Supervised practice and driver education in Delaware

By the end of this topic you can

• You can describe what the Delaware driver education course includes.
• You can explain the 50-hour practice requirement and the night-driving part of it.
• You can say who qualifies as a supervising driver.
• You can explain how and when the practice hours are certified.

What you need to know and understand

• Driver education is required for anyone under 18 who wants a Delaware license.
• The course has at least 44 class hours: 30 in the classroom, 7 behind the wheel and 7 observing in the car.
• Your sponsor must certify at least 50 hours of supervised driving, with 10 of them at night.
• The certification goes to the Department of Education after the first six months, and can be emailed.
• Supervisors must be at least 25 and have held a Class D license for at least 5 years.
• Only the supervisor may sit in the front seat with you.

Inside the driver education course

Delaware's education regulation sets a minimum of 44 class hours. That is 30 hours of classroom teaching, 7 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction and 7 hours of in-car observation, where you learn by watching another student drive. The driver education teacher gives your written and road tests and, if you pass, issues the Blue Certificate you take to the DMV.

If you took a course in another state, the Delaware Department of Education must approve it before the DMV will accept it. Our guide to Delaware driver's ed and the Blue Certificate explains the course options.

Building your 50 hours

The 50 hours can be driven with your parent or guardian or with any authorized supervising driver. The DMV's Parent's Supervised Driving Program booklet includes a printed log, and the DMV also offers a free mobile app for logging drives. The booklet suggests working through skills in order, starting in quiet areas and moving to busier roads only as you gain control.

1. Start in an empty parking lot: seat, mirrors, steering, smooth starts and stops.
2. Move to quiet residential streets: turns, stop signs, scanning for pedestrians.
3. Add busier roads, lane changes, roundabouts and highway merging.
4. Spread the 10 night hours across the six months rather than cramming them.
5. Practice in rain and heavier traffic before you drive alone.

Rules for the person beside you

Your supervisor must be a licensed parent, guardian or a licensed driver approved by your sponsor, aged at least 25 with at least 5 years on a Class D license. They must sit next to you in the front, and nobody else may sit in the front seat. The booklet asks families not to practice on official state road test courses, out of respect for neighbors.

Adults on the standard learner's permit follow different rules: the person beside them must be a licensed driver aged at least 21. Check with the DMV for any other conditions on an adult permit.

Common mistakes

• Logging hours with an older sibling who is under 25. Their time does not count, and they cannot legally supervise.
• Leaving all night driving to the final weeks. Night skills take time to build.
• Forgetting to submit the certification. Unsupervised driving cannot start until it is turned in after six months.
• Practicing only the same short route. Vary roads, times and weather.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Delaware

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

Go deeper

• Delaware Permit Practice Test
• Delaware Permit Test
• Delaware Driver’s Ed and the Blue Certificate