Supervised practice and driver education in Minnesota

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain the two supervised driving log options in Minnesota.
• You can state how many night hours are required.
• You can name the driver education steps and the cards that prove them.
• You can plan practice that covers a range of roads, weather and times of day.

What you need to know and understand

• Without the parent class, the log must show at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 at night.
• With the parent class, the log must show at least 40 hours, including 15 at night.
• The parent class, called the Supplemental Parental Curriculum, is provided by a Minnesota-approved driver education program.
• Driver education has a classroom phase and a behind-the-wheel phase, and both must be complete before the provisional license.
• The White Card is the certificate showing you completed driver education; you bring it to the road test.
• To move to a full license before 18, a provisional driver must also certify at least 10 more hours supervised by a licensed driver aged 21 or older.

Choosing 50 hours or 40 hours plus the parent class

The parent class is aimed at the adult who will supervise. It covers how to coach a new driver and what the GDL rules mean at home. If the parent or guardian completes it, the teen's log can show 40 hours instead of 50. Either way, 15 of those hours must be after dark.

Bring the class completion certificate, if you have one, to both the written test and the road test. Our guide to the Minnesota supervised driving log and parent class covers the choice in more depth.

Building good practice hours

• Start in empty parking lots, then quiet residential streets, before moving to busier roads.
• Add freeways, ramp meters and merging once basic control is smooth.
• Spread night hours across the year, including dark winter evenings.
• Practice in rain and snow, and on gravel roads if you live in a rural area.
• Rehearse road test skills: parallel parking, parking on a hill and backing into a 10-foot-wide space at a right angle.
• Write each session in the log straight away with the date, length and conditions.

Supervisor rules to remember

Under 18, the supervisor must be a certified driver education instructor, a parent or guardian, or a licensed driver aged 21 or older, sitting in the seat beside you. Everyone must wear seat belts, and the learner may not use a phone, even hands-free.

Learners who are 18 or older do not need driver education or a log, but they still need a permit and a licensed adult supervisor. If someone fails the road test four times, they must take at least six hours of behind-the-wheel lessons with a licensed instructor before the next attempt.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the log until the night before the road test. Fill it in after every drive.
• Doing all night hours in summer. Winter darkness, glare and slippery roads are where practice matters most.
• Only practicing the test route. Varied roads build real skill.
• Forgetting the parent class certificate. Without it, the examiner will expect 50 hours.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Minnesota

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

Go deeper

• Minnesota Supervised Driving Log
• Minnesota Permit Practice Test
• Minnesota Provisional License Rules