Georgia Supervised Driving Hours: 40 Hours, 6 at Night and Verification Rules

Georgia's required practice time with a permit depends on your age.

How Many Supervised Driving Hours Do Georgia Teens Need?

• Teens ages 16–17: Complete 40 supervised driving hours, including at least 6 hours at night, before applying for a Class D license.
• Age 18 or older: Separate adult road-test practice and affidavit rules apply; see the dedicated question below.

Do Georgia drivers age 18 or older need 40 supervised hours before the road test?

Yes. Drivers age 18 or older are not under Joshua's Law, but a Class C road-test applicant must attest to 40 hours of supervised road driving, including 6 hours at night. Georgia does not require a physical driving log for this affidavit.

Joshua's Law Requirements for Teen Drivers

Drivers ages 16 and 17 applying for a Georgia Class D license need 40 hours of supervised driving, including at least 6 hours at night. Joshua's Law also requires approved driver education; see the Behind-the-Wheel Training guidance for the training-method options.

Do the 6 professional driving-school hours count toward Georgia's separate 40 supervised hours?

No. Under Joshua's Law methods that include 6 hours with a certified driving school, those 6 hours are in addition to the separate 40 supervised hours, including 6 at night.

Qualifying Practice Driving Hours

Not all time behind the wheel counts toward the instruction permit practice-hours requirement.

• Counts: Driving on public roads while following the Class CP supervision rule. Practice in varied conditions such as rain, traffic, and nighttime is strongly recommended.
• Does not count: Time with the vehicle turned off or driving that does not meet the permit's supervision requirement. The existing article also excludes private-property driving from its practice-hour count.
• Certified-school instruction: Under Joshua's Law Methods 1 and 3, the 6 hours of certified-school behind-the-wheel instruction are completed in addition to the separate 40 supervised hours.
• Parent-taught route: Families can use the Parent/Teen Driving Guide route for the supervised-driving portion instead of paying for 6 professional behind-the-wheel hours.

Full Georgia permit rules are at the Georgia learner's permit guide.

Is a 40-Hour Driving Log Required in Georgia?

Georgia DDS does not require a physical driving log. The required 40 supervised hours, including 6 at night, must be completed, but DDS does not require applicants to submit a logbook. At the Class D application, a parent, guardian, or duly authorized DDS-certified driver education instructor may swear or affirm that the requirement was completed.

Georgia Verification of the 40 Supervised Driving Hours

A written record is optional, but many families use one to keep track of progress.

• Optional tracking: Record dates, time, duration, conditions, and nighttime practice if that helps you manage the 40-hour requirement.
• DDS verification: DDS relies on the required sworn or affirmed certification rather than collecting a physical driving log.
• Eligible certifiers: See the dedicated question below for who may certify completion.
• Daily maximum: The existing article states that Georgia does not set a legal daily maximum for practice hours; spreading practice over time is still better for skill development.

Tracking Practice Hours Without a DDS-Required Log

The main practical risk is losing track of whether the required hours were actually completed.

• Track the 6 nighttime hours separately if you use an optional record.
• Spread practice across different road and traffic conditions rather than trying to complete the requirement at the last minute.
• Do not sign or submit the certification until the full 40 hours, including 6 at night, have been completed.

Administrative Steps and Practical Tips

For a standard Class D path, the Class CP permit must generally be held for 1 year and 1 day before the road test. Road-test scheduling and vehicle requirements are covered separately.

Who can certify the 40 supervised driving hours for a Georgia Class D license?

A parent, guardian, or duly authorized DDS-certified driver education instructor can swear or affirm that the required 40 supervised hours, including 6 at night, were completed.