Michigan requires 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, before a teen can move to a Level 2 intermediate license. Michigan's structure is different from most states: driver education comes in two segments, and to enroll in Segment 2 a teen needs at least 30 hours of driving experience (including 2 at night) and three months on the Level 1 learner's license. So the 50 hours is not one long push — there is a checkpoint at 30. A parent or guardian certifies the hours.
Michigan supervised driving requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Michigan |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 50 hours |
| Night hours | 10 hours at night (of the 50); 2 of them needed before Segment 2 driver education |
| Professional / instructor hours | Segment 1 and Segment 2 driver education are both required, with behind-the-wheel instruction included. Instructor hours are separate from the 50. |
| Minimum permit age | 14 years 8 months (Level 1, after completing Segment 1 driver education) |
| Permit holding period | 6 months at Level 1 before Level 2 (and 3 months plus 30 hours before Segment 2) |
| Permit validity | Check the expiration on the Level 1 license — Michigan issues it as a graduated license rather than a short-term permit |
| Who may supervise | A licensed parent or guardian, or a licensed adult 21 or older designated by the parent, in the front passenger seat |
| Official log form | Michigan's driver education providers and the Secretary of State supply a driving log for the required hours; parent certification is made when applying for Level 2 |
| Certification method | Parent or guardian certifies the 50 hours (and the 30-hour checkpoint for Segment 2) |
| State app or program | None. Michigan does not publish an official hour-logging app. |
Who can supervise practice driving in Michigan
Michigan is one of the states where a parent can delegate supervision, but the delegation has to be deliberate.
- A licensed parent or guardian, or
- a licensed adult 21 or older designated by the parent or guardian, in the front passenger seat.
- A driver education instructor qualifies during Segment 1 and Segment 2 sessions.
- Michigan's permit age is 14 years 8 months, the youngest starting point in the country after Alaska and Iowa. That is a very young driver on a Michigan winter road — the supervising adult's attention is doing real work.
Night hours, and what "night" means here
Ten of the 50 hours have to be at night, and two of those have to happen early, before Segment 2 driver education. Michigan does not publish a clock definition, so read night as actual darkness. Michigan's geography makes this seasonal in a big way: in Detroit, December darkness starts around 5:05 PM, while in the western Upper Peninsula summer light lingers past 10 PM. Plan night hours for late fall through early spring. Michigan-specific night conditions worth seeking out: lake-effect snow at night, unlit rural roads with deer, and the specific misery of a slushy freeway where the lane lines have disappeared under salt spray.
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.
- Hit the 30-hour checkpoint on time. Segment 2 enrollment requires 30 hours including 2 at night plus three months at Level 1. Falling behind there delays everything downstream.
How to actually get to 50 hours
Fifty hours across the six-month Level 1 period is about two hours a week, but the front-loaded 30-hour checkpoint means the first three months are heavier: roughly two and a half hours a week to be clear for Segment 2. Start immediately, use routine trips, and get the two early night hours done in the first few weeks rather than scrambling.
Official Michigan resources
- Michigan Secretary of State — Graduated Driver Licensing — Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 requirements plus the Segment 1 and Segment 2 structure
- What Every Driver Must Know — the Michigan driver handbook the knowledge test comes from
Tracking your hours
Michigan checks the hours twice — once at 30 for Segment 2 and again at 50 for Level 2 — so a running total that separates night hours is genuinely useful rather than just tidy.
PermitReady is a free iPhone and iPad app that does two things: practice questions for the Michigan Secretary of State 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 the driving log your driver education provider or the Secretary of State supplies. 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 Michigan require?
50 hours, including at least 10 at night, before a Level 2 intermediate license. A separate checkpoint requires 30 hours including 2 at night before a teen can enroll in Segment 2 driver education.
What is the 30-hour requirement in Michigan?
To enroll in Segment 2 driver education, a teen needs at least 30 hours of driving experience including 2 hours at night, plus three months on the Level 1 learner's license. Those 30 hours count toward the eventual 50.
How many night hours does Michigan require?
10 of the 50, with 2 of them needed early for Segment 2. Treat night as actual darkness, and plan around Michigan's long summer evenings by banking night hours between October and March.
How old do you have to be to get a Michigan Level 1 license?
14 years and 8 months, after completing Segment 1 driver education. It is one of the youngest starting points in the country.
Does Michigan have an official driving log form?
Driver education providers and the Secretary of State supply a driving log for the required hours. A parent or guardian certifies the totals when applying for Level 2.
Also for Michigan
Michigan permit test practice · Supervised driving hours log · Printable log templates · Supervised driving hours by state
Verification and disclaimers
Requirements verified August 2026 against Michigan Secretary of State, Graduated Driver Licensing. Requirements change, and the Michigan Secretary of State can revise them without much notice — always confirm the current rules with the Michigan Secretary of State 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 Michigan Secretary of State or any government agency.