Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
California teens must complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 10 hours at night, before the drive test. The supervisor must be a California-licensed driver aged 25 or older, and a parent or guardian certifies the hours by signing the permit. Here is how the requirement works and a simple plan for fitting the hours into the 6-month permit period.
Key facts
- 50 hours of supervised practice, at least 10 of them at night.
- Supervisor: California-licensed driver, aged 25 or older, close enough to take control of the car.
- Separate from the 6 hours of professional driver training, which you also need.
- Certification: the parent or guardian and the driving instructor sign the statement on the provisional permit.
- You must also hold the permit at least 6 months before the drive test.
- Applies to applicants under 18. Adults have no set hours.
Who can supervise a California learner under 18?
Any California-licensed driver aged 25 or older: a parent, guardian, relative, family friend or a licensed instructor. They must sit close enough to take control of the vehicle if needed. For 18 and over learners, the supervisor only needs to be 18 or older. See getting a California license at 18 or older.
How the parent certifies the 50 hours
- Keep a log. The DMV’s Supervised Driving Log is available from the teen drivers page, and a copy sits in the back of the Parent-Teen Training Guide (DL 603). Record the date, skills practiced, day or night minutes and the adult’s initials.
- Sign the permit. The parent or guardian and the instructor sign the statement on the provisional permit certifying the teen has completed the supervised training.
- Bring the signed permit to the drive test. The DMV needs it before the test can go ahead.
The DMV also publishes a Parent-Teen Driving Contract for families to agree rules for the car.
A 6-month plan for 50 hours
The Parent-Teen Training Guide points out that 50 hours over 6 months means more than 15 minutes of practice every day. It groups skills into four levels; master each before moving on.
| Level | Skills (DL 603 log codes) | Suggested timing |
|---|---|---|
| I | Starting and stopping (SSC), backing up (BUC), left and right turns (LT/RT), lane choice and control (LCC), looking ahead in traffic (LAT), driving a stick (DS) if manual | Month 1, empty parking lots and quiet streets |
| II | Intersections (I), keeping space around the car (KSAC), lane changes (LC), practicing in traffic (PT) | Months 2 to 3 |
| III | Parking on hills (PH), parallel parking (PP), U-turns (UT) | Months 3 to 4 |
| IV | Freeway driving (FD), night driving (ND), special problems and emergencies (SPE) | Months 4 to 6; spread the 10 night hours out |
Night practice: making the 10 hours count
- Practice on familiar routes first, then unlit roads and busy streets.
- Work on high beams: dim them within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
- Rain at night is worth practicing too: see driving in snow, fog and rain.
Before the test: a mock drive
Use the DMV Safe Driver Checklist and a sample DPE score sheet (both linked from the DMV teen drivers page) for a mock test. Mark any errors and practice those items more. Know what is scored: what the examiner scores and critical driving errors.
Common questions
Do professional driving lessons count toward the 50 hours?
The handbook lists the 50 practice hours and driver training as separate requirements. Plan for 50 supervised hours on top of your 6 hours of professional training.
Does the DMV check my log?
The DMV requires the signed certification on the permit. Keep the log anyway: it’s your record of what you have covered.
Can my 22-year-old sibling supervise me?
No. Under 18 learners need a supervisor aged 25 or older.
Can a licensed driver from another state supervise?
The handbook says the supervisor must be California-licensed.
I moved from another state. Do my practice hours count?
Permit time from another state counts toward the 6-month holding period. Ask the DMV how your earlier practice will be certified. See moving to California.
How does California compare with other states?
See supervised driving hours by state.
Full roadmap: learning to drive in California.
Sources
- California DMV, “Parent-Teen Training Guide (DL 603, Rev. 7/2019)” (dmv.ca.gov)
- California DMV, “Teen Drivers” (dmv.ca.gov)
- California DMV, “Section 2: Getting an Instruction Permit and Driver’s License” (dmv.ca.gov)
- California DMV, “Section 5: An Introduction to Driving” (dmv.ca.gov)