Florida Permit Practice Hours: 50-Hour Log, HSMV 71143, and What the Examiner Checks

Florida's supervised-driving requirement applies to permit holders under 18 before they move to a Class E license. Adults age 18 and older do not have the same state-mandated practice-hour requirement.

How Many Hours Do You Need to Practice Driving with a Florida Permit?

Florida's required practice time depends entirely on your age. Under 18: 50 total hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 at night. Age 18+: no state-mandated hours, though practice is strongly recommended before the road test.

Hour Requirements by Age

• Under 18: 50 total hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 hours driven at night.
• 18 and Older: No state-mandated hour log, but you must still pass all required exams.

Breaking Down the 50 Hours

Critical Rules for Minors

• 12-Month Hold: Hold your learner's permit for 12 months or until you turn 18.
• Supervision: A licensed driver 21 or older must be in the front passenger seat.
• Driving Curfews: First 3 months: daylight only. After 3 months: driving allowed until 10:00 PM.
• Clean Record: No moving violation convictions for one year from your permit issue date.

Does Florida Require You to Log Driving Hours with a Permit?

Florida requires an under-18 applicant to certify 50 supervised driving hours, including 10 at night. The law does not require you to submit a session-by-session personal driving log to prove every trip.

• For your own tracking: Use a notebook, spreadsheet, or driving-log app so you know when you have reached the required total.
• For the legal certification: A parent, legal guardian, or other responsible adult age 21 or older certifies that the required hours were completed.

Verification and Legal Warning

The certification must be truthful. If the certifying adult is not present for the licensing transaction, Form HSMV 71143 can be used to provide the required Certification of Driving Experience.

• Keep your personal tracking notes until licensing is complete in case you need to confirm your total.
• Do not include classroom time in the 50 hours; only qualifying supervised behind-the-wheel driving counts.

What Counts Toward Your 50 Florida Practice Hours?

Only supervised driving that follows GDL rules counts. Time spent in classroom driver's ed does not count, regardless of how many hours.

See the Florida learner's permit guide for complete requirements.

Professional behind-the-wheel instruction hours count toward your 50-hour total. Ensure your driving school provides a detailed certificate with the specific number of behind-the-wheel hours-an Orlando student had to delay their test because their certificate only listed 'course completion' without the hour count, which the examiner could not accept.

Florida Driving Log Mistakes That Get Road Tests Cancelled

The main risk is an inaccurate certification, not the format of your personal tracking notes. Keep a realistic record as you practice so the final 50-hour and 10-night-hour certification is accurate.

• Do not count DETS/TLSAE classroom time toward the 50 supervised driving hours.
• Count only driving completed under Florida learner-license supervision and time restrictions.
• If the certifying adult will not attend the licensing transaction, complete HSMV 71143 accurately rather than reconstructing hours from guesswork.

For road-test scheduling and test-day document requirements, see the Road Test & License guide.