Maryland requires 60 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, before a teen can take the skills test for a provisional license. Maryland is one of the states that actually gives you the paperwork: the MVA's Rookie Driver Practice Skills Log is a structured log where practice is recorded against specific skills, not just hours. Drivers under 18 must also complete a certified driver education program (commonly 30 hours classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel), and hold the learner's permit for nine months.
Maryland supervised driving requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Maryland |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 60 hours |
| Night hours | 10 hours at night (of the 60) |
| Professional / instructor hours | A certified driver education program is required: commonly 30 hours classroom plus 6 hours behind the wheel. Those hours are separate from the 60. |
| Minimum permit age | 15 years 9 months (learner's permit) |
| Permit holding period | 9 months for drivers under 18 (shorter for applicants 18 and over) |
| Permit validity | Maryland learner's permits are issued for a multi-year term — check the expiration on the card |
| Who may supervise | A licensed driver at least 21 years old who has held a license for at least 3 years, in the front passenger seat |
| Official log form | Yes — the Rookie Driver Practice Skills Log, published by the MVA |
| Certification method | Parent, guardian, or supervising mentor signs the Practice Skills Log, which is presented to the MVA |
| State app or program | Rookie Driver is Maryland's teen driver program and includes the official skills log. It is a program and a form set, not a phone app. |
Who can supervise practice driving in Maryland
Maryland asks for both an age minimum and a license-tenure minimum, which is stricter than most states.
- At least 21 years old, licensed, and licensed for at least three years.
- Seated in the front passenger seat for the entire drive.
- A certified driving instructor qualifies during a lesson.
- Maryland's Practice Skills Log expects a mentor, not just a warm body — the log is organized around skills to teach, which works much better with an adult who is actually coaching.
Night hours, and what "night" means here
Ten of the 60 hours have to be at night. The MVA does not lock down a clock definition, so treat night as actual darkness — after sunset and before sunrise. In Baltimore that means anything after about 4:50 PM in December, and after about 8:35 PM in June. Maryland is also one of the more useful states to do night practice in deliberately, because the driving environments are so different within an hour of each other: the Beltway at night, unlit Eastern Shore two-lanes, and the mountain grades of I-68 out west are three separate skills. Do not do all ten hours in the same suburban loop.
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.
- The Practice Skills Log is organized by skill, not just time. That is a feature: it pushes you to practice merging, parking, and rain driving rather than accumulating repetitive miles.
How to actually get to 60 hours
Sixty hours across the nine-month permit period is about ninety minutes a week — comfortable. The Maryland-specific advice is to use the Practice Skills Log the way it is designed: work through the skill categories rather than driving the same route sixty times. A teen who has logged 60 hours and never merged onto I-95 in traffic has met the number and not the point.
Official Maryland resources
- Maryland MVA — Rookie Driver — the Practice Skills Log, the graduated licensing steps, and the parent's guide
- Maryland Driver's Manual — the handbook the knowledge test comes from
Tracking your hours
Maryland gives you a real form, and the MVA expects the Practice Skills Log itself. Any tracking you do should be something you can transfer onto it cleanly — or you can just fill in the log directly and keep a digital running total alongside it so you always know where you stand.
PermitReady is a free iPhone and iPad app that does two things: practice questions for the Maryland MVA 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 Maryland's Rookie Driver Practice Skills 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 Maryland require?
60 hours, including at least 10 at night, recorded on the MVA's Rookie Driver Practice Skills Log and signed by a parent, guardian, or supervising mentor. Confirm the current night minimum with the MVA before your skills test.
What is the Rookie Driver Practice Skills Log?
Maryland's official practice log, published by the MVA as part of the Rookie Driver program. It is organized around driving skills rather than just hours, so you record what was practiced as well as how long.
How long do you have to hold a Maryland learner's permit?
Nine months for drivers under 18. Applicants 18 and over have a shorter holding period.
Who can supervise practice driving in Maryland?
A licensed driver at least 21 years old who has held a license for at least three years, seated in the front passenger seat. A certified driving instructor also qualifies.
Is driver education required in Maryland?
Yes. A certified driver education program is required, commonly 30 hours of classroom instruction plus 6 hours behind the wheel. Those hours are separate from the 60 supervised hours.
Also for Maryland
Maryland permit test practice · Supervised driving hours log · Printable log templates · Supervised driving hours by state
Verification and disclaimers
Requirements verified August 2026 against Maryland MVA, Rookie Driver program. Requirements change, and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration can revise them without much notice — always confirm the current rules with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration 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 Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration or any government agency.