Learner drivers in New York may need to take longer lessons before they get behind the wheel and start driving. The New York Senate Bill 6241 suggests that the state’s pre-licensing course will increase. The course, known as the “five-hour course,” will increase to a minimum of six hours in the state. The bill was introduced in March 2025 by Senator John C. Liu, and currently, Section 502 of the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law is going to be amended. As per the new law, instructors will have more time to cover concepts such as pedestrian and bicyclist safety, road rage, and the dangers of impaired driving.
The state’s current five-hour pre-licensing course
As it stands, all first-time drivers in New York are required by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to complete a mandatory pre-licensing course, which is meant to build foundational knowledge prior to the road test.
The initial five-hour course is offered through driving schools, high schools, and colleges. In the course, topics include:
- Essential driver habits and defensive driving skills
- Emotional aspect of driving (feelings, emotions, and risk-taking)
- Effects of fatigue, alcohol, and drugs on driving
- Driving within the highway transportation system
The classroom-based approach does not include hands-on driving practice, but it does focus more on decision-making while driving. Students completing the course receive an MV-278 Pre-Licensing Course Completion Certificate, which is necessary for the road test that will follow. With the online course, course completion gets automatically recorded, and there is no need for a physical certificate. At present, the course entails five hours of driving instructions. The student must hold a valid learner’s permit before applying, and the certificate of completion lasts for 12 months.
Increasing the five-hour course to six hours in the state
The proposal to increase the duration of the course is part of the plans to improve traffic safety and reduce collisions, especially among new drivers. Traffic safety advisors suggest that by extending the course, instructors have the flexibility to discuss real-world scenarios as well as have question and answer sessions.
It is understood that new drivers in New York face a considerable number of challenges on the roads. Therefore, the extra hour could help, and it will be an added hour for educators to dwell on the ways to handle obstacles on the road.
However, critics suggest that the course duration won’t make any difference. The difference will be seen when learner drivers are engaged with the course content. Driving instructors feel the added hour, along with practical scenarios, may make a world of difference.
Finding the balance between education and efficiency
The DMV will retain much flexibility in terms of deciding what type of content would work for this program. Driving educators advocate for lessons that are engaging and stimulating whilst reinforcing core safety requirements in the process. The idea is to ensure that students develop safer driving habits. Since New York may be rewriting speed signs despite the backlash, the added hour of instruction will surely be helpful to teach drivers to adhere to road signs and what to expect.
The journey ahead has longer lessons before you drive
As New York Senate Bill 6241 moves through committee, it reflects the broader trend in road safety policy to ensure that more time is devoted to teaching about and learning about road safety. To date, the pre-licensing course remains a five-hour course; however, in time, the course may evolve to include an extra hour to teach learner drivers how to become more responsible on the road. With NY making the new driver’s license mandatory, the new law will also become mandatory if it gets approved.
