Guide
Best Apps to Track Driving Hours for a Permit (2026)
An honest, up-to-date comparison of the best apps for logging supervised permit hours in 2026 — PDF exports, automatic night tracking, price, and platform.
Published July 17, 2026
Your teen got their learner permit. Your state wants 30, 50, maybe 65 hours of supervised driving before the road test — and someone has to track all of it, including the night hours. That's the job. Some apps are built for exactly this; some can sort of do it; and some families still use a paper notebook (spoiler: most give up on that within two weeks).
Here's an honest 2026 rundown of the options, ranked for the specific task of logging supervised permit hours and handing in a record your DMV will accept. Want the requirements themselves first? See driving-hour requirements by state.
1. DMV Driving Hours LogOur pick
Free to start · one-time $19.99 Pro · iOS + Android
Built specifically for logging supervised permit hours and handing in a record that looks official. Nothing extra to wade through — start a drive, stop it, export.
What's good
- Exports a printable PDF driving log in every state
- Night hours calculated automatically from real sunset/sunrise at your location — no manual tagging
- Tracks day, night, and (where modeled) inclement-weather buckets against your state's targets
- Works on both iOS and Android
- Records the supervising adult on every drive for a cleaner DMV record
- One-time Pro purchase — no subscription, no ads
What's not
- Focused on hour logging — it isn't a full driver-monitoring/telematics platform
2. RoadReady
Free · iOS + Android
One of the longest-running driving-log apps, with highway-safety-organization backing. A straightforward timer and hour tracker.
What's good
- Genuinely free
- Long track record and institutional credibility
- Simple, hard-to-mess-up interface
- Available on iOS and Android
What's not
- Generic report/affidavit export — not a full session log you can hand in as-is
- Night-hour handling isn't automatic in the same way
- Setup requires separate student + supervisor accounts linked by email
- App and site feel dated
3. OtoZen
Free tier · ~$5–10/month premium · iOS + Android
A broader family driving-safety platform (driver scoring, geofencing, speed alerts) that also logs hours as a secondary feature.
What's good
- Driver scoring and safety monitoring
- Geofencing and speed alerts
- Cross-platform
What's not
- Subscription pricing adds up over months of practice
- Permit logging is secondary, not the main focus
- No dedicated driving-log PDF export
4. Paper log
Free · Any
The original method: a notebook where you write date, times, conditions, and supervisor for each session.
What's good
- Costs nothing
- No app to learn
- Works with any phone (or none)
What's not
- Easy to lose, smudge, or leave in the car
- You manually calculate totals and night hours
- No backup — if it's gone, the hours are gone
Quick comparison
Swipe to see the full table →
| Feature | DMV Driving Hours Log | RoadReady | OtoZen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time $19.99 | Free | $0–10/mo |
| Platform | iOS + Android | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
| PDF export | All 50 states + D.C. | Generic affidavit | No |
| Automatic night detection | Yes (real sunset) | No | No |
| Focused on permit hours | Yes | Yes | No (safety platform) |
Competitor details from each app's public App Store / Google Play listing and website, checked July 2026. Prices and features can change — confirm current details before you buy.
Our pick
For the specific job of logging permit hours and walking into the DMV with a clean, credible record, DMV Driving Hours Log is the best choice in 2026. The automatic night detection and state-specific targets remove the manual busywork families forget to do, and when you're finally done, it hands you a printable PDF in every state — instead of making you reformat everything by hand.
If you're on Android and want a free basic option, RoadReady will get the job done with more manual effort. But for most families — especially across iOS and Android — DMV Driving Hours Logis the one we'd hand a friend.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to track driving hours for a permit?
For the specific job of logging supervised permit hours and handing in a clean record, DMV Driving Hours Log is our top pick in 2026: it exports a printable PDF in every state, calculates night hours automatically from real sunset times, works on both iOS and Android, and is a one-time purchase with no subscription. RoadReady is a solid free alternative if you only need a basic trip counter.
Do I need a paid app to log permit hours?
No — free options exist (RoadReady, DriveitHOME) and even a paper log works. But paid apps that auto-detect night driving and export a DMV-ready PDF save a lot of manual busywork over the 6–12 months of practice, and they prevent the common problem of losing hours to a misplaced notebook.
Which app exports a PDF driving log?
DMV Driving Hours Log exports a printable PDF driving log in every state. Where a state requires its own DMV supervised-driving form, the export follows that layout. Most other apps only produce a generic log or affidavit.
Is there a driving log app for Android?
Yes. DMV Driving Hours Log is available on both the App Store and Google Play, so families with Android phones can log hours too. Double-check platform support before you commit to any app.
Try it on a real drive
Log one supervised session, check your state's hour targets, and preview the export. DMV Driving Hours Logis free to start — upgrade once when you're ready for unlimited logging.
Compare us directly with the incumbent in our RoadReady alternative guide. Switching apps and worried about lost hours? We'll import your RoadReady log for free. Or browse driving hour requirements by state.