How many hours of driving practice do you need?
Most US states require 50 hours of supervised driving practice before a teen can apply for a license, including about 10 hours at night. The requirement ranges from 20 hours to 100 hours depending on where you live, and 3 states set no hour minimum at all.
Practice hours required in every state
Tap any state for its full learner permit rules — hold period, graduated licensing stages, night and passenger restrictions, and the log form the DMV expects.
| State | Practice hours | Night hours | Permit age | Permit hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 50 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Alaska | 40 | 10 | 14 | 6 months |
| Arizona | 30 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Arkansas | None set | None set | 14 | 6 months |
| California | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Colorado | 50 | 10 | 15 | 12 months |
| Connecticut | 40 | None set | 16 | 4–6 months |
| Delaware | 50 | 10 | 16 | 6 months |
| Florida | 50 | 10 | 15 | 12 months |
| Georgia | 40 | 6 | 15 | 12 months |
| Hawaii | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Idaho | 50 | 10 | 14½ | 6 months |
| Illinois | 50 | 10 | 15 | 9 months |
| Indiana | 50 | 10 | 15 (with driver ed) | 180 days |
| Iowa | 20 | 2 | 14 | 12 months |
| Kansas | 50 | 10 | 14 | 12 months |
| Kentucky | 60 | 10 | 16 | 180 days |
| Louisiana | 50 | 15 | 15 | 180 days |
| Maine | 70 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Maryland | 60 | 10 | 15 years 9 months | 9 months |
| Massachusetts | 40 | None set | 16 | 6 months |
| Michigan | 50 | 10 | 14 years 9 months | 6 months |
| Minnesota | 50 | 15 | 15 | 6 months |
| Mississippi | None set | None set | 15 | 12 months |
| Missouri | 40 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Montana | 50 | 10 | 14½ | 6 months |
| Nebraska | 50 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Nevada | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| New Hampshire | 40 | 10 | 15½ | No fixed minimum |
| New Jersey | None set | None set | 16 | 6 months |
| New Mexico | 50 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| New York | 50 | 15 | 16 | 6 months |
| North Carolina | 60 | 10 | 15 | 12 months |
| North Dakota | 50 | 10 | 14 | 12 months (under 16) |
| Ohio | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Oklahoma | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Oregon | 100 | None set | 15 | 6 months |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 10 | 16 | 6 months |
| Rhode Island | 50 | 10 | 16 | 6 months |
| South Carolina | 40 | 10 | 15 | 180 days |
| South Dakota | 50 | 10 | 14 | 6 months (3 with driver ed) |
| Tennessee | 50 | 10 | 15 | 180 days |
| Texas | 30 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Utah | 40 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Vermont | 40 | 10 | 15 | 12 months |
| Virginia | 45 | 15 | 15½ | 9 months |
| Washington | 50 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| West Virginia | 50 | 10 | 15 | 6 months |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 10 | 15½ | 6 months |
| Wyoming | 50 | 10 | 15 | 10 days (permit) / 6 months (intermediate) |
Which states require the most driving hours?
Oregon tops the list at 100 hours. The five highest:
- Oregon — 100 hours
- Maine — 70 hours, 10 at night
- Pennsylvania — 65 hours, 10 at night
- Kentucky — 60 hours, 10 at night
- Maryland — 60 hours, 10 at night
Which states require the fewest?
Among states that set a number at all, Iowa is the lowest at 20 hours:
- Iowa — 20 hours, 2 at night
- Arizona — 30 hours, 10 at night
- Texas — 30 hours, 10 at night
- Alaska — 40 hours, 10 at night
- Connecticut — 40 hours
Arkansas, Mississippi and New Jersey set no minimum hour count at all. They require the learner permit to be held for a set period of supervised driving instead. That is not a reason to practice less — crash risk for new drivers keeps falling well past the 50-hour mark.
What counts as a practice hour?
Every state means the same basic thing: time behind the wheel with a qualified supervising driver in the car. A few rules trip families up:
- The supervisor has to qualify. Most states require a licensed adult 21 or older. Delaware and Vermont require 25. Maryland requires 21 with at least three years of driving experience.
- Only driving time counts. Sitting parked, riding as a passenger, and simulator time do not.
- Night hours are a subset, not an extra. A state requiring 50 hours with 10 at night means 10 of the 50 — not 60 total.
- Someone has to certify it. A parent or guardian signs the log or affidavit. Falsifying it is a misdemeanor in several states.
Stop counting hours on paper
DriveMint tracks every supervised drive with GPS, splits day and night hours automatically, and exports a DMV-ready report — so the number on your log is the real number.
Driving practice hour FAQs
How many hours of driving do you need to get your license?+
Most US states require 50 hours of supervised driving practice before a teen can apply for a license, including about 10 hours at night. The requirement ranges from 20 hours to 100 hours depending on the state, and 3 states set no hour minimum at all.
How many hours do you need to drive with your permit?+
It depends on your state. 28 of the 50 states require exactly 50 hours of supervised practice on a learner permit, and the median across all states that set a requirement is 50 hours. Oregon is the highest at 100 hours (or 50 with an approved driver-education course), followed by Maine at 70. Iowa is the lowest at 20 hours.
How many hours of supervised driving practice are required at night?+
44 states set a specific night-hours minimum, and 38 of them require 10 hours at night — by far the most common figure. Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, and Virginia require 15 night hours, the highest in the country. Night hours are counted inside the total, not on top of it.
Do driving practice hours have to be logged?+
In most states, yes. A parent, guardian, or supervising driver signs a log or affidavit certifying the total hours and the night hours, and you submit it when you apply for the license. Some states use a specific form — Virginia's DTS-101, Kentucky's TC 94-33, California's DL 356 — while others accept any log with dates, durations, and conditions.
What counts as a supervised driving hour?+
Time actually spent driving with a qualified supervising driver in the vehicle. Most states require the supervisor to be a licensed adult 21 or older, though Delaware and Vermont require 25. Time spent parked, riding as a passenger, or driving in a simulator does not count.
Does driver education count toward the practice hours?+
Usually not — behind-the-wheel time with a professional instructor is normally tracked separately from parent-supervised practice. But driver education can reduce the requirement in some states: Oregon drops from 100 hours to 50, Minnesota from 50 to 40 if a parent takes the awareness class, and South Dakota from 50 to 10.
Requirements change and have exceptions for driver education, rural permits, and older applicants. Always confirm the current rules with your state's licensing agency before applying.