Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nevada teens under 18 need two things before a driver’s license: a DMV-approved driver education course (30 hours of classroom or an approved online course) and at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, logged on the RoadReady app or form DLD-130. If no course is offered within 30 miles of home and you cannot take one online, the practice requirement rises to 100 hours. Use this checklist to get both right first time.
Nevada driver’s ed requirements: the three options
| Option | Course | Supervised driving |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom | 30 hours at a high school or DMV-licensed driving school | 50 hours (40 day, 10 night) |
| Online | A DMV-approved online course | 50 hours (40 day, 10 night) |
| Driving experience only | None. Only if no course is within 30 miles of home and you cannot access one online | 100 hours (90 day, 10 night) |
- You can enroll from age 15½.
- Driver ed is required for the license, not for the instruction permit.
- Home-schooled students are not exempt.
- Some private schools offer a DMV-approved option of 15 hours of classroom plus 5 hours behind the wheel.
- The DMV licenses and monitors schools but does not set their schedules or prices.
Proof of completion
A professional driving school gives you a Certificate of Completion. A high school may give a certificate, report card or transcript. Bring it when you apply for the license, along with your log.
Who can supervise your practice driving
- A licensed driver aged 21 or older
- With at least 1 year of driving experience
- Seated next to you at all times
Time with a professional driving instructor counts toward your hours.
How to fill in the DLD-130 Beginning Driver Experience Log
The DMV accepts only two logs: the RoadReady app or form DLD-130. Any other log is rejected. Even if you use the app, your parent or guardian must sign page 1 of the DLD-130.
- Use blue or black ink. No pencil and no colored gel pens.
- One session per line. Write the date, the start and end time with AM or PM, and the minutes driven.
- No military time. Write 8:00 pm, not 20:00. Logs in military time are not accepted.
- Use the right column. Column A is daytime driving, Column B is nighttime driving.
- Add it up in minutes. 50 hours is 3,000 minutes, including 600 minutes at night. The 100-hour route is 6,000 minutes, including 600 at night.
- Print extra sheets (page 2) when you run out of lines.
- Get the parent or guardian signature on page 1. Signatures must be originals, photocopies are not accepted, and nothing can be changed once it is signed.
- Finish it before test day. The log must be complete before you arrive for the drive test.
Worked example
| Date | Begin | End | Minutes | Column |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/17/23 | 6:00 am | 8:00 am | 120 | A (day) |
| 01/17/23 | 8:00 pm | 9:00 pm | 60 | B (night) |
This is the sample on the form itself.
RoadReady app or paper?
- RoadReady app: records dates, times and conditions on your phone, and produces a downloadable log the DMV accepts.
- DLD-130 paper log: no phone needed, but every rule above applies and the form cannot be changed once signed.
Either way, the parent signs page 1 of the DLD-130.
A practice plan for 50 hours
The DMV publishes a Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide with lessons for coaching a new driver. The order below is a suggestion, not a DMV rule, built around the skills the road test covers:
- Empty parking lot: controls, smooth starts and stops, turning, backing up.
- Quiet residential streets: stop signs, right-of-way, speed control.
- Busier roads: lane changes, left turns at signals, entering traffic.
- Night driving: spread the 10 night hours out rather than doing them in one week.
- Freeways and bad weather once the basics are solid.
- Test prep: parking, backing up, stopping on a hill.
Common questions
Is driver’s ed required in Nevada?
Yes, for most first-time drivers under 18 who want a license. It is not needed for the permit.
Can I take Nevada driver’s ed online?
Yes, if the course is DMV-approved.
How many night hours do I need in Nevada?
10 hours, whether you are on the 50-hour or the 100-hour route. The night requirement does not apply to motorcycle licenses.
Do lessons with a driving instructor count toward the 50 hours?
Yes. Time with a professional driving instructor counts.
Can I use a spreadsheet or another app for my log?
No. Only the RoadReady app or the DLD-130 form is accepted.
When do I hand in the log?
At your driving skills test. Complete it before you arrive.
Back to the main guide: learning to drive in Nevada. Next step: the Nevada road test. Before that: the instruction permit. Compare states: supervised driving hours by state.
Sources
- Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driver Education for Teens” (dmv.nv.gov)
- Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Beginning Driver Experience Log, DLD-130 (1/2023)” (dmv.nv.gov)
- Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Nevada Driver’s Handbook, DMV 700 (March 2024)” (dmv.nv.gov)
- Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Teen Road Test for Teens” (dmv.nv.gov)