Kansas Driving Regulations for Seniors and the Elderly

Learn about driving restrictions and specific initiatives aimed at keeping Kansas’s elderly drivers and highways safe.

While the Kansas Division of Vehicles (DOV) enforces a plethora of laws and regulations that apply to drivers of all ages and stages, the state imposes certain unique requirements and limits on senior drivers.

The Kansas state standards are discussed in further detail below, but many of them concentrate on recognizing and dealing with elderly drivers who may have become risky.

Kansas, specifically:

drivers aged 70 and over must renew their licenses in person
For drivers 70 and older renewing in person, the state demands both a vision exam and a written test, and it accepts requests to undertake a hazardous driving inquiry.

Kansas License Renewal Procedures for Senior Citizens

Drivers aged 70 and over who want to renew their licenses must follow special regulations.

Drivers 65 and over must renew in person every four years, while those under 65 must renew every six years.

A vision exam is required at the time of in-person renewal. Drivers may have a free test conducted by DMV officials, or they can have an exam performed by an independent ophthalmologist or optometrist, who must complete a Vision Form and perform the exam within 90 days of the renewal request.

Renewal does not need a written exam.

A road test is only required if there are signs of driving impairment.

License Restrictions That Might Exist

At the discretion of a doctor or the licensing examiner, up to four limits may be placed to a license.

These might include:

needed corrective lenses
No interstate driving, no driving outside the business area, no driving within city limits only, mileage restrictions in increments of 5 miles—up to 30 miles total, outside mirror required; mechanical aid required, automatic transmission required, prosthetic aid required, and licensed driver in front seat required.

How to Request a Kansas Unsafe Driver Investigation

Contact the DOV’s headquarters office in Topeka for information on how to report a motorist who has become dangerous.

How to Restore a Driver’s License

Contact the Driver Control Bureau for information about regaining a suspended or revoked license in Kansas.

How to Obtain Parking Placards or License Plates for a Disabled Driver

Drivers with limited mobility may be issued disability parking placards and license plates if they see a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopath, chiropractor, podiatrist, optometrist, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or Christian Science practitioner listed in The Christian Science Journal.

Placards and license plates are also offered to people who:

have a significant visual impairment
cannot go 100 feet without stopping to rest
If you have serious lung disease, you should utilize portable oxygen.
have a serious heart disease, or are severely impaired in their capacity to walk at least 100 feet because of an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic problem.

The following steps must be taken in order to receive a disability placard or plate:

Complete and sign a Disability Certification for Disabled Parking Placard and/or Plate.
Complete the Healing Arts Licensed Professional’s Statement section of the application with a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopath, chiropractor, podiatrist, optometrist, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or Christian Science practitioner listed in The Christian Science Journal.
Bring the completed form to the county treasurer’s motor vehicle office in your area.

Learn More About Kansas Senior Driving Laws

The Department of Transportation’s website provides basic information regarding the state’s driving laws and regulations.

The downloadable “Kansas Driving Handbook,” which contains a section on driving instructions for elders, is particularly appealing.