Supervised practice and driver education in Kentucky

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state how many practice hours you need and how many must be at night.
• You can explain who is allowed to supervise a permit driver.
• You can complete and sign off the Practice Driving Log correctly.
• You can choose one of the approved ways to complete driver education.
• You can plan a varied practice schedule that covers the skills on the road test.

What you need to know and understand

• Teen permit holders need at least 60 hours of supervised practice, with 10 of those hours at night.
• A parent or legal guardian must sign and certify the Practice Driving Log, and you bring it to the road test.
• The supervising driver must hold a valid license, be at least 21 and sit in the front passenger seat.
• Drivers whose permits were issued under 18 must enroll in approved driver training before their 18th birthday and finish it before the full license.
• KYTC describes the required course as 4 hours. Options include Alive at 25 (free), the RightLane online course ($12.50), a high school course or an approved private driving school.
• Alive at 25 and RightLane send completions to KYTC for you; other completions must be mailed in by the driver.

Making the 60 hours count

Sixty hours is a minimum, not a target. Spread them over the full permit period so you meet different weather, light and traffic. The current log separates day hours from night hours.

Night driving is harder because you see less and glare is worse, so the 10 night hours matter. The manual suggests adding at least one extra second of following distance at night.

• Quiet streets and parking lots: starting, stopping, steering and backing.
• Residential and town roads: intersections, four-way stops, pedestrians and cyclists.
• Rural roads: narrow lanes, hills, curves, farm machinery and uncontrolled intersections.
• Multi-lane highways: merging from the acceleration lane, lane changes and exiting.
• Road test skills: the driveway turnabout, parallel parking and a hill start.

Driver education choices

Pick the option that fits your schedule, then keep proof of completion. If you use Alive at 25 or RightLane, allow two full business days for the completion to process. For a high school or private school course, mail the completion to the KYTC Division of Driver Licensing with your license or permit number, name and date of birth.

Our guide to Kentucky driver education options for teens compares these choices in more depth.

Rules for the supervising driver

The supervisor must be a licensed driver aged 21 or older, seated beside you in the front. That rule applies even on the way to your road test, so you cannot drive yourself there. A calm supervisor who explains, rather than shouts, makes practice safer and more useful.

Common mistakes

• Logging all 60 hours in daylight and on familiar roads. You need 10 night hours and a range of road types.
• Filling in the log from memory at the end. Record each drive the same day.
• Thinking the 60 hours replace driver education. You need both.
• Letting an 18- or 19-year-old friend supervise. The supervisor must be at least 21.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Kentucky

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

Go deeper

• Kentucky 60 Hour Practice Driving Log
• Kentucky Bioptic Driving Program
• Kentucky Drivers Ed for Teens