Michigan Permit Practice Hours: 50-Hour Log, 10 at Night Required

If you are under 18, you must complete 50 total hours of supervised driving with at least 10 at night. Adults 18 and older do not need to submit a written log but must hold a Temporary Instruction Permit for at least 30 days before taking the road test.

How Many Supervised Hours Must Michigan Level 1 Drivers Log Before Road Test?

Michigan GDL requires 50 total logged hours of supervised practice: 40 during daylight and 10 after dark. Hours must be co-signed by the qualifying supervisor. The six behind-the-wheel hours from Segment 1 driver education do not count toward this total. All 50 must come from private supervised practice. Adults 18 and older do not use the teen 50-hour log and instead follow the adult TIP practice-period rule.

Michigan's Graduated Driver Licensing system sets strict practice standards. Hold Level 1 for 6 months before road test. No convictions in 90 days before road test.

• Phase 1 Checkpoint: Hold Level 1 for 3 months. Log 30 supervised hours, 2 at night before enrolling in Segment 2 Driver Education.
• Download Segment 2 Certificate of Completion form for verification if needed for records.

What Format Does Michigan SOS Accept for the Supervised Driving Log?

Use Michigan's Supervised Driving Guide and log (SOS-191), or RoadReady where accepted, to track the teen's supervised practice. Keep the record current and include the required date, daytime/nighttime hours, conditions, supervisor initials, and parent/guardian certification. Segment 1 behind-the-wheel instruction is separate from the teen supervised-practice total.

What Counts Towards the 50 Hours?

• Driving with a licensed parent, guardian, or designated adult aged 21 or older.
• Practice in various conditions (rain, snow, city, expressway).

What Does NOT Count?

• The 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction from Segment 1 Driver's Ed. These professional instruction hours are separate and do not count toward your 50.
• Time spent observing another driver.
• Driving on private property.

Michigan Road Test Examiners Count Every Log Entry Before Testing

Third-party road test examiners in Michigan collect and review the driving log before starting the skills test. They calculate totals for day hours, night hours, and overall. Arrive short by 30 minutes and the test is cancelled. The road test fee is not refunded for log deficiencies.

• A teen at the Mack Avenue testing site in Detroit was sent home and forfeited a $100 fee because their printed RoadReady log showed only 48.5 total hours. The examiner calculated the time precisely.
• An applicant at the Plainfield Avenue location had their handwritten log rejected because the parent forgot to sign it. They had to reschedule their test for two weeks later.

What if you forgot to log hours - can you estimate them retroactively? You can reconstruct a log, but it must be accurate and signed. Guessing or fabricating hours is fraud. Examiners look for realistic patterns.

• A student submitted a log with 10 hours of nighttime driving all logged on consecutive weekend dates. The examiner questioned the pattern, and the parent admitted to estimating. The test was canceled, and the log had to be re-done with accurate, spread-out times.

Log every drive immediately after it ends using your phone's notes or the RoadReady app to avoid forgetting details.

Before your road test in cities like Warren or Ann Arbor, double-check that your printed log totals exactly 50+ hours and 10+ night hours. Use a calculator to sum the columns yourself to avoid a simple math error that will get you turned away.

How to Submit Your Log: You do not submit it online. Bring the physical, signed log (or printed app report) to your Segment 2 class for verification and to your road test appointment for the audit.

Check third-party testing fees ahead; unregulated by state. Find road test locations and third-party testers list on the official SOS website. Learn more on GDL at Michigan learner's permit guide; road test tips at road test preparation guide; permit rules at learners permit requirements.