Photo: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most US states require 40 to 60 hours of supervised practice before a teen can get an intermediate license, usually with at least 10 hours at night. The range runs from 20 hours in Iowa to 100 in Oregon for teens who skip driver education. This page lists the required hours in each state, who can supervise, and how the log is certified.
Key facts
- The most common rule is 50 hours, including 10 at night.
- Highest found: Oregon 100 hours (or 50 with approved driver education), Maine 70, Pennsylvania 65 (including 10 at night and 5 in bad weather).
- Lowest found: Iowa 20 hours (2 at night) for the intermediate license, then another 10 (2 at night) before the full license.
- Some states add special conditions: bad-weather hours (Pennsylvania, South Dakota), heavy-traffic hours (New York), or a notarized affidavit (Rhode Island).
- The hours are usually certified by a parent or guardian on a state form or log, presented when you apply or at the road test.
How many supervised driving hours do you need? State by state
Hours apply to applicants under 18 unless stated. Driver education hours with an instructor are usually separate and extra.
| State | Hours required | Night hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 50, or approved driver education instead | Check with the state | Parent signs form DL-31 |
| Alaska | 40 | 10 in darkness or bad weather | Supervisor 21+, licensed 1 year |
| Arizona | 30, or approved driver education | 10 | Supervisor 21+ in the front seat. Third option: 20 hours (6 at night) if the teen also completes a defensive driving or Traffic Survival School course |
| California | 50 | 10 | Supervisor 25+, plus driver education and driver training |
| Colorado | 50 | 10 | Permit held 12 months |
| Connecticut | 40 (all routes for ages 16 and 17) | Check with the state | Plus a 2-hour parent class and the 8-hour Safe Driving Practices course |
| Delaware | 50 | 10 | Certified by the sponsor |
| District of Columbia | 40 | Plus 10 night hours for the next stage | Tutor 21+ with a full license |
| Florida | 50 | 10 | Certified by a parent, guardian or responsible adult 21+ |
| Georgia | 40 | 6 | Plus driver education (Joshua’s Law) |
| Idaho | 50 | 10 | Supervisor 21+ |
| Illinois | 50 | 10 | Supervisor 21+; not required at 18 to 20 |
| Indiana | 50 | 10 (not needed on a daylight-only permit) | State Form 54706 log, required even with driver education; the July 2026 manual also requires it at 18 or older (the adult signs it) |
| Iowa | 20, then 10 more | 2, then 2 more | Plus driver education |
| Kansas | 50 by 16 (25 for the restricted license at 15) | 10 | Signed affidavit; no log required |
| Kentucky | 60 | 10 | Practice Driving Log |
| Louisiana | 50 | 15 | Plus driver education before the permit |
| Maine | 70 (under 21) | 10 | Log MVE-21; supervisor 20+, licensed 2 years |
| Maryland | 60 (under 25); 14 at 25+ | 10 (3 at 25+) | Practice Skills Log; supervisor 21+, licensed 3 years |
| Massachusetts | 40, or 30 with a driver skills program | Check with the state | Check the RMV |
| Michigan | 50 | 10 | Parent certifies; 30 hours (2 night) before Segment 2 |
| Minnesota | 50, or 40 plus a parent class | 15 | Supervised driving log |
| Mississippi | 50 (road test waiver affidavit) | Check with the state | Parent, teacher or guardian certifies |
| Missouri | 40 | 10 | Parent, stepparent, grandparent, guardian, certified trainer or qualified instructor (DOR); confirmed in person at the license office |
| Montana | 50 over at least 6 months | 10 | Parent certification form |
| Nebraska | 50, or an approved driver safety course | 10 | Certification form |
| Nevada | 50 (100 if no driver education school within 30 miles) | 10 | Log DLD-130 or RoadReady app |
| New Hampshire | 40 | 10 | Form DSMV 38; supervisor 25+ |
| New Jersey | 50 (permits issued on or after February 1, 2025) | 10 | Form BA-CSD |
| New Mexico | 50 | 10 | Supervisor 21+, licensed 3+ years |
| New York | 50 | 15 after sunset | Including 10 in moderate to heavy traffic; form MV-262 |
| North Carolina | 60 (Level 1 log, max 10 hours a week counted) | 10 | Driving log; the Level 3 log was dropped in 2025 (Senate Bill 245) |
| North Dakota | 50 (under 16) | Check with NDDOT (“variable conditions”) | Parent signs at the road test |
| Ohio | 50 | 10 | Affidavit BMV 5791; since September 30, 2025 also required at 18 to 20 (R.C. 4507.21) |
| Oklahoma | 50 | 10 | Sworn parent affidavit |
| Oregon | 100, or 50 with approved driver education | Check with the state | Provisional license at 16 or 17 |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 10 | Plus 5 in bad weather; form DL-180C |
| Rhode Island | 50 | 10 | Notarized affidavit; supervisor 21+ with 5 years’ experience |
| South Carolina | 40 | 10 | Supervisor must be a person listed in SC Code 56-1-100(A): parent, guardian, custodian, DSS-approved adult, in loco parentis 60+ days, or a notarized responsible adult; certified on Form PDLA |
| South Dakota | 50 | 10 after dark | Plus 10 in bad weather |
| Tennessee | 50 | 10 | Parent, guardian or instructor certifies |
| Texas | 30 (part of driver education) | 10 | Under 18; recorded in the course log |
| Utah | 40 | 10 after sunset | Also 40 hours for the 19+ route that skips driver education |
| Vermont | 40 | 10 | On top of driver education’s 6 hours |
| Virginia | 45 | 15 after sunset | Certified by a parent, foster parent or legal guardian (Code of Virginia 46.2-334); check with the state DMV for the form used |
| Washington | 50 | 10 | Supervisor 21+, licensed 3+ years (RCW 46.20.075) |
| West Virginia | 50, or approved driver education | 10 | Form DMV-10-GDL |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 10 | Log HS 303 or the Road Ready app |
| Wyoming | 50 | 10 | Log optional; supervisor 18+ |
Not in the table: Arkansas and Hawaii. Ask the state agency for the current hour total. Where night hours say “check with the state”, ask the state agency. That does not mean night practice is optional.
Who can supervise practice driving?
Usually a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front passenger seat. Some states set it higher: 25+ in California and New Hampshire. Some also require years of experience: 3 years in Maryland, New Mexico and Washington, and 5 in Rhode Island. The person who certifies the log is usually a parent or guardian, even if other adults did some of the supervising. South Carolina is strict here: the hours must be with a qualifying adult such as a parent or guardian, not a driving school or a friend.
How to log hours so they count
- Use your state’s official log or app. Several states, including Maryland, Nevada and Wisconsin, accept the RoadReady app.
- Record the date, length, conditions and supervisor for each drive.
- Count night hours using your state’s definition. Maryland, for example, counts from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise.
- Spread practice across roads you will meet alone: highways, rain, rush hour, parking lots.
- Get the certification signed, and notarized if your state requires it, before the road test appointment.
Common questions
Do driver’s ed hours count toward the supervised hours?
Usually not. Maryland and Vermont say the hours are on top of driver education’s behind-the-wheel time. Missouri does let instructor time count toward its 40.
Do adults need supervised hours?
Often not, but some states require them. Maryland applies 14 hours to applicants 25 and over, Utah applies 40 hours to its 19+ route, Indiana’s July 2026 manual applies 50 hours (10 at night) at 18 and over, and Ohio now applies 50 hours to ages 18 to 20.
Does anyone check the log?
The certification is a legal statement. Some states require a notarized affidavit (Rhode Island) or a sworn one (Oklahoma). Signing a false certification can have consequences, and an unprepared teen is more likely to fail the road test anyway.
Can I practice in another state?
Permit rules away from home vary. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
Do night hours have to be in the dark?
Yes, by the state’s definition, usually after sunset or after dark. New Mexico can exempt the night requirement for low night vision with an eye specialist’s report.
What happens after the permit stage?
Curfews and passenger limits apply. See US graduated driver licensing compared.
State log guides: California, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas. All states: learning to drive in the USA.
Sources
- California DMV, “Teen Drivers” and “Driver Training Schools” (dmv.ca.gov)
- New York DMV, “Driver’s Manual, Chapter 1” and MV-262 (dmv.ny.gov)
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, “Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual (PUB 95)” (penndot.pa.gov)
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, “Parent-Taught Driver Education” (tdlr.texas.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Drivers Manual, Section 2” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Ohio Traffic Safety Office, “Under 21 Driver Training” (otso.ohio.gov), and Ohio Revised Code section 4507.21 (codes.ohio.gov)
- North Carolina General Statutes, “G.S. 20-11” (ncleg.gov)
- Code of Virginia, “Section 46.2-334” (law.lis.virginia.gov)
- Arizona MVD, “Driver License Manual 99-0117”; Indiana BMV, “Indiana Driver’s Manual” (July 2026); Missouri DOR, “Missouri Driver Guide”; SCDMV, “Driver’s License Manual”; Connecticut DMV, “Driver’s Manual” (official state domains)
- Maryland MVA, “Learner’s Permit” and “Provisional Driver’s License” (mva.maryland.gov)
- Virginia DMV, “Driver Education” requirements (dmv.virginia.gov)
- Washington State Legislature, “RCW 46.20.075 Intermediate license” (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Utah Driver License Division, “Learner Permit” (dld.utah.gov)
- South Carolina DMV, “Teenage Drivers” and “Supervised Driving Log DL-008A” (dmv.sc.gov)
- Indiana BMV, “Driver’s License” and “Probationary Driver’s License” (in.gov)
- Missouri Department of Revenue, “Missouri Graduated Driver License Law” (dor.mo.gov)
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, press release of January 31, 2025 and form BA-CSD (nj.gov)
- Other state handbooks and GDL pages listed in each state guide, including Alabama (alea.gov), Alaska (doa.alaska.gov), Arizona (azdot.gov), Colorado (codot.gov), Connecticut (portal.ct.gov), Delaware (dmv.de.gov), DC (dmv.dc.gov), Florida (flhsmv.gov), Idaho (itd.idaho.gov), Illinois (ilsos.gov), Iowa (iowadot.gov), Kansas (ksrevenue.gov), Kentucky (drive.ky.gov), Louisiana (expresslane.org), Maine (maine.gov), Massachusetts (mass.gov), Michigan (michigan.gov), Minnesota (revisor.mn.gov), Mississippi (dps.ms.gov), Montana (mvdmt.gov), Nebraska (dmv.nebraska.gov), Nevada (dmv.nv.gov), New Hampshire (dmv.nh.gov), New Mexico (mvd.newmexico.gov), North Carolina (ncdot.gov), North Dakota (dot.nd.gov), Oklahoma (oklahoma.gov), Oregon (oregon.gov), Rhode Island (dmv.ri.gov), South Dakota (sd.gov), Tennessee (tn.gov), Vermont (dmv.vermont.gov), West Virginia (transportation.wv.gov), Wisconsin (wisconsindot.gov) and Wyoming (dot.state.wy.us)