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If you are under 18 in Massachusetts, you need four things before the RMV will let you take the road test. You must finish driver’s education (30 hours of classroom, 12 hours behind the wheel, 6 hours observing). You must log 40 hours of supervised driving, or 30 with a driver skills development program. A parent or guardian must attend a 2-hour class. And you need 6 clean months on your permit. This checklist covers each requirement and how to prove it.
Massachusetts under-18 checklist
| Requirement | Minimum | How it reaches the RMV |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom instruction | 30 hours | Driver’s education certificate, filed electronically by the school after you pass the final exam |
| Behind-the-wheel training | 12 hours | Same certificate |
| Observing another student drive | 6 hours | Same certificate |
| Supervised practice | 40 hours (30 with a driver skills development program) | Certified statement by a parent or guardian |
| Parent or guardian class | 2 hours (not needed if they attended in the past 5 years) | Part of the driver’s education program |
| Time on permit | 6 consecutive months, clean record | RMV record |
Driver’s education: 30 + 12 + 6
- 30 hours in class on Massachusetts motor vehicle law and safe vehicle operation.
- 18 hours in a training vehicle: at least 12 behind the wheel and 6 observing another student.
- Pass the final exam. The school then files your certificate electronically. The RMV checks it is on your record at the road test.
Driver’s education is required for every Class D and M applicant under 18. Courses are run by RMV-licensed driving schools and approved high school programs. If you doubt a school, ask to see its RMV license certificate. A bonus of a licensed school: you can use its car for the road test and its instructor as your sponsor.
At 18 or older you do not need driver’s education.
The 40 supervised hours
These hours are on top of the 12 hours with your driving school. A parent or guardian certifies them. The RMV publishes a Supervised Driving Log you can use to track them.
During practice, your supervisor must:
- be at least 21
- have at least 1 year of driving experience
- hold a valid license from Massachusetts or another state
- sit in the seat beside you
Under 18, you may not practice between midnight and 5 a.m. unless your parent or legal guardian (licensed, with at least 1 year of experience) is the one with you.
The requirement drops to 30 hours if you complete a driver skills development program. Ask your driving school whether it offers one the RMV accepts.
A simple way to plan 40 hours
This is a planning suggestion only, not an RMV rule. Over 6 months (about 26 weeks), 40 hours is roughly 1.5 hours a week. Spread it across:
- quiet streets and parking lots for car control
- busy town centers and thickly settled districts
- highways, merging and exits (see freeway driving for new drivers)
- rotaries (see how to drive through a Massachusetts rotary)
- night, rain and winter conditions (see driving in snow, fog and rain)
- every road test task: parallel parking, backing about 50 feet, three-point turns and hill starts
The 2-hour parent class
One parent or guardian must take part in 2 hours of instruction on the driver’s education curriculum. They do not have to repeat it if they took part in the past 5 years, for example with an older child. The RMV also offers a Parent’s Supervised Driving Program and a Driver Parent/Guardian Contract as optional resources.
Moved from another state?
- Driver’s ed certificate: complete the RMV’s Application to Convert Out-of-State Driver Education Certificate. Your course must meet or exceed the Massachusetts classroom and in-car minimums. Once a Massachusetts certificate is filed, you can book your road test.
- Out-of-state JOL holders: you also need a Massachusetts driver’s education certificate on file and an additional 40 logged hours (30 with a skills program).
- Out-of-state permit: it can be converted, and the Massachusetts permit is backdated to the original issue date so it counts toward your 6 months.
Common questions
Do driving school hours count toward the 40 hours?
No. The RMV says the 40 hours are “additional” to the driver’s education program.
Can a grandparent supervise my practice?
Any driver who meets the supervisor rules (21 or older, 1 year of experience, valid license) can ride with you outside the midnight to 5 a.m. window. The RMV describes the 40 hours as shown by a parent or guardian’s certified statement, and the 30-hour option as driving “supervised by a parent or guardian”. Ask the RMV whether hours with other adults count toward the total.
Can I take driver’s ed before I get my permit?
Ask your driving school when the classroom part must start.
My parent did the 2-hour class for my sister 3 years ago. Do they need to do it again?
No. It counts if they took part in the past 5 years.
I am 18. Do I still need 40 hours?
The 40-hour rule is part of the JOL requirements for applicants aged 16 and a half to 18. The RMV says you do not need driver’s education at 18 or older.
Related guides
- Learning to drive in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts road test and sponsor rules
- Massachusetts Junior Operator License rules
- Supervised driving hours by state
Sources
- Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, “Junior Operator License (JOL) requirements” (mass.gov)
- Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, “Massachusetts Driver’s Manual (Class D), revised April 2026” (mass.gov)
- Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, “Schedule your road test” (mass.gov)