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Massachusetts driving lesson · Junior Operator License Law

Becoming a Junior Operator

A 3-minute lesson from the Massachusetts course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Junior Operator License Law
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
11, 17, 18, 27, 30

Any driver or motorcyclist between 16½ and 18 is a Junior Operator. The Junior Operator License (JOL) law gives new drivers supervised practice to build good skills, while keeping them free of distractions from friends under 18 riding along.

Junior Operator

Any motor vehicle operator or motorcyclist between the ages of 16½ and 18. A Junior Operator's license carries restriction code I.

Handbook p. 17 ↗
16½

Earliest age for a Class D or M license, after holding a permit in good standing six consecutive months and completing driver's ed

Handbook p. 11 ↗

To get a JOL you must:

  • Hold a valid learner's permit for at least six consecutive months before the road test
  • Keep a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months before the road test
  • Complete an RMV-approved driver education and training program
  • Log at least 40 more hours of supervised driving, certified by a parent or guardian
  • Have a parent or guardian take two hours of driver's ed instruction (unless done in the past five years)
  • Pass a final exam so your driver's education certificate is filed electronically with the RMV
Handbook p. 18 ↗

Driver education and practice hours

Driver education and practice hours
RequirementHours
Classroom instruction30
In-car, behind-the-wheel training12
In-car observation of other student drivers6
Extra supervised driving with parent/guardian40 (30 with a driver skills development program)
Parent/guardian driver's ed instruction2
Handbook p. 18 ↗

Know the rule

Any suspension invalidates your permit, and the six-month period starts over when the suspension is lifted.

Handbook p. 18 ↗

Know the rule

Your driver's education certificate must be on file electronically with the RMV from a licensed driver school or an RMV-approved high school program; it shows on your RMV record at the time of your road test.

Handbook p. 27 ↗

Know the rule

If you're under 18, a parent or guardian must complete the parental consent section of your road test application.

Handbook p. 30 ↗

Put it into practice

You got your permit on your 16th birthday, but it was suspended for a month during the fourth month. Your six-month clock starts over when the suspension is lifted, so you must hold the permit six more consecutive months before your road test.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

At what age range does the Junior Operator License (JOL) law apply?
  1. 16 to 17
  2. 16½ to 18
  3. 15 to 16½
  4. 18 to 21

Answer: 16½ to 18

Any operator between 16½ and 18 is considered a Junior Operator.

Handbook p. 17 ↗
How many consecutive months must you hold a clean-record learner's permit before your JOL road test?
  1. Three consecutive months
  2. Twelve consecutive months
  3. Six consecutive months
  4. One consecutive month

Answer: Six consecutive months

You need a valid, clean-record learner's permit for at least six consecutive months before the road test.

Handbook p. 17 ↗
How many hours of classroom instruction does RMV-approved driver's education require?
  1. 20 hours
  2. 40 hours
  3. 12 hours
  4. 30 hours

Answer: 30 hours

Driver's education requires 30 hours of classroom instruction.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
How many hours of additional supervised driving must a JOL applicant log, unless they completed a driver skills development program?
  1. 30 hours
  2. 20 hours
  3. 40 hours
  4. 50 hours

Answer: 40 hours

Applicants must complete 40 hours of supervised driving (30 if they completed a skills program).

Handbook p. 18 ↗
If your learner's permit is suspended, what happens to your six-month clean-record clock?
  1. It keeps running during the suspension
  2. It is permanently waived
  3. It only pauses for JOL applicants over 17
  4. It restarts once the suspension ends

Answer: It restarts once the suspension ends

A suspension invalidates the permit, and the six-month period restarts once it's reinstated.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
A driver skills development program can reduce the required supervised driving hours from 40 to 30.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Completing a driver skills development program reduces the supervised hours requirement to 30.

Handbook p. 18 ↗
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