Washington requires 50 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, before a teen can get an intermediate license. The supervision rule here is stricter than most: the adult in the passenger seat must be at least 21 and have held a valid license for at least five years. Driver education is required for drivers under 18, and the instruction permit has to be held for at least six months. A parent or guardian certifies the hours when the license is applied for.
Washington supervised driving requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Washington |
|---|---|
| Total supervised hours | 50 hours |
| Night hours | 10 hours at night (of the 50) |
| Professional / instructor hours | Driver education is required for drivers under 18, including behind-the-wheel instruction. Those hours are separate from the 50. |
| Minimum permit age | 15 (instruction permit, with enrollment in driver education) |
| Permit holding period | 6 months on the instruction permit before the intermediate license at 16 |
| Permit validity | Washington instruction permits are commonly issued for a 1-year term — check the expiration on yours |
| Who may supervise | Licensed driver 21 or older who has held a valid license for at least 5 years, in the front passenger seat |
| Official log form | Washington does not collect a page-by-page log; a parent or guardian certifies the 50 hours when applying for the intermediate license |
| Certification method | Parent or guardian certifies the supervised driving on the license application |
| State app or program | None. Washington does not publish an official hour-logging app. |
Who can supervise practice driving in Washington
The five-year license requirement is the rule people miss, and it disqualifies a lot of otherwise willing adults.
- At least 21 years old and licensed for at least five years.
- Seated in the front passenger seat for the entire drive.
- A driver education instructor qualifies during course sessions.
- A 24-year-old who got licensed at 22 does not qualify. The five-year clock is on the license, not the person.
Night hours, and what "night" means here
Ten of the 50 hours have to be at night. The DOL does not publish a rigid clock definition, so treat night as actual darkness — after sunset, before sunrise. Washington's latitude makes the seasonal swing severe: Seattle is dark by about 4:20 PM in December and holds light past 9 PM in late June. If the permit period covers a Pacific Northwest winter, the night hours essentially collect themselves. What is worth practicing deliberately: rain at night, which is the defining Washington driving condition and the one where lane markings vanish under headlight glare; unlit two-lanes in the Cascades and on the peninsulas; and passes where snow and dark arrive together.
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.
- Wet-road night driving is the local skill. Not a state requirement, but a Washington driver who has never driven in rain after dark has skipped the most common condition they will ever face.
How to actually get to 50 hours
Fifty hours over the six-month instruction permit period is about two hours a week. The Washington-specific advice is to check the supervising driver rule before you start counting: if the plan was for an older sibling or a young aunt to do most of the driving, confirm they have had a license for five years, or those hours are not certifiable.
Official Washington resources
- Washington DOL — Teen Drivers — instruction permit, driver education, and intermediate license requirements
- Washington Driver Guide — the handbook the knowledge test comes from
Tracking your hours
Washington certifies the total rather than collecting a page-by-page log, but the certification is only as honest as the record behind it — and with the five-year supervisor rule, noting who was in the passenger seat is worth doing.
PermitReady is a free iPhone and iPad app that does two things: practice questions for the Washington DOL 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 DOL's certification on the license application. 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 Washington require?
50 hours, including at least 10 at night, before an intermediate license. A parent or guardian certifies the total when applying.
Who can supervise practice driving in Washington?
A licensed driver at least 21 years old who has held a valid license for at least five years, seated in the front passenger seat. The five-year rule disqualifies many young adults who otherwise meet the age requirement.
How many night hours does Washington require?
10 of the 50. Treat night as actual darkness. Washington's early winter sunsets make November through February the efficient window.
Is driver education required in Washington?
Yes, for drivers under 18. Its behind-the-wheel instruction is separate from the 50 supervised hours.
Does Washington have an official driving log form?
Washington does not collect a page-by-page log. A parent or guardian certifies the 50 hours when the intermediate license is applied for, so keep a dated record you can stand behind.
Also for Washington
Washington permit test practice · Supervised driving hours log · Printable log templates · Supervised driving hours by state
Verification and disclaimers
Requirements verified August 2026 against Washington Department of Licensing, Teen Drivers. Requirements change, and the Washington Department of Licensing can revise them without much notice — always confirm the current rules with the Washington Department of Licensing 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 Washington Department of Licensing or any government agency.