Supervised practice and driver education in New Hampshire

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the four parts of New Hampshire's driver education requirement.
• You can explain who may supervise your practice driving.
• You can say when logged hours may start and how many must be at night.
• You can describe how practice hours are certified.

What you need to know and understand

• Driver education includes at least 30 hours of classroom instruction with a certified instructor.
• It also includes at least 10 hours of driving and 6 hours of observation with a certified instructor.
• Students must also log 40 more supervised hours with a parent, guardian or other responsible adult.
• At least 10 of the 40 hours must be at night.
• Logged hours may begin at 15 1/2.
• A non-parent supervisor must be licensed and at least 25.
• Courses are run by over 60 licensed commercial driving schools and some public high schools.

Driver education: the four parts

To enroll, you must be at least 15 years and 9 months old by the first scheduled class, or turn 16 by the last scheduled class. Classes fill quickly, so contact a school or your high school program several months ahead. Our guide to the 30, 10 and 6 hour rules has more detail.

• 30 hours of classroom teaching with a certified driver education instructor.
• 10 hours of behind-the-wheel driving with a certified instructor.
• 6 hours of observation, riding along while another student drives.
• 40 additional hours of supervised driving at home, at least 10 of them at night.

Who can sit beside you

Your supervisor must be a parent, a legal guardian, or a licensed responsible adult who is 25 or older. They should be calm, alert and not distracted, and must never be impaired. Remember that a learner under 18 may not use a phone while driving, even hands-free, so let the supervisor handle navigation.

A good plan builds skills in order: quiet parking lots, then residential streets, then busier roads, highways, rain, snow and night driving. New Hampshire winters make snow and ice practice especially valuable.

Logging and certifying your 40 hours

1. Start a log the day you turn 15 1/2 (earlier hours do not count).
2. Record each drive: date, length, conditions and whether it was after dark.
3. Use the DMV's Certification of Additional Supervised Driving log sheet, or a tool from the Parent's Supervised Driving Program such as its Road Ready app.
4. You and your parent or guardian both certify the hours before you apply for your license.

Common mistakes

• Counting drives with a 21-year-old friend. Non-parent supervisors must be 25 or older and licensed.
• Leaving night driving until the end. Spread your 10 night hours across the seasons.
• Enrolling in driver education too late. Popular courses fill months ahead.
• Only practicing familiar routes. Mix in highways, roundabouts, rural roads and bad weather.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in New Hampshire

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

Go deeper

• New Hampshire Driver’s Ed Requirements
• New Hampshire Permit Practice Test
• New Hampshire Learner’s Permit? How Teen Practice Driving Works