Photo: Alec Adriano, Pexels
Illinois teens under 18 must log at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving, including 10 hours at night, before getting a license. A parent, legal guardian or responsible adult certifies the hours when you apply. This checklist is for Illinois families: who can supervise, what counts, how to sign off and a plan to fit 50 hours into the 9-month permit period.
Key facts
- Total: 50 hours minimum.
- Night: at least 10 of the 50 hours.
- Supervisor: a parent, legal guardian or responsible adult 21 or older with a valid license and at least one year of driving experience, in the front passenger seat.
- Extra to driver ed: the hours are in addition to any time behind the wheel with a driving instructor.
- Sign-off: certified by a parent, guardian or responsible adult when you apply for the license (625 ILCS 5/6-107).
Who can supervise Illinois practice driving?
- A parent or legal guardian with a valid license, or
- Any responsible adult 21 or older with a valid driver’s license.
The 2026 Rules of the Road also says your supervisor needs at least one year of driving experience and must sit in the front passenger seat beside you.
The supervisor should be sober, alert and not using a phone. You are learning from them.
How the Illinois 50-hour certification works
- Download the official 50-hour practice log from the Secretary of State website, or use the log in the GDL Parent-Teen Driving Guide (DSD A 217).
- Record each drive as you go: date, times, whether it was day or night, and what you practiced.
- When you apply for your license, bring the completed log with the proper signature.
- Your parent or guardian gives consent in one of two ways:
- comes with you to the DMV facility and signs there, or
- completes a notarized Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive form. This form includes the certification that you have done 50 hours, including 10 at night.
Illinois 50-hour practice plan
A 9-month permit period is about 39 weeks, so roughly 1.5 hours a week covers 50 hours with time to spare. Work from easy to hard:
| Stage | Where | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empty parking lot | Starting, stopping, steering, mirrors, backing straight |
| 2 | Quiet residential streets | Stop signs, turns, four-way stops, turnabouts, hill parking |
| 3 | Busier roads | Signals, lane changes, right on red, pedestrians |
| 4 | Expressways | Merging and exits |
| 5 | Night, rain and snow | The 10 night hours, plus bad-weather driving |
Finish by rehearsing the skills on the Illinois road test: backing about 50 feet, the turnabout, and parking and starting on a hill, uphill and downhill.
Illinois driving log checklist
- Total hours add up to 50 or more
- At least 10 hours marked as night
- Every entry has a supervisor who meets the rules
- Night drives planned around the Illinois GDL nighttime limits and their exceptions
- Log signed, or a notarized affidavit ready
- Permit held at least 9 months
Common questions
Do driver ed hours count toward the 50 in Illinois?
No. The SOS says the 50 hours are in addition to behind-the-wheel time with a driving instructor.
Does the Illinois SOS check the log?
You must bring a log with the proper signature for a teen applicant, and your parent or guardian certifies the hours. Keep it accurate; it is a legal certification.
Can I use an app instead of the paper log?
The SOS asks for the 50-hour driving log with the proper signature. If you track hours in an app, copy them onto the official log before your visit.
What counts as night driving?
Log drives after dark and record the time of each. If you are unsure about a drive near dusk, check with the Secretary of State.
Do I need the 50 hours if I am 18?
The legal requirement is for applicants under 18. Adult course applicants are encouraged, not required, to do 50 hours. Compare states in supervised driving hours by state. Main guide: learning to drive in Illinois.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State, “2026 Illinois Rules of the Road” (DSD A 112, July 2026), Chapter 3 (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Illinois GDL Parent-Teen Driving Guide” DSD A 217 (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Graduated Driver’s License” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois General Assembly, 625 ILCS 5/6-107, Graduated license (ilga.gov)
- Illinois State Board of Education, “Driver Education Frequently Asked Questions” (isbe.net)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Adult Driver Education FAQs” (ilsos.gov)