsibility in the same manner as provided in the
2.18 Minnesota No-Fault Automobile
Insurance Act;
2.19 (5) to any person whose license
has been revoked except upon furnishing proof of
2.20 financial responsibility in the
same manner as provided in the Minnesota No-Fault
2.21 Automobile Insurance Act and if
otherwise qualified;
2.22 (6) to any drug-dependent
person, as defined in section 254A.02, subdivision 5;
2.23 (7) to any person who has been
adjudged legally incompetent by reason of mental illness,
2.24 mental deficiency, or
inebriation, and has not been restored to capacity, unless the department
2.25 is satisfied that the person is
competent to operate a motor vehicle with safety to persons
2.26 or property;
2.27 (8) to any person who is
required by this chapter to take a vision, knowledge, or road
2.28 examination, unless the person
has successfully passed the examination. An applicant who
2.29 fails four road tests must
complete a minimum of six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction
2.30 with an approved instructor
before taking the road test again;
2.31 (9) to any person who is
required under the Minnesota No-Fault Automobile Insurance
2.32 Act to deposit proof of
financial responsibility and who has not deposited the proof;
3.1 (10) to any person when the
commissioner has good cause to believe that the operation
3.2 of a motor vehicle on the
highways by the person would be inimical to public safety or
3.3 welfare;
3.4 (11) to any person when, in
the opinion of the commissioner, the person is afflicted with
3.5 or suffering from a physical
or mental disability or disease that will affect the person in a
3.6 manner as to prevent the
person from exercising reasonable and ordinary control over a
3.7 motor vehicle while operating
it upon the highways;
3.8 (12) to a person who is
unable to read and understand official signs regulating, warning,
3.9 and directing traffic;
3.10 (13) to a child for whom a
court has ordered denial of driving privileges under section
3.11 260C.201, subdivision 1, or
260B.235, subdivision 5, until the period of denial is completed;
3.12 or
3.13 (14) to any person whose
license has been canceled, during the period of cancellation.;
3.14 or
3.15 (15) to any person 20
years of age or under who has not completed a driver education
3.16 program that includes
both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training.
