Hawaii 50-Hour Driving Log: Practice Hours, Notarization and What Counts (2026)

Minors under 18 must complete 50 supervised practice hours, certified through Hawaii's Acknowledgement of Practice Driving (40 daytime, 10 nighttime) with an instruction permit. Adults 18+ face no state mandate, but practice is strongly recommended.

Download the official Hawaii Driver's Manual for full rules.

How Many Supervised Practice Hours Does Hawaii Require for a Learner's Permit?

Hawaii requires minors under 18 to log 50 supervised driving hours, including 10 at night, before the road test. Adults 18 and over have no mandatory hour minimum and can schedule their road test immediately after passing the written exam.

The 180-day holding period starts from your permit issue date. You cannot schedule a road test before this period expires, even if you've logged all 50 hours.

Adults skip the hourly requirement entirely, but most fail their first road test without adequate preparation. I've watched too many overconfident 19-year-olds fail basic parallel parking in Kapolei.

Can More Than One Adult Supervise a Teen's Hawaii 50 Practice Hours?

Yes, practice can be split among more than one qualifying supervisor. Each drive still has to follow Hawaii's permit-supervision rules. The final 50-hour certification must be completed and notarized as required by the official practice-driving form.

Logging and Notarizing the Hawaii 50-Hour Driving Affidavit

Minors should keep an accurate record of their supervised practice and complete Hawaii's official Acknowledgement of Practice Driving for the 50-hour certification. Follow the form's signing and notarization instructions when the requirement is completed.

The 50-hour certification is separate from the teen driver's education and certified behind-the-wheel completion requirements. See the driver's ed certificate requirements for those documents.

Who Signs and Notarizes Hawaii's Acknowledgement of Practice Driving?

Use the official Acknowledgement of Practice Driving and follow its current signature and notarization instructions when the 50 hours are complete. This certification is separate from the parental-consent form used for a minor's permit application.

Completing and Submitting Hawaii's 50-Hour Practice Form

The practice-hours certification should reflect the driving actually completed. Keep your own dated record while practicing so the final certification can be completed accurately.

This page focuses on the 50 supervised hours. Driver-education certificates, permit-test retakes, and road-test appointment timing are covered in their dedicated guides.

What Driving Time Counts Toward Hawaii's 50-Hour Requirement and What Doesn't

Only practice completed after the instruction permit is issued and with a qualifying supervisor counts toward the 50-hour requirement.

• Certified Behind-the-Wheel Training: The 6 hours with a certified instructor are separate from the 50 supervised practice hours.
• Driving That Does Not Meet Permit Conditions: Driving alone or without the required supervisor does not satisfy the supervised-practice requirement. For a permit holder under 18, driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. requires the parent or guardian supervision required by Hawaii law, unless the permit holder is an emancipated minor.

See the Hawaii permit restrictions guide for the full driving rules.

Do the 50 Practice Hours Include the 6 Certified Instructor Hours?

No. The 50 supervised practice hours and the 6 certified behind-the-wheel hours are separate teen requirements. Completing one does not replace the other.

Completing the 50-Hour Practice Requirement

Before moving to the road-test stage, make sure the 50 supervised hours and the required teen driver-education components are complete. Road-test booking, vehicle documents, insurance, and safety-inspection requirements are covered in the dedicated road-test guides.

Use the official Acknowledgement of Practice Driving for the practice-hours certification rather than a parental-consent or minor-permit affidavit.