Supervised practice and driver education in District of Columbia

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state how many certified hours DC requires at each stage.
• You can say who is allowed to supervise and sign your forms.
• You can fill in a practice plan that covers different roads and conditions.
• You can explain when each certification form is handed in.

What you need to know and understand

• You need at least 40 hours of supervised driving, certified on the Certification of Eligibility for Provisional License form, before the road test if you are under 21.
• You need at least 10 hours of night driving, certified on the Certification of Eligibility for Full License with Conditions form, before moving from provisional to full license.
• The supervisor must be 21 or older, hold a valid full driver license and sit beside you wearing a seat belt.
• The supervisor signs the form and a photocopy of their license goes with it.
• Permit holders may only drive between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. The 10 night hours are certified for the full license with conditions, so most learners log them during the provisional stage with a qualifying adult beside them.
• If you turn 21 while holding a permit, you can book the road test without the 40-hour form.

The two certifications at a glance

• 40-hour form: covers your learner permit stage. Bring it to your road test appointment.
• 10-hour night form: covers night practice during your provisional stage. Submit it when you apply, often online, for the full license with conditions.
• Both forms need a supervisor aged 21 or older with a valid full license, plus a copy of that license.

Planning 40 useful hours

DC traffic is dense, with many cyclists, pedestrians, buses and traffic circles. Spread your hours across these situations instead of repeating the same quiet loop.

1. Start in an empty parking lot: steering, braking, mirrors and moving off.
2. Move to quiet residential streets at 20 mph, the District's default limit.
3. Add busier streets with bus lanes, bike lanes and crosswalks.
4. Practice traffic circles, multi-lane roads and highway merging.
5. Rehearse parallel parking often, since it is part of the DC road test.
6. Finish with mock road tests where your supervisor gives directions and stays silent otherwise.

What about driver education?

The DC Code GRAD rules for permits and provisional licenses are built around certified practice hours, a road test and a clean record, not a mandatory classroom course. Lessons with a licensed driving school can still help a lot, especially for parallel parking and city traffic. Check with DC DMV if you are unsure what applies to you. Our separate guide to the DC 40-hour and 10-hour forms walks through filling them in.

Common mistakes

• Asking a 19-year-old sibling to supervise. The supervisor must be at least 21 and fully licensed.
• Leaving the log until the night before the road test. Record date, time and conditions after every drive.
• Forgetting the photocopy of the supervisor's license, which DC DMV requires with each form.
• Doing all the hours on the same easy route. Examiners test real city traffic.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in District of Columbia

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

Go deeper

• DC Permit Practice Test
• DC 40-Hour and 10-Hour Night Driving Forms
• DC GRAD Program