Kansas (KS) Teen Auto Insurance Laws, Rates & Requirements

In the state of Kansas, more than 7,000 teens are involved in traffic accidents each year. To help reduce the number of teen accidents in the state, Kansas has recently passed a bill that will update its current driver licensing system. Beginning January 1, 2010, the state of Kansas will begin enforcing a Graduated Driver Licensing system that will address the top three risks to young drivers: late-night driving, inexperience, and multiple passengers in the vehicle.

Continue reading to learn more about Kansas’s Graduated Driver Licensing system and Kansas’s existing teen driving laws.

Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) and Driver License Requirements

Kansas’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) will apply to teen’s ages 14-16 years old. Teens will begin the journey towards an unrestricted license by obtaining a learner’s permit. Under the new GDL program, the licensee must:

•    Be at least 14 years of age
•    Written or certificate of completion from driver education
•    Take a vision test
•    Drive with a licensed adult (minimum age 21) in the front passenger seat at all times
•    Hold the license for 1 year before advancing to a restricted license

To obtain a learner’s permit, you must have written consent of a parent or guardian and provide:

•    Social security card
•    Birth certificate or U.S. Passport
•    Kansas school forms to show proof of address

Once the teen reaches the age of 15, and he has satisfied all requirements of the learner’s permit, he will become eligible to apply for a restricted license. In order t obtain a restricted license, you must:

•    Be a minimum of 15 years of age, but less than 16
•    Take a vision test
•    Have parental approval to obtain the license
•    Provide a completion slip (all terms of learner’s permit have been met)

When the teen reaches the age of 16, but less that 17, he is eligible to graduate to an unrestricted license. To graduate, the teen must:

•    Take a vision test
•    Provide a certificate of completion from driver education or take a written and driver’s test
•    Have completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving
•    Keep a clean record for the first 6 months of holding the license

Kansas Teen Driving Laws and Enforcement

In the state of Kansas, drivers with an instruction permit must have an adult in the front passenger seat at all times. The adult must be at least 21 years of age or older. Drivers with a restricted license can only driver to and from school or work, and they cannot drive anytime or anywhere without a licensed adult age 21 or older. In addition, the licensee cannot transport any non-sibling minor passengers at any time.

Unrestricted license holders must still adhere to passenger laws. The license holder cannot transport more than one passenger who is less than 18 years of age and who is not a member of the licensee’s immediate family. Once the licensee has held the unrestricted license for 6 months, and if he has a clean record, the passenger laws will no longer apply. The licensee must be 17 in order to move to a complete unrestricted license.

Kansas Cell Phone Use/Texting While Driving Laws

In the state of Kansas, it is against the law for teens under the age of 17 to use a wireless communication device while driving. The only exceptions are emergencies or to report illegal activity. If you violate Kansas’s cell phone laws, you will be cited and you risk license suspension.

Kansas Teen DUI Laws

In the state of Kansas, it is a crime for a teen to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) of 0.02% or higher. A BAC of 0.02% is as little as one beer, one glass of wine or one mixed drink for most people. It can be even less for some. Proof of a BAC of 0.02% is all that is needed to convict a Kansas teen of DUI. If you get caught driving with a BAC of 0.02% but less than 0.08%, you face the same penalties as an adult.

For a first offense, you risk a minimum of 48 hours in jail and 100 ours of community service and license suspension for a minimum of 30 days. You could also be fined from $500-$1,000 and your license might be restricted for up to one year. Second DUI offenses carry 90 days up to a year in jail, fines from $1,000-$1,500, license suspension for one year, and interlock. Other penalties may include vehicle impoundment and probation. All DUI offenses in the state of Kansas will result in alcohol and drug treatment at your own expense.

Kansas Teen Auto Insurance Requirements

It doesn’t matter a vehicle is registered in a teens name or the parent’s name, in the state of Kansas, you must carry a specific set of auto insurance coverages or you risk losing your driving privileges. In the state of Kansas, you must carry these coverages while driving in any part of the state. Kansas’s minimum coverages are complicated, so please read through each coverage amount carefully. When purchasing auto insurance in the state of Kansas, your policy must include minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $10,000 per accident for property damage as well as personal injury protection (PIP or No Fault). The minimum amounts of PIP required by law are:

•    $4,500/person for medical expenses
•    $900/month for one year for disability/loss of income
•    $25/day for in-home services
•    $2,000 for funeral, burial or cremation expense
•    $4,500 for rehabilitation expense
•    Survivor Benefits: Disability/loss of income up to $900/month for one year
•    In-home services up to $25/day for one year

All Kansas drivers must also carry uninsured/underinsured motorist’s coverage (UM/UIM) in the amount of $25,000 per person per accident and up to $50,000 per accident. Because the risk of an auto collision is significantly higher during a teen’s first year behind the wheel, auto insurance companies recommend purchasing higher amounts of coverage than the legal limits. If you plan to add a teen driver to your policy, keep in mind that your annual rate will increase anywhere from $1,200 to $4,900 a year - or an average of $2,171 a year.

Although auto insurance premiums will increase if you add a teen to your policy or purchasing teen auto insurance will always be pricier than other policies, there are ways to qualify for discounts on teen auto insurance. Auto insurance companies offer discounts ranging from 10-15% or more for:

•    Maintaining at least a B average
•    Successful completion of a state approved safe driver course

You can also lower your premiums on teen auto insurance if you avoid purchasing sports and luxury cars for your teen, if you opt for a higher deductible, or if you combine insurance policies into one (i.e. life, home, health, renter’s, etc.).