AN ACT to amend the passenger restrictions applicable to level 2 limited provisional license holders.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑11(e) reads as rewritten:

(e)      Level 2 Restrictions. – A limited provisional license authorizes the license holder to drive a specified type or class of motor vehicle only under the following conditions:

(1)        The license holder shall be in possession of the license.

(2)        The license holder may drive without supervision in any of the following circumstances:

a.         From 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

b.         When driving directly to or from work.

c.         When driving directly to or from an activity of a volunteer fire department, volunteer rescue squad, or volunteer emergency medical service, if the driver is a member of the organization.

(3)        The license holder may drive with supervision at any time. When the license holder is driving with supervision, the supervising driver shall be seated beside the license holder in the front seat of the vehicle when it is in motion. The supervising driver need not be the only other occupant of the front seat, but shall be the person seated next to the license holder.

(4)        When the license holder is driving the vehicle and is not accompanied by the supervising driver, there may be no more than one passenger under 21 years of age in the vehicle. This limit does not apply to passengers who are members of the license holder's immediate family or whose primary residence is the same household as the license holder. However, if a family member or member of the same household as the license holder who is younger than 21 years of age is a passenger in the vehicle, no other passengers under 21 years of age, who are not members of the license holder's immediate family or members of the license holder's household, may be in the vehicle.vehicle, except that one other passenger under 21 years of age who is not a member of the license holder's immediate family or member of the license holder's household may be in the vehicle when that passenger is a student being driven directly to or from school.

(5)        Every person occupying the vehicle being driven by the license holder shall have a safety belt properly fastened about his or her body, or be restrained by a child passenger restraint system as provided in G.S. 20‑137.1(a), when the vehicle is in motion.

(6)        The license holder shall not use a mobile telephone or other additional technology associated with a mobile telephone while operating the vehicle on a public street or highway or public vehicular area.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective August 1, 2023, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.