Supervised practice and driver education in New Jersey

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the practice hours and night hours required in New Jersey.
• You can say who may supervise you and where they must sit.
• You can explain the BA-CSD certification form.
• You can describe the driving school requirement for the early route.
• You can plan practice that covers different roads and conditions.

What you need to know and understand

• Permit holders under 21 need at least six months of supervised driving and at least 50 practice hours.
• At least 10 of those 50 hours must be driven in darkness.
• A parent, guardian or supervising driver completes the Certification of Supervised Driving form (BA-CSD).
• The BA-CSD must be shown at your road test appointment.
• Supervisors must be at least 21, hold a valid New Jersey license and have at least three years of driving experience.
• The supervisor must ride in the front seat.
• Drivers 21 and over need at least three months of supervised driving.
• If you get your permit before 21 but test after 21, the MVC still expects the 50-hour certification.

The 50-hour rule

New Jersey requires GDL permit holders under 21 to log at least 50 practice hours, including at least 10 hours in darkness, over at least six months. A parent, guardian or supervising driver signs the BA-CSD form to certify the hours. The MVC's Share the Keys log can help you track practice, but only the BA-CSD form is accepted as certification.

Our guide to the New Jersey 50-hour supervised driving rule explains the form in more detail.

Who can sit beside you

Your supervisor must be 21 or older, hold a valid New Jersey license and have at least three years of driving experience. They sit in the front passenger seat. Passenger limits also apply to permit holders under 21: as a rule, family members such as a parent, guardian or dependent plus one other person. Check the exact limit for your permit type in the Driver Manual. Everyone must wear a seat belt, and you may not use a phone, even hands-free. If you break a traffic law, the Driver Manual says responsibility is shared between you and the supervising driver.

Driving school and school courses

Taking a driving school course is required only on the early route. A 16-year-old special learner permit holder must finish six hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved instructor before practicing with family. Some New Jersey high school students earn a waiver certificate for the written test through their school program. Ask your school whether it offers one.

Building a practice plan

• Weeks 1 to 4: quiet streets and parking lots, moving off, stopping and steering.
• Months 2 to 3: busier roads, four-way stops, left turns and right turns on red.
• Months 3 to 5: highways, merging, traffic circles and night driving.
• Final month: road test skills such as the three-point turn, parallel parking and reversing 100 feet.

Common mistakes

• Saving all the night hours until the end. Spread darkness driving across the months.
• Asking a 19-year-old sibling to supervise. Supervisors must be at least 21 with three years of experience.
• Relying on an app log as proof. Only the signed BA-CSD form counts.
• Practicing only one route. The road test may use roads you have never driven.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in New Jersey

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

Go deeper

• NJ 50-Hour Supervised Driving Rule and Form BA-CSD
• New Jersey Permit Practice Test
• Getting a First New Jersey License as an Adult Over 21