Supervised practice and driver education in Alabama

By the end of this topic you can

• You can choose between the 50-hour route and the driver education route.
• You can say who is allowed to sign the 50-hour verification.
• You can name who may supervise you at 15 and after 16.
• You can plan practice that covers different roads, weather and times of day.
• You can keep a simple practice log to support your verification.

What you need to know and understand

• Applicants under 18 need either a 50-hour verification form or a driver education completion form before the Stage II license.
• The 50-hour verification is signed by a parent, grandparent, legal guardian or certified driving instructor.
• The driver education option must be a course approved by the Alabama State Department of Education.
• ALEA's verification form is known as the DL-31.
• ALEA's published GDL rules do not set a separate night-driving hour requirement.
• At 15, your supervisor must be a parent, guardian, licensed driver aged 21 or older, or a licensed or certified driving instructor in the front seat.

Two routes to Stage II

Route one is the 50-hour verification. An adult signs ALEA's form to confirm you have completed at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. Route two is a driver education course approved by the State Department of Education, which gives you a completion form to bring to the road test. You only need one of the two. Our guide to the Alabama 50-hour form and driver education explains the paperwork in more detail.

Who can sit with you

At 15, a parent, legal guardian, licensed driver aged 21 or older, or a licensed or certified driving instructor must sit in the front seat beside you. The manual says that after you turn 16 any licensed driver may supervise, while ALEA's GDL page still refers to a supervisor aged 21 or older. To be safe, keep practicing with a licensed adult who is at least 21.

Building 50 useful hours

Although Alabama does not require a set number of night hours, crashes are more common after dark. About half of Alabama's fatal crashes happen during darkness, according to the manual, so include some night driving with your supervisor.

1. Start in an empty parking lot: controls, smooth stops, steering and backing.
2. Move to quiet residential streets: stop signs, turns, signaling at least 100 feet ahead.
3. Add busier roads: traffic lights, lane changes, four-way stops and right of way.
4. Practice the road test skills: three-point turn, stopping and starting on a hill, backing about 50 feet.
5. Finish with highways, rain, dusk and night driving.

Keep a practice log

ALEA asks for a signed verification, not a detailed diary, but a simple log of date, minutes, road type and skills practiced helps your supervisor sign honestly and shows you which skills need more work.

Common mistakes

• Driving the same short route every time. Mix roads, speeds and conditions.
• Practicing with a friend who just got a license. At 15 your supervisor must be 21 or older or an instructor.
• Leaving the form until test day. Get the verification or driver education certificate signed before you book.
• Skipping night and rain practice because they are not required. These are where new drivers struggle most.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Alabama

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Alabama 50 Hours Driving
• Alabama Permit Practice Test
• Alabama GDL Law