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This checklist is for Montana parents and teens logging practice before the first-year restricted license. Montana requires at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, over at least six months on the learner permit (NCLP). A parent or guardian certifies the hours on MVD form 21-1600, and the teen brings the log to the road test.
Key facts
- Hours: 50 total, including 10 at night (MCA 61-5-132).
- Alternative course route: 75 hours, including 15 at night.
- Minimum time: six months on the permit; the MVD says six months and a day.
- Who supervises: a parent or legal guardian, or a licensed driver 18 or older with their consent.
- Who certifies: a parent or legal guardian on the Graduated Driver Licensing Parent/Legal Guardian Certification (form 21-1600), or a responsible adult who knows your driving if no parent or guardian is available.
- Log format: paper or digital, brought to the road test.
Montana driving log checklist
- Permit (NCLP) in the car every drive
- Supervisor qualifies: parent/guardian, or licensed 18+ with their permission, sitting beside the driver
- Everyone belted before you move
- Log each drive: date, conditions and skills, time, supervisor’s initials
- Night hours marked clearly (you need at least 10)
- Mix of conditions: varied weather, traffic and road types, as the OPI fact sheet advises
- Running total checked monthly
- No traffic tickets or alcohol or drug offenses in the last six months, and none pending
- Form 21-1600 completed and signed
- Log and form packed for the road test
Where to get a Montana practice driving log
OPI’s “GDL: Graduated Driver Licensing in Montana” fact sheet includes a printable practice driving log with columns for date, conditions and skills (for example intersections, full stops, yields, scanning for hazards), time and initials, plus signature lines for the parent or guardian and the teen. The same sheet suggests a phone log app as an alternative. Any format is fine as long as it records the hours clearly, because the MVD accepts a hard copy or a digital version.
A sample plan for 50 hours in six months
Six months is about 26 weeks, so two hours a week gets you to 50 with a little to spare. One way to spread it:
| Months | Focus | Rough hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empty parking lots, then quiet streets: controls, smooth stops, turns | 6 |
| 2 | Residential and town driving: intersections, right of way, school zones | 8 |
| 3 | Busier traffic, lane changes, parking including parallel parking | 9 |
| 4 | Two-lane rural highways, passing zones, wildlife and gravel | 9 |
| 5 | Interstate merging, night driving, bad weather if you can | 9 |
| 6 | Mixed drives that copy a real road test route | 9 |
This is a suggestion, not an MVD rule. Spread the 10 night hours over several months rather than cramming them in. For winter practice tips, see driving in snow, fog and rain.
What the parent is signing
On form 21-1600 the parent or guardian certifies two things required by MCA 61-5-132:
- the teen has done at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 at night (or 75 and 15 on the alternative course route)
- in the six months before applying, the teen has had no traffic convictions and no alcohol or drug convictions or adjudications, and has no pending citations
If the second statement cannot be signed, the MVD may extend the learner permit for another year or until 18. The parent who signed the original permit application is also legally liable for damage from a crash when the teen is driving, so take the hours seriously.
Common questions
Does the Montana 50-hour log need to be notarized?
The law asks for written certification from a parent or guardian. No notarization requirement appears in MCA 61-5-132.
Can grandparents or an older sibling supervise?
Yes, if they are licensed, 18 or older and have the parent or guardian’s permission.
What counts as night driving in Montana?
The GDL rules do not define it. Montana’s speed law uses “nighttime” for the time from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise (MCA 61-8-303), which is a sensible guide.
Can I get my license before six months if I finish 50 hours early?
No. You need both: the hours and at least six months on the permit.
Do I need the log if I am 18 or older?
No. The 50-hour certification is part of the GDL rules for licenses issued under 18.
Can I use an app instead of the paper log?
Yes. The MVD accepts a digital version on a phone or other device.
How Montana’s hours compare: supervised driving hours by state. Next step after the log: first-year restricted license rules. Full path: learning to drive in Montana.
Sources
- Montana Office of Public Instruction, “GDL: Graduated Driver Licensing in Montana” fact sheet and practice driving log (revised May 2017) (opi.mt.gov)
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Drivers Under 18” (mvdmt.gov)
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Graduated Driver Licensing Certification” (form 21-1600) (mvdmt.gov)
- Montana Legislature, “Montana Code Annotated 2025”, sections 61-5-106, 61-5-132, 61-8-303 (mca.legmt.gov)