diff --git a/tests/py/kernels/conftest.py b/tests/py/kernels/conftest.py
index 52be6fd4d7..71786626fe 100644
--- a/tests/py/kernels/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/py/kernels/conftest.py
@@ -37,16 +37,84 @@ def _has_cuda_core() -> bool:
 )
 
 
+def _decode_cuda_driver_version(version: int) -> tuple[int, int]:
+    """Decode CUDA's integer driver API version into ``(major, minor)``."""
+    if version <= 0:
+        raise ValueError(f"invalid CUDA driver version: {version}")
+    return version // 1000, (version % 1000) // 10
+
+
+def _cuda_driver_nvrtc_versions() -> tuple[tuple[int, int], tuple[int, int]]:
+    """Return the maximum CUDA version supported by the driver and NVRTC's version."""
+    try:
+        from cuda.bindings import driver, nvrtc
+    except ImportError:
+        # cuda-python < 12.8 exposed the same APIs from these modules.
+        from cuda import cuda as driver
+        from cuda import nvrtc
+
+    driver_status, encoded_driver_version = driver.cuDriverGetVersion()
+    if int(driver_status) != 0:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"cuDriverGetVersion failed with CUDA error {int(driver_status)}"
+        )
+
+    nvrtc_status, nvrtc_major, nvrtc_minor = nvrtc.nvrtcVersion()
+    if int(nvrtc_status) != 0:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"nvrtcVersion failed with CUDA error {int(nvrtc_status)}")
+
+    return _decode_cuda_driver_version(encoded_driver_version), (
+        nvrtc_major,
+        nvrtc_minor,
+    )
+
+
+def _ptx_compatibility_skip_reason(
+    driver_version: tuple[int, int], nvrtc_version: tuple[int, int]
+) -> str | None:
+    """Explain why NVRTC PTX cannot be loaded, or return ``None`` if compatible."""
+    if driver_version >= nvrtc_version:
+        return None
+
+    driver = ".".join(map(str, driver_version))
+    backend = ".".join(map(str, nvrtc_version))
+    return (
+        "CUDA kernel tests require a driver capable of loading the PTX emitted "
+        f"by NVRTC, but the active driver supports CUDA {driver} and NVRTC is "
+        f"CUDA {backend}. Upgrade the CI runner driver to >= {backend}, or use "
+        f"a CUDA toolkit/runtime <= {driver}."
+    )
+
+
 def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config, items):
-    """Skip the whole kernels suite when cuda-core is missing.
+    """Skip the kernels suite when its CUDA PTX toolchain cannot be used.
 
     The QDP kernel tests compile CUDA via the ``cuda.core`` NVRTC API; without
     cuda-core they all error on import. Skip (not fail) so a plain test run is
     green — `just install-test-ext` pulls cuda-core so they actually run.
+
+    NVRTC also emits PTX that must be JIT-loaded by the installed driver. CUDA's
+    minor-version compatibility does not cover PTX generated by a newer toolkit,
+    so do not run the suite when the driver API version predates NVRTC.
     """
-    if _HAS_CUDA_CORE:
+    if not _HAS_CUDA_CORE:
+        reason = "cuda-core (cuda.core) not installed"
+    elif not torch.cuda.is_available():
         return
-    skip = pytest.mark.skip(reason="cuda-core (cuda.core) not installed")
+    else:
+        try:
+            driver_version, nvrtc_version = _cuda_driver_nvrtc_versions()
+            reason = _ptx_compatibility_skip_reason(driver_version, nvrtc_version)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            # Only run kernel tests after positively verifying that their PTX can
+            # be loaded. This turns an opaque collection of kernel failures into
+            # one actionable CI skip reason if version discovery itself breaks.
+            reason = f"could not verify CUDA driver/NVRTC compatibility: {exc}"
+
+        if reason is None:
+            return
+
+    skip = pytest.mark.skip(reason=reason)
     for item in items:
         item.add_marker(skip)