It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to drive in Manhattan, EVER. I don't think you should be asking about the penalty, because that implies that you are planning on breaking the law, which is not a good thing. I would assume it would be the same penalty as driving without a license(NY Vehicle & Traffic Code section 509). From http://www.carinsurance.com/kb/content16483.aspx: "The penalties in New York for being unlicensed and driving in New York can differ depending on the exact offense that the driver was issued. Per section 509 of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Code, to drive a vehicle in legally in New York State the operator must have a valid driver's license. A violation of section 509 of the VTC is punishable by a fine of not less than $75 nor more than $300, or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or by both fine and jail time. If the person is cited for not renewing a license and it was valid within 60 days, the fine shall not be more than $40. A ticket for not having a valid license with you is called unlicensed operation in NYS. If instead a person was found to be driving with a suspended or revoked license, this is a criminal violation and there are mandatory fines ranging from $200 up to $5000. The driver may also face mandatory imprisonment or probation, and seizure and possible forfeiture of the vehicle being driving at the time of the citation." So to sum it up, $75 to $300, or possibly 15 days in jail. Probably not a smart idea. I hope this helped.

im 16 and am in drivers ed. they told us that when u have a permit u can only drive in new york city with someone over the age of 21 who is a parent of the child ONLY if the car has dual breaks. the only place in new york where a kid can drive with a permit without dual breaks is in long island or upstate new york but u still need someone 21 or old with a vaild state id