NC driving log for learner permit hours
North Carolina does not just ask for 60 hours. It asks for a log: each session dated, day and night split, a supervising driver named, and no more than 10 credited hours in a week. This page is about keeping that log. The hour totals live on the NC hours page.
What has to be on the log
- Date of the drive
- How long you actually drove (parked time does not count)
- Day vs night. Night is after sunset, not "after 9 p.m."
- Supervising driver's name and license number
- A signature when you apply for Level 2
Paper, the official form, or an app
Form DL-4A is still the official NCDMV layout. A notebook in the glove box is what a lot of families still use. Both work until the notebook gets wet or the addition is wrong.
NCDMV's Level 2 instructions currently say digital and printed copies of the driving log are accepted at the road test. An app is allowed as a way to keep the record. It is not a substitute for meeting G.S. 20-11 (60 hours, 10 night, 10 per week, qualified supervisor).
How parents usually track it
The teen is driving. The parent is in the right seat. The phone that should log the session is often the parent's, because the teen's is in a bag. DriveMint lets the parent start the drive, then hand the session to the teen with a QR code when you get home.
Watch two numbers that paper logs miss: credited hours this week (cap of 10), and night hours toward 10. Winter sunset in North Carolina is late afternoon. You can earn night hours before 9 p.m., which matters in the first six months of the permit when you cannot drive after 9 anyway. Details on the NC night driving hours page.
Keep the NC driving log on your phone
DriveMint works offline, needs no account, and does not upload the log. Export a PDF when you book the Level 2 road test.
Driving log questions
How do I keep an NC driving log?+
Record every supervised session: date, how long you drove, whether it was day or night, and who sat beside the driver. NCDMV Form DL-4A is the official layout. A complete digital or printed log is currently accepted at the Level 2 road test.
Can parents log hours on their own phone?+
Yes. In DriveMint a parent starts the drive from the passenger seat, then transfers the session to the teen with a QR code. The payload is on the two screens. It does not go through a DriveMint server.
What if we practice more than 10 hours in a week?+
Practice all you want. Only 10 hours that week count toward the 60. Keep a running total of credited hours, not just time in the car.