The restrictions that can be placed on your driver’s license fall into three practical groups: medical or physical conditions that require accommodation, graduated rules for new drivers, and conditions imposed after a traffic offense. Each one shows up as a coded letter printed on the card itself, and each one carries its own rules for how you comply and how you eventually get it removed. Ignoring any of them is a traffic offense, and in some states it is treated as seriously as driving without a license at all.
Reading the Codes on Your License
License restrictions are printed using standardized codes developed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. The ones you are most likely to see are B (corrective lenses required), C (mechanical aid such as hand controls or special brakes), D (prosthetic aid required), F (outside mirror required), G (daylight driving only), H (employment-related driving only), and T (ignition interlock device required).
States can add their own codes on top of the standard set. If you see a letter or number on your license that isn’t on this list, check the back of the card or your state’s DMV website for the local meaning.
Medical and Physical Restrictions
The largest category of restrictions addresses medical or physical conditions that affect safe driving. State motor vehicle departments impose them based on medical evaluations, vision screenings, or what examiners observe during a road test.
Vision and Corrective Lenses
The B restriction is the most frequently issued restriction in the country. If you can’t meet your state’s minimum visual acuity without glasses or contacts, you’ll be required to wear them every time you drive. Drivers with more significant vision impairment that lenses can’t fully resolve may instead receive a G restriction limiting them to daylight hours, when visibility is more forgiving.
Adaptive Equipment and Prosthetic Devices
Drivers with limb impairments or other physical disabilities can often drive safely with vehicle modifications. Hand controls, left-foot accelerators, and spinner knobs get coded onto the license so law enforcement knows the vehicle must be equipped with that device. A prosthetic restriction works the same way: it confirms you passed the skills test using the prosthesis and must have it on when you drive. The exact equipment is tailored to the individual, so a driver with a right-arm impairment might be required to use a steering knob and a signal device, while a driver with an above-the-knee amputation may face additional restrictions even with a prosthesis.
Diabetes, Epilepsy, and Other Conditions
Some conditions trigger ongoing monitoring rather than a one-time equipment restriction. Insulin-treated diabetes often requires periodic medical updates. Epilepsy typically requires a seizure-free period before a license is issued or reinstated, commonly ranging from three months to a year depending on the state, with a physician’s clearance confirming the driver can operate a vehicle safely. Sleep apnea, cardiovascular conditions that risk sudden incapacitation, and cognitive impairments can also lead to restrictions. The common thread is any condition where a driver could lose consciousness or lose control without warning.
Restrictions on New and Young Drivers
Every state and the District of Columbia uses graduated driver licensing to phase new drivers into full privileges over time. The system has three stages: a supervised learner phase, an intermediate phase with restricted independent driving, and finally an unrestricted license.
Nighttime Curfews
Intermediate licenses almost universally include a nighttime driving curfew. Start times vary from as early as 9 p.m. to as late as midnight, and most curfews end between 5 and 6 a.m. CDC research found that curfews starting at 10 p.m. or earlier produce the largest reductions in teen crash rates.
Passenger Limits
Passenger rules are the other core piece of GDL. The typical rule caps how many non-family passengers a new driver can carry, especially during the first several months. Some states start at zero non-family passengers and allow one after six months; others cap it at one from the beginning. Family members are almost always exempted because the real concern is peer distraction.
Supervised Driving
During the learner’s permit stage, a licensed adult, usually over 21, must sit in the front passenger seat at all times. Most states also require a minimum number of logged supervised hours, divided between daytime and nighttime, before you can move up to the intermediate stage.
Older Drivers
Some states impose added requirements once a driver reaches a certain age, or when a report from law enforcement, a family member, or a physician raises concerns. These can include more frequent vision tests, shorter renewal periods that require in-person visits, or behind-the-wheel re-examinations. If a specific impairment turns up, a daylight-only restriction or a limit on highway driving may be added to preserve some mobility while keeping the driver off the road in higher-risk conditions.
Restrictions After a Driving Offense
Courts and motor vehicle departments can restrict your license as part of the consequences for a traffic offense, particularly anything alcohol-related. These restrictions are generally more burdensome and more expensive than medical or age-based ones.
Ignition Interlock Devices
An ignition interlock wires into your vehicle’s starter and requires a breath sample before the engine will turn over. If your sample registers above the pre-set alcohol threshold, the vehicle won’t start. Most devices also require rolling retests while you drive, so that someone else can’t just provide the initial sample for you.
All 50 states and D.C. allow interlocks for at least some DUI offenders, and 34 states plus D.C. require them even for first-time offenders. The remaining states generally require them for repeat offenders or drivers caught with high blood alcohol concentrations. The device must stay installed for a court-specified period, which can range from several months for a first offense to years for repeat convictions.
The cost is real. Installation typically runs $70 to $150, and monthly monitoring and lease fees run $50 to $120. Over a 12-month period, you can spend $700 to over $1,500, on top of fines, court costs, and higher insurance premiums.
Occupational and Hardship Licenses
If your license is suspended, you may qualify for a restricted license that lets you drive only for essential purposes: work, school, medical appointments, and court-ordered programs. States call these occupational, hardship, restricted-use, or conditional licenses. The permitted routes and hours are spelled out in the license terms, and any deviation counts as a violation.
Not everyone qualifies. A first-offense DUI suspension may make you eligible, while a revocation for a more serious offense often disqualifies you entirely. Most states also require that you’ve met every other restoration condition, paid outstanding fines, and in many cases filed proof of financial responsibility before you can apply.
Geographic and Time-Based Limits
Courts can also impose standalone geographic or time restrictions, confining you to a radius around your home or to specified hours. Vehicle-type restrictions are another option, preventing a driver from operating commercial vehicles or motorcycles based on the offense on their record.
SR-22 Financial Responsibility
Restrictions tied to DUI convictions, suspensions, or at-fault uninsured accidents often come with a requirement to file proof of financial responsibility, usually called an SR-22. It’s not a special insurance product; it’s a form your insurer files with the state confirming you carry at least the minimum liability coverage. If your coverage lapses during the filing period, your insurer notifies the state and your license can be suspended again. Most states require the filing for three to five years, and premiums are significantly higher during that period because insurers classify you as high-risk.
Commercial Driver’s License Restrictions
If you hold a CDL, federal rules add another layer. You cannot operate a commercial motor vehicle without a current medical examiner’s certificate, and the physical qualification standards cover vision, hearing, limb function, cardiovascular and respiratory health, diabetes, epilepsy, and mental health. If your medical certificate expires, federal law requires your state to initiate a CDL downgrade within 60 days, converting your CDL to a regular non-commercial license until you re-certify. Letting the certification lapse long enough can force you to retake CDL knowledge and skills tests.
What Happens if You Violate a Restriction
Driving outside your restriction is a moving violation in most states, but the severity varies widely. In some places, driving without required corrective lenses is a minor infraction with a fine. In others, it is a misdemeanor on par with driving without a valid license, carrying jail time of up to 60 days or more. The consequences climb when the restriction is court-ordered. Tampering with an interlock, or driving outside the permitted routes of a hardship license, can get the restricted license revoked entirely, with no second chance at limited privileges.
The legal penalty is only part of it. A violation adds points to your driving record, gives your insurer a reason to raise rates or drop coverage, and shows a court that you are not complying with the terms of your sentence, which can influence future sentencing.
How to Get a Restriction Removed
Removal depends on the type of restriction. Vision-based restrictions are the easiest: pass a new vision test demonstrating you meet the standard without corrective lenses, and the DMV removes the B code. Medical restrictions tied to conditions like epilepsy typically require a physician’s clearance and completion of any required monitoring period.
GDL restrictions expire automatically as you age out of each stage and meet the requirements for a full license. Most states set the full-privilege age at 18, though some restrictions don’t lift until 21.
Offense-related restrictions are the hardest to clear. An ignition interlock requirement means completing the full court-ordered period without violations and obtaining documentation, usually from both the interlock provider and the court or DMV, confirming compliance before the device can be removed. An occupational or hardship license converts back to a full license only after your suspension period ends and you have satisfied every restoration requirement, including any SR-22 filing period. Missing a step or a deadline can reset the clock, so keeping careful records of compliance dates is the most practical thing you can do to get your full privileges back on schedule.