Driver’s license restrictions are legal conditions printed on your license that limit when, where, or how you can drive. Unlike a suspension or revocation, a restriction lets you keep driving as long as you follow the rules attached to your privilege. They range from a simple requirement to wear glasses to an ignition interlock device wired into your car after a DUI, and violating one carries many of the same consequences as driving without a license at all. The specifics differ by state, but the framework is consistent enough that if you know what code is on your card, you can figure out what it means and what to do about it.
What the Codes on Your License Mean
Your physical license card carries one or more letter or number codes telling law enforcement what conditions apply to you. Most states follow a standardized system, and the common codes work the same way almost everywhere.
- Code B, corrective lenses. The most common restriction by a wide margin. You must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive, and getting pulled over without them is a citable offense.
- Code C, mechanical aids. You need adaptive equipment such as hand controls, pedal extensions, or a steering knob to operate the vehicle safely.
- Code G, daylight driving only. You cannot drive after dark. This typically applies to drivers whose visual acuity meets the daytime standard but falls short of the threshold for safe night driving.
- Code J, other restrictions. A catch-all for conditions specified elsewhere on the license or in the driver’s electronic record, such as geographic limits or speed caps.
Some states add numeric codes or extra letter designations for outside mirrors, automatic transmissions only, or area-specific driving limits. These codes are not suggestions. Each one carries the same legal weight as any other condition on your license.
Restrictions on Teen and New Drivers
Graduated driver licensing programs are the source of some of the most widespread restrictions in the country. Nearly every state uses a multi-phase system that eases new drivers into full privileges over time, and the intermediate stage comes with real limits.
All states except one restrict nighttime driving during the intermediate phase, with curfews typically starting between 10 p.m. and midnight and lifting between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia also cap the number of passengers a teen driver can carry, often to zero non-family passengers for the first six months and one after that. Thirty-seven states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers, not just texting.
These restrictions phase out automatically as the driver ages into full licensure, usually at 17 or 18 depending on the state. While they are active, violating them can reset the clock on the provisional period, add points to a driving record, or trigger a fine. A teen caught with three friends in the car at 1 a.m. is not going to get a warning.
Medical and Vision-Based Restrictions
Vision problems drive most medical restrictions. The standard threshold in the vast majority of states is corrected visual acuity of at least 20/40 in your better eye. If you can hit that only with glasses or contacts, you get a corrective-lens restriction. If your acuity falls below 20/40 but still meets a secondary threshold (often 20/60 or 20/70 with correction), the state may let you drive with stacked restrictions: corrective lenses plus daylight only, sometimes with a speed limit as well.
Field of vision matters too. Most states with a binocular field requirement set the minimum somewhere between 105 and 150 degrees horizontally. Drivers who fall short face restrictions or, in severe cases, denial of a license altogether.
Beyond vision, several conditions can trigger restrictions or require periodic re-evaluation. Epilepsy is the most common: federal guidelines recommend that a driver who has a seizure be considered unfit to drive for at least six months afterward, and most states follow a similar seizure-free waiting period before restoring full privileges. Insulin-treated diabetes does not automatically disqualify you, but recurrent low-blood-sugar episodes requiring outside help are grounds for restrictions until a doctor certifies three months of stability.1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Driver Fitness Medical Guidelines Heart conditions, respiratory disorders, and psychiatric diagnoses can also lead to conditional licenses requiring regular medical updates.
Physician reporting rules vary widely. Some states require doctors to report patients they believe are medically unfit to drive; others make reporting voluntary and protect the physician with legal immunity. Whether your doctor flags a condition to the DMV can depend as much on where you live as on the severity of your diagnosis.
Physical impairments that affect your ability to use standard pedals or a steering wheel typically result in a mechanical-aids restriction. The DMV determines what adaptive equipment you need, often based on an occupational therapy evaluation or a behind-the-wheel test in a modified vehicle.
Ignition Interlock Devices After a DUI
An ignition interlock device is a breathalyzer wired into your car’s ignition. You blow into it before starting the engine, and if your breath sample registers alcohol above a preset threshold (usually 0.02 to 0.025 percent), the car will not start. The device also demands periodic rolling retests while you are driving.
Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia require an IID for all DUI offenders, including first-timers.2National Conference of State Legislatures. State Ignition Interlock Laws In most of those states, the IID is a condition of getting a restricted license during your suspension. Refuse the device and you do not drive at all until the suspension expires.
The cost falls entirely on the driver. Installation typically runs around $150, with monthly lease and calibration fees adding roughly $60 to $85 per month. Over a year-long IID requirement, total costs easily reach $900 or more. Calibration appointments are mandatory, and missing one can trigger a violation report to the court or DMV.
CDL Restrictions
Commercial driver’s license restrictions follow a separate federal framework and tend to be more specific than personal-license restrictions, because the equipment matters more. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposes restrictions based on the type of vehicle used during the skills test.
- Restriction E, no manual transmission. If you take your CDL skills test in a vehicle with an automatic, you are restricted to automatics only. Removing it requires retaking the skills test in a manual.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers
- Restriction L, no full air brakes. Placed on your license if you fail the air brake knowledge test, cannot identify air brake components, or take the skills test in a vehicle without a full air brake system.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers
- Restriction O, no tractor-trailer. If your skills test vehicle uses a pintle hook or other non-fifth-wheel coupling, you cannot drive Class A vehicles with a fifth-wheel connection.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers
Practical advice: take the skills test in the same type of truck you plan to drive for work. Testing in a lesser vehicle saddles you with restrictions that limit your job options, and removing each one means going back for another skills test.
Federal medical standards for CDL holders are stricter than those for personal licenses. You need at least 20/40 distant visual acuity in each eye (with or without correction), a horizontal field of vision of at least 70 degrees per eye, and the ability to distinguish standard red, green, and amber traffic signals. Drivers with insulin-treated diabetes must meet separate certification requirements, and those with epilepsy or conditions likely to cause loss of consciousness are generally disqualified.4eCFR. 49 CFR 391.41 – Physical Qualifications for Drivers
Every CDL holder must also self-certify into one of four operating categories with their state licensing agency, based on whether they drive interstate or intrastate and whether their type of hauling is excepted from federal medical rules.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Determine Which of the 4 Categories of Commercial Motor Vehicle Operation I Should Self-Certify To Choosing the wrong category can result in a downgrade of your CDL, effectively adding a restriction you did not intend.
Penalties for Driving Outside Your Restrictions
Driving in violation of a restriction is treated much like driving without a valid license. In most states it is a misdemeanor, often a lower-level one, but a criminal charge either way. Fines vary widely, from under $200 for a first-time corrective-lens violation to more than $1,000 for repeat offenses or violations tied to safety-critical restrictions like an ignition interlock.
Many states assess points against your driving record for restriction violations, and accumulated points can trigger a separate administrative suspension on top of anything the court imposes. A conviction also becomes part of your permanent driving history, visible to insurers and, for CDL holders, to prospective employers.
DUI-related violations carry the steepest consequences. Tampering with or circumventing an ignition interlock device can result in extension of the IID requirement, revocation of your restricted driving privilege, or additional criminal charges. Courts treat these violations seriously because the restriction exists specifically to prevent a known high-risk behavior.
Insurance and Reinstatement Costs
A restriction violation does not just create legal problems. It hits your wallet through insurance for years afterward. A conviction can push you into your insurer’s high-risk classification, which means significantly higher premiums. The exact increase depends on the nature of the violation and your overall record, but DUI-related restriction violations are especially costly because they signal ongoing risk.
In many states, reinstating your license after a restriction-related suspension requires filing an SR-22 (or FR-44 in a few states), a certificate proving you carry at least the minimum required liability insurance. The SR-22 itself is not insurance; it is a filing your insurer sends to the state on your behalf. But it typically triggers higher premiums because the underlying violation marks you as high-risk. Most states require you to maintain the SR-22 for three years, and any lapse in coverage during that period can restart your suspension.
Reinstatement fees typically range from $55 to $500 depending on the state and the type of violation that caused the suspension. These are purely administrative charges, separate from any court fines or insurance costs.
How to Remove a Restriction From Your License
The process depends entirely on why the restriction was placed. Every type requires documentation showing the underlying reason has changed.
Corrective Lenses
If LASIK, PRK, or another vision correction procedure means you no longer need glasses or contacts, you can have the Code B restriction removed. You will need a vision test report from your eye care provider confirming that your uncorrected acuity meets the state standard, then submit that to the DMV with a license update application and a small fee (typically under $20). Some states let your eye doctor submit results electronically so the restriction drops off at your next renewal. Others require an in-person visit where you pass the DMV’s own vision screening.
Medical and Physical Restrictions
Removing a medical restriction requires a current evaluation from a licensed physician documenting that the condition has improved or resolved. Each state has its own evaluation form, available from the DMV website. The form must include specific diagnostic information and a clear statement from the doctor that you can safely operate a vehicle without the previous limitation. Most states require the evaluation to be recent, often within 90 days of submission. For restrictions involving adaptive equipment, you may need to complete a behind-the-wheel driving test showing you can safely operate a standard vehicle without the equipment that was previously required.
Ignition Interlock and Other DUI-Related Restrictions
Removing an ignition interlock requirement is more involved. You generally need to complete the full court-ordered IID period without violations, then obtain a completion certificate from your IID provider and, in many states, a court order authorizing removal. Any recorded violations during the IID period (failed breath tests, missed calibration appointments, evidence of tampering) can extend the requirement, sometimes substantially.
CDL Skills-Based Restrictions
Removing a CDL restriction like the E (automatic transmission only) or O (no tractor-trailer) designation requires going back and passing the CDL skills test in a vehicle that has the equipment your current restriction prohibits. There is no paperwork shortcut. You have to demonstrate competence behind the wheel of the actual vehicle type.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers
If Your License Is Suspended, Not Restricted
A hardship license (sometimes called an occupational, restricted, or work-purpose license) is different from the restrictions above. It applies when your regular license has been suspended, allowing you to drive for specific essential purposes such as work, school, medical appointments, and court-ordered programs. The license usually specifies exact routes, times, or a geographic radius, and any driving outside those limits is treated as driving on a suspended license, a more serious offense than a simple restriction violation.
For DUI-related suspensions, getting a hardship license almost always requires installing an ignition interlock device, completing a DUI education program, and serving an initial hard-suspension period during which you cannot drive at all.2National Conference of State Legislatures. State Ignition Interlock Laws That waiting period ranges from 30 days to a year or more depending on the offense and prior history. Second and subsequent offenders face longer waiting periods and, in some states, cannot get a hardship license at all. The application typically involves petitioning either the court or the DMV (sometimes both), paying a fee, providing proof of need such as an employer letter, and showing proof of insurance. Because the rules differ so much by state, your state DMV’s website or an attorney familiar with your jurisdiction’s process is the fastest way to find out what applies.