Can 16-17-Year-Olds Take the NY Online Pre-Licensing Course?
Short answer: not under current law. This page explains exactly why, what you do instead, and how to check whether that has changed since this page was last verified.
Can 16 and 17-Year-Olds Take the NY Online Pre-Licensing Course?
No. Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 399-S bars Class DJ and Class MJ applicants, the junior licenses generally issued to ages 16 and 17, from the Online Pre-Licensing Course, so they must use a classroom or live-remote provider instead. This restriction is written directly into the statute that authorizes the online pilot itself, not into a DMV policy that could change without legislative action. It applies regardless of how mature, experienced, or ready to drive a specific 16 or 17-year-old might be; the restriction is based entirely on license class, not individual judgment.
Why Does New York Exclude Class DJ and Class MJ From the OPL?
The statute does not publish a stated policy rationale in the text reviewed; what is confirmed is that Section 399-S names Class DJ and Class MJ applicants as ineligible for the OPL, while leaving classroom and live-remote formats open. This site does not speculate about legislative intent beyond what the statute text and the DMV's own materials state; if you want the policy reasoning behind the age line, that would need to come from legislative history, not from this site's own sourced facts.
What Pre-Licensing Option Is Available for Class DJ and Class MJ Applicants?
Class DJ and Class MJ applicants must complete the 5-hour course through a DMV-licensed classroom or live-remote provider, in person or over live videoconference with a real instructor, producing the same MV-278 certificate as any classroom completion. The classroom format itself has no age floor above 16, so a 16 or 17-year-old simply cannot pick the online path; every other part of the requirement, including the certificate and its 1-year validity, works exactly the same way.
Has New York Changed the Law on the OPL Age Restriction?
As of the most recent source check, the DJ/MJ restriction in Section 399-S remains in effect; a 2025-26 proposal, bills A8171 and S7026, would remove it, but it has not been enacted into law. Treat the restriction as current law unless you personally confirm otherwise directly at nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7026; this site will update this page once an enactment is confirmed, but do not assume that has already happened based on a search result or a provider's own marketing claim.
What Are Class DJ and Class MJ Licenses, Exactly?
Class DJ is New York's junior driver license for passenger-vehicle applicants, and Class MJ is the junior motorcycle license, both generally issued to applicants ages 16 and 17 under the state's graduated licensing system. Once a Class DJ or Class MJ holder turns 18, or otherwise meets New York's graduated-license upgrade requirements, their license class changes and the OPL restriction under Section 399-S no longer applies to them going forward.
Does the DJ/MJ Restriction Affect the MV-285 Driver Education Exemption?
No. A 16 or 17-year-old who completes New York's 48-hour Driver Education Program still receives the MV-285 exemption and skips the pre-licensing course entirely, since the MV-285 path is separate from the OPL restriction. The DJ/MJ restriction only closes off the online format of the 5-hour course itself; it has no bearing on whether the Driver Education exemption is available to that same applicant. See Requirements for the full exemption picture.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ/MJ OPL exclusion | VTL Section 399-S bars Class DJ/MJ from OPL | New York State Legislature | https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/399-S | 2026-06-04 |
| Pending legislative proposal | Bills A8171/S7026, not enacted as of last check | New York State Legislature | https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7026 | 2026-06-07 |
| Classroom alternative for DJ/MJ | In-person or live-remote, DMV-licensed provider | NY DMV | https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/the-driver-pre-licensing-course | 2026-06-04 |
Frequently asked questions
Can a 16-year-old take the classroom pre-licensing course?
Yes. The minimum age for classroom and live-remote pre-licensing is 16; the DJ/MJ restriction only closes off the online (OPL) format, not the classroom format.
Does the restriction apply to Class DJ applicants who are actually 18?
The restriction is tied to license class, not a specific birthday; if an 18-year-old still holds a Class DJ license rather than having upgraded to Class D, confirm current eligibility directly with the DMV before assuming OPL access.
Is there a different online option for Class DJ and Class MJ applicants?
Not confirmed in sources reviewed for this page; the only stated alternative is the classroom or live-remote format through a DMV-licensed provider.
Who enforces the age and license-class restriction during OPL enrollment?
The OPL provider validates identity and, by extension, eligibility during enrollment and throughout the course; a provider that knowingly enrolled an ineligible Class DJ or MJ applicant would be acting outside DMV rules.
Where can you check the current, official text of Section 399-S yourself?
Directly at nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/399-S, the New York State Senate's own published statute text, rather than relying on any secondary summary, including this site's own.