Florida requires 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, before a driver under 18 can take the road test. A parent or guardian certifies the hours on a driving log. Drivers under 18 must also hold the learner's license for a full 12 months. Source: Florida DHSMV.
Florida supervised driving requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Florida |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 50 hours |
| Night hours | 10 hours (of the 50) |
| Daily cap on logged hours | None published by FLHSMV |
| Reduced-hours option | None — the 50 hours apply to every under-18 applicant |
| Who may supervise | Licensed driver age 21 or older in the front passenger seat |
| Certification method | Parent or guardian certifies the hours on a driving log presented at the road test |
| Official state form | FLHSMV supervised driving log — available through flhsmv.gov |
| Minimum learner's license period | 12 months (under 18) |
| Learner's license time restrictions | Daylight only for the first 3 months; until 10 PM after that |
| Course requirement | 6-hour Driver Education Traffic Safety (DETS) course before the learner's license |
Who may supervise driving practice in Florida
- A licensed driver age 21 or older. Florida does not add a separate years-of-experience rule, but the supervisor must hold a valid license.
- Seated in the front passenger seat for the whole drive, in a position to take over.
- A licensed driving instructor supervising a lesson also satisfies the rule.
An adult in the back seat does not count, and a supervisor who is 20 does not count no matter how long they have been driving.
What counts as a loggable hour
Time actually spent driving on public roads with a qualified supervisor in the front seat. In practice:
- Highway and interstate driving counts and is worth building in early — Florida's interstates are unavoidable for most new drivers.
- Routine trips count. School runs, practice sessions, and errands are all loggable time.
- Night hours are their own bucket. Because Florida limits learner's license driving to daylight for the first 3 months and to before 10 PM afterward, the 10 night hours have to fit into evening drives later in the 12-month period. This is the single most common Florida scheduling mistake.
- Parking lots and closed courses generally do not count.
- Parked, idling, or drive-through time does not count.
- Nothing before the learner's license was issued counts.
Official Florida resources
- FLHSMV — Teen drivers — learner's license steps, restrictions, and the road test requirements.
- flhsmv.gov — search "driving log" for the current FLHSMV supervised driving log form. Many Florida tax collector offices, which handle driver licensing locally, also hand out their own copy.
Tracking your hours
Florida's requirement is a certified statement of hours, so the tracking method is up to you as long as the record is honest and a parent or guardian is willing to sign it.
PermitReady is a free iPhone and iPad app that pairs Florida permit test practice with a supervised driving hours log. Each drive takes about fifteen seconds to record — date, duration, and condition tags including night, highway, rain, and heavy traffic — and the running total tells you where you stand against 50 hours and 10 night hours. Entries can be backdated, which matters over a 12-month waiting period when the log will inevitably fall behind at some point.
Honest limits: no automatic drive detection, no GPS, iOS only, and no generated state form. It is a record you copy from when the FLHSMV log gets signed. If you want automatic logging or Android support, see the alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
How many supervised driving hours does Florida require?
50 hours, including at least 10 at night, certified by a parent or guardian, for drivers under 18.
How many night hours does Florida require?
10 of the 50. Plan them around the learner's license restrictions: daylight only for the first 3 months, then driving allowed until 10 PM.
Does Florida accept a digital driving log?
Florida requires certified hours rather than a particular app, so digital tracking with the totals transferred to the FLHSMV form is common. Confirm the accepted format with your local FLHSMV or tax collector office before the road test.
Who can supervise my practice driving in Florida?
A licensed driver 21 or older, in the front passenger seat.
Can I log hours before I get my learner's license?
No. The learner's license has to be issued first, and drivers under 18 must then hold it for 12 months before the road test.
How long does 50 hours actually take?
About an hour a week across the 12-month waiting period, which most families find comfortable — the crunch is almost always the 10 night hours, not the 50 total.
Also for Florida
Florida DHSMV permit test practice · Supervised driving hours log · Printable log templates · Hours by state
Verification and disclaimers
Requirements verified August 2026 against https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/teens/. Requirements change — always confirm with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles before your road test.
PermitReady's driving hours log is a personal tracking tool. It is not a state form and has not been approved or endorsed by any state licensing agency. Check with your state's DMV, RMV, DPS, BMV, or equivalent agency for which log format they require, and use their official state form if one is mandated.
PermitReady is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or any government agency.