Supervised practice and driver education in Wyoming

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state Wyoming's supervised practice hours requirement.
• You can explain who is allowed to supervise a permit holder.
• You can describe what a driver education certificate must show.
• You can plan practice that covers town, highway, night and winter driving.

What you need to know and understand

• You need at least 50 hours of actual driving, including 10 at night.
• A parent or legal guardian certifies the hours on WYDOT's behind-the-wheel certification form. An optional log is also available.
• Your supervisor must be 18 or older, hold a valid license for the vehicle, and sit beside you.
• An approved driver education certificate must show 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.
• The certificate is honored for no longer than two years.
• To count toward full privileges at 16 1/2, the course must be approved by a school district or taught by a qualified driving instructor.

Logging your 50 hours

Our separate guide to the Wyoming 50-hour certification explains the form line by line.

1. Download the certification form and the optional log from the WYDOT forms page.
2. Record the date, the time spent and whether the drive was in daylight or after dark.
3. Make sure at least 10 hours are night driving.
4. Have your parent or guardian sign the certification once you reach 50 hours.
5. Bring it when you apply for your intermediate license.

What a good practice plan covers

• Quiet streets first: moving off, stopping smoothly, turning and signaling at least 100 feet before a turn.
• Busier town driving: four-way stops, roundabouts and pedestrians at crosswalks.
• Highway and interstate driving: merging, keeping at least a two-second gap and passing safely.
• Night driving: using high beams on rural roads and dimming at least 500 feet before oncoming traffic.
• Wyoming conditions: wind, snow, ice, black ice on bridges, and wildlife at dawn and dusk.

How driver education fits in

If you finish an approved course, you receive a certification card. It must show your name, date of birth and license number, carry the original signatures of the instructor and school administrator, and state that you completed 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training. The examiner may then waive your skills test, though this is not automatic.

Driver education does not replace the 50 hours. Your parent or guardian must still certify them before you can get an intermediate license.

Common mistakes

• Saving all the night hours for the last week. Spread them out so you see different conditions.
• Letting the log slip and guessing totals later. Fill it in after each drive.
• Only practicing on dry summer roads. Wyoming winters demand practice in snow and wind, with your supervisor.
• Assuming a driver education card always replaces the road test. The waiver is at the examiner's discretion.

Test yourself: Supervised practice and driver education in Wyoming

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

Go deeper

• Wyoming Permit Practice Test
• How to Get a Driver’s License in Wyoming
• Wyoming 50 Hour Driving Log and Behind-the-Wheel Certification