I'm from NY also and I have my permit. You need a licensed driver next to you over the age of 21 with just a permit. I don't think there are rules about what time you can or can't drive. I think that applies only to junior licenses. I just finished my 5 hour class this past weekend and NYC is so backed up right now because of that bitch Sandy they had to shut down a few sites (Coney Island, Red Hook, Staten Island). The earliest scheduled road test is in January 2013. My date is 1/2/13.