Idaho requires 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, for drivers under 17. Idaho is one of the states where driver education comes first: teens between 14½ and 17 must complete an approved driver education course before they can get a Supervised Instruction Permit, and the permit has to be held for at least six months. A parent or guardian signs a driving log certifying the 50 hours, and that log is turned in when you apply for the license.
Idaho supervised driving requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Idaho |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 50 hours |
| Night hours | 10 hours at night (of the 50) |
| Professional / instructor hours | An approved driver education course is required for drivers under 17 before the permit is issued; its behind-the-wheel hours are separate from the 50 |
| Minimum permit age | 14½ (Supervised Instruction Permit, after starting driver education) |
| Permit holding period | 6 months on the permit before the license |
| Permit validity | Idaho Supervised Instruction Permits are commonly issued for a 180-day term and can be renewed — check the date on yours |
| Who may supervise | Licensed driver 21 or older, in the front passenger seat |
| Official log form | Yes — Idaho requires a signed supervised driving log documenting the 50 hours, submitted when you apply for the license. Get the current form from ITD or your driver education provider. |
| Certification method | Parent or guardian signs the driving log, which is submitted to the DMV |
| State app or program | None. Idaho does not publish an official hour-logging app. |
Who can supervise practice driving in Idaho
Idaho's rule is the standard one, with one detail that matters because permits start so young.
- A licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat.
- The driver education instructor supervises during course behind-the-wheel sessions; those instruction hours are counted separately from the 50.
- Idaho permits can be issued at 14½, which means a lot of practice happens with a very inexperienced driver. The 21-and-over rule is not a formality on rural highways.
Night hours, and what "night" means here
Ten of the 50 hours have to be at night, and Idaho actually turns in a log, so this number gets read. ITD does not publish a rigid clock definition, so use actual darkness — after sunset, before sunrise. Idaho's seasonal swing is significant: in Boise, December darkness starts a little after 5 PM while June light lasts past 9:30 PM. Bank the night hours between October and March if you can. Idaho-specific conditions worth getting in the dark: two-lane highways with no shoulder lighting, deer and elk crossings at dusk, and winter roads where the plowed edge and the lane line are the same color.
What counts as a loggable hour
- Public-road driving with a qualified supervisor counts. The trip to school, errands, highway miles, practice loops around the neighborhood — it all counts as long as the permit holder is at the wheel and the supervising driver is in the front passenger seat.
- Time parked, idling, or waiting in a drive-through does not count. Log driving time, not trip time.
- Empty parking lots and closed courses generally do not count. The point of the requirement is real traffic.
- Hours before the permit was issued do not count. The permit has to be in hand first.
- Winter driving is the Idaho skill. The state does not require inclement-weather hours, but ice on a canyon road is what actually kills new Idaho drivers. Log those drives specifically so you know they happened.
How to actually get to 50 hours
Fifty hours over the six-month permit period is about two hours a week. The Idaho pattern that works is attaching driving to something already scheduled — the drive to practice, the run into town, the Sunday trip to a bigger grocery store. Families in rural counties often have the opposite problem from suburban ones: plenty of highway miles, very little practice at intersections and in traffic. If your fifty hours are all open road, spend a few sessions in Boise, Idaho Falls, or Coeur d'Alene before the road test.
Official Idaho resources
- Idaho Transportation Department — Driver Services — permit, driver education, and licensing requirements with current forms
- Idaho Driver's Handbook — the handbook the knowledge test comes from, plus driver education program details
Tracking your hours
Idaho collects a signed log, so the record has to be the kind you can copy line by line onto a form: date, duration, and whether the drive was at night.
PermitReady is a free iPhone and iPad app that does two things: practice questions for the Idaho Transportation Department permit test, and a supervised driving hours log. Each drive is one entry — date, duration, and condition tags including night, highway, rain, and heavy traffic — with a running total at the top so you always know how far you have left to go. Entries can be backdated, so a log you started late can still be complete. It works offline, and there is no account to create: nothing is uploaded, and the log lives on the phone.
Honest limits: PermitReady does not detect drives automatically, does not use GPS, is iPhone and iPad only, and does not generate a signed state affidavit. It is a record you copy from when you fill in Idaho's supervised driving log. If you would rather have automatic drive detection or an Android app, RoadReady has both — we compare them directly in PermitReady vs RoadReady. There is also a full write-up of the driving log and a set of printable paper templates if you would rather keep it on paper.
Frequently asked questions
How many supervised driving hours does Idaho require?
50 hours, including at least 10 at night, for drivers under 17. A parent or guardian signs a driving log that is submitted with the license application.
Does Idaho require driver education first?
Yes, for drivers under 17. An approved driver education course has to be started before a Supervised Instruction Permit is issued, which is why Idaho permits can begin as early as 14 and a half.
How many night hours does Idaho require?
10 of the 50. Treat night as actual darkness between sunset and sunrise. Idaho's short winter days make October through March the efficient window.
How long is an Idaho Supervised Instruction Permit valid?
Commonly 180 days, with renewal available. The permit also has to be held for at least six months before the license, so the two periods line up closely — watch the expiration date.
Does Idaho have an official driving log form?
Yes. Idaho requires a signed supervised driving log documenting the 50 hours. Get the current version from ITD or your driver education provider.
Also for Idaho
Idaho permit test practice · Supervised driving hours log · Printable log templates · Supervised driving hours by state
Verification and disclaimers
Requirements verified August 2026 against Idaho Transportation Department, Driver Services. Requirements change, and the Idaho Transportation Department can revise them without much notice — always confirm the current rules with the Idaho Transportation Department 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.
RoadReady® is a registered trademark of Safe Roads Alliance, Inc. PermitReady is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Safe Roads Alliance, Inc.
PermitReady is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Idaho Transportation Department or any government agency.