Guide
How Many Hours Do You Need to Get Your License? (All 50 States, 2026)
How many supervised driving hours you need to get a license in every U.S. state — a 50-state (plus D.C.) table of supervised hours, night hours, and permit-hold periods, with links to each state's full guide.
Published July 24, 2026
The single most common question for new-driver families: how many hours of supervised practice do you actually need before the road test? The answer depends entirely on your state. Under graduated driver licensing (GDL) rules, requirements range from no fixed minimum to 65+ hours, usually with a set number of those hours required at night and a minimum period you must hold the permit.
Below is a state-by-state breakdown of supervised hours, night hours, and permit-hold periods. Tap any state for its full guide, including how the permit process works and how to export a DMV-ready log.
The short version
- • Most states require 40–50 supervised hours, often with 10 at night.
- • Night hours are usually a subset of the total, not extra.
- • You must satisfy both the hours and the permit-hold period before testing.
Driving hour requirements by state
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| State | Supervised | Night | Permit hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 50 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| Alaska | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Arizona | 30 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Arkansas | None set | — | 6 mo |
| California | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Colorado | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 12 mo |
| Connecticut | 40 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| Delaware | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| District of Columbia | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Florida | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 12 mo |
| Georgia | 40 hrs | 6 hrs | 12 mo |
| Hawaii | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Idaho | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Illinois | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 9 mo |
| Indiana | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Iowa | 20 hrs | 2 hrs | 12 mo |
| Kansas | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 12 mo |
| Kentucky | 60 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Louisiana | 50 hrs | 15 hrs | 6 mo |
| Maine | 70 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Maryland | 60 hrs | 10 hrs | 9 mo |
| Massachusetts | 40 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| Michigan | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Minnesota | 50 hrs | 15 hrs | 6 mo |
| Mississippi | 50 hrs | — | 12 mo |
| Missouri | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Montana | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Nebraska | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Nevada | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| New Hampshire | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 0 mo |
| New Jersey | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| New Mexico | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| New York | 50 hrs | 15 hrs | 6 mo |
| North Carolina | 60 hrs | — | 12 mo |
| North Dakota | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Ohio | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Oklahoma | 55 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Oregon | 50 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| Pennsylvania | 65 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Rhode Island | 50 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| South Carolina | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| South Dakota | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Tennessee | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Texas | 30 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Utah | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Vermont | 40 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Virginia | 45 hrs | 15 hrs | 9 mo |
| Washington | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| West Virginia | 50 hrs | — | 6 mo |
| Wisconsin | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
| Wyoming | 50 hrs | 10 hrs | 6 mo |
Figures based on structured graduated-driver-licensing data shipped in the app for all 50 states and D.C., drawn from public references. Requirements can change — always confirm the final rules with your state's DMV before scheduling a road test.
Why the hours matter more than the minimum
It's tempting to treat the required hours as a box to check, but research on graduated licensing is clear: supervised seat time is the single biggest factor in new-driver safety. States with no fixed minimum still expect a well-prepared driver at the road test, and examiners can tell when practice was rushed. Spreading day and night drives across the full permit-hold period — rather than cramming at the end — produces both a stronger driver and a more credible log.
Frequently asked questions
Which state requires the most supervised driving hours?
Several states require as many as 65 or 70 supervised hours (for example, Pennsylvania requires 65). Most states cluster around 40–50 hours, and a handful set no specific minimum at all.
Which state requires the fewest driving hours?
A number of states set no fixed supervised-hours minimum, and among those that do, Texas is notably low at 30 hours. Even where the minimum is low or zero, plenty of practice is still strongly recommended before the road test.
Do night driving hours count toward the total?
In most states, yes — the required night hours are a subset of the total supervised hours, not extra on top. For example, a state requiring 50 hours including 10 at night means 10 of those 50 must be after dark.
Does holding the permit longer replace practice hours?
No. The permit-hold period and the supervised-hours requirement are separate. You must satisfy both — hold the permit for the minimum months and complete the required hours — before you're eligible for the road test.
Track your hours automatically
DMV Driving Hours Logtracks supervised and night hours against your state's exact targets, calculates night time from real sunset, and exports a DMV-ready PDF — matched to the official form in 11 states. Free to start on iOS and Android.
Not sure which app to use? See our best driving log apps comparison, or jump straight to your state's full requirements.