Photo: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This checklist is for Utah learner drivers and the parents who sign their driving log. Every first-time Utah applicant needs 40 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them after sunset. Under 19, you also need an approved driver education course: 27 classroom hours at high school, 18 at a commercial school or 30 online or by home study, plus 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours of observation. Adults 19 and over can skip driver ed by holding a permit for 90 days instead.
Utah driving hours and driver ed: the numbers
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Supervised practice (parent or guardian log) | 40 hours, including 10 after sunset |
| Driver ed classroom, high school | 27 hours |
| Driver ed classroom, commercial or private driving school | 18 hours |
| Driver ed classroom, Utah-approved online or home study | 30 hours |
| Behind the wheel with a certified instructor | 6 hours of driving |
| Observation (in the car, not at the controls) | 6 hours |
| Course pass standard | 80% competency |
Utah 40-hour driving log checklist
- Every drive is with a licensed adult who is allowed to supervise you. That means a parent or guardian, an approved instructor, or the adult who signed for your financial responsibility. A 2025 law adds some other adults over 21 in certain cases.
- At least 10 of the 40 hours are after sunset.
- For each drive, log the date, the start and end time, and the conditions, such as night, rain, snow or freeway.
- Over the 40 hours, cover residential streets, busy intersections, freeways, parking, and snow or rain if you can.
- Your permit is in the car on every drive.
- Under 18: the parent or guardian who signs your license application certifies the 40 hours, so the total must be real.
Keep a written log as you go, and check with the DLD whether it wants a particular form. National comparison: supervised driving hours by state.
What Utah driver education includes
Classroom
Classroom instruction covers the rules of the road, risk management, maneuvers, Utah’s GDL laws and the driving environment. You can take it at a public, private or parochial school, through an online high school, or through home study if you are homebound. Summer and online classroom courses can’t be finished in less than three weeks.
Behind the wheel
- You need your learner permit before the first lesson, and you must have it with you every time.
- Lessons are in a dual-control car with at least two students. A parent can sometimes ride along as the second student.
- Up to 3 of the 6 driving hours can be replaced by range or simulator time. Two range hours or two full simulator hours count as one hour on the road.
- You can drive no more than one hour per day, or 90 minutes split into two 45-minute drives. You can get no more than 3 hours of in-car instruction in any seven days.
- You must finish behind-the-wheel within one year of finishing the classroom part, or you repeat the classroom.
Public school or private driving school?
Public school programs are for high school students. Once you graduate, you are no longer eligible for public school driver ed. Seniors exit on October 1 of their graduation year. After that, you use a private driving school. Work from a private school won’t transfer to a public program, and part-finished courses don’t transfer either.
The adult route: Utah drivers 19 and over
- Get a learner permit.
- Either hold it for 90 days and log 40 hours (10 at night), or take an approved driver ed course and skip the waiting period.
- Pass the Traffic Safety and Trends Exam and the road test.
The 2026 Utah Driver Handbook sets the adult waiting period at 90 days. Out-of-state online or home study certificates are not accepted. Drivers aged 18 still need driver ed but have no minimum permit holding period.
Moved to Utah partway through driver ed?
Out-of-state driver ed counts only if you fully completed at least 27 classroom hours, 6 behind-the-wheel hours and 6 observation hours, documented on official letterhead or an official school form. If you finished the classroom part elsewhere but not the in-car part, you can do the in-car instruction and observation in Utah.
Common questions
How many hours do you need to drive in Utah before getting a license?
40 supervised hours, including 10 after sunset, plus 6 hours with a driver ed instructor if you are under 19.
Can I start driver ed before I get my permit?
Your school may let you start the classroom part first, though getting the permit first is recommended. You must have it before any behind-the-wheel lesson.
Can I do Utah driver ed online?
The classroom part, yes, with at least 30 hours and contact with a qualified instructor. The 6 behind-the-wheel hours are always in a car.
Do instructor hours count toward the 40?
The 40 hours are logged with your parent or guardian and are listed separately from the driver ed hours. Ask the DLD if you want to count instructor time.
Can my older sibling supervise?
Only if they are an allowed supervisor. That means a parent or guardian, an approved instructor or the adult who signed for you, or an adult over 21 under the 2025 rule’s conditions.
Can a 19-year-old skip driver’s ed in Utah?
Yes, by holding a permit for 90 days and logging 40 hours.
Back to the Utah learning-to-drive guide. Related: Utah learner permit.
Sources
- Utah State Board of Education, “Driver Education Law & Policy” (2024 edition) (schools.utah.gov)
- Utah Violence and Injury Prevention Program, “Be Smart. Be Safe. A Parent’s Guide to Smart Teen Driving” (vipp.utah.gov)
- Utah Highway Safety Office, “2025 Legislative Update” (highwaysafety.utah.gov)