Driving Tests

Alabama 50 Hours or Driver's Ed: DL-31 Form and Road Test

informational·how to guide·Published September 20, 2026

Do you need 50 hours of practice or driver's ed for an Alabama license?

You need one of the two, plus a consent form. A 16-year-old applying for an Alabama Stage II restricted license sends a parent's or guardian's consent and either a signed statement of at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice or a State Department of Education certificate for an approved driver education course. Form DL-31 covers each. Under 18, you must first hold Stage I for at least six months.

Where these Alabama rules come from

Alabama sets these rules in Code of Alabama Section 32-6-7.2. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) explains them on its Graduated Driver License page and prints them on its DL-31 form. Other sources: Code of Alabama Section 32-6-3, the ALEA pages on driver license forms and on private high school driver education, the Alabama Driver Manual and an ALEA news release of March 2020. This post is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (alea.gov) before you drive.

The two ways to qualify: 50 hours or driver's ed

The two ways to qualify: 50 hours or driver's ed
Detail	50 hours of practice	Approved driver education course
What you send	A signed statement that you completed at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice	A State Department of Education (SDE) certificate that you passed an approved course
Who signs or issues it	A parent, a legal guardian, a grandparent with a parent's or guardian's consent, or a licensed or certified driving instructor	The State Department of Education
Where it appears on DL-31	The behind-the-wheel part	The driver education certificate part
Consent form also needed	Yes	Yes

Does driver's ed replace the 50 hours?

Yes. Under the law, a 16-year-old sends either the 50-hour statement or the SDE certificate, not both. An SDE-approved course does not have to include the 50 hours of driving practice, so you do not add 50 hours on top of the course.
The consent form is separate, and you need it on both routes. A parent or legal guardian signs it, or a grandparent with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

What is on the DL-31 form

Consent: A parent or legal guardian consents to the license and to the applicant driving without supervision.
50-hour verification: The signer certifies at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving practice. The printed signature line names a parent or legal guardian.
Driver education certificate: For an applicant who completed a driver education course approved by the Alabama Department of Education.

Does the Alabama 50-hour rule apply to you?

You are 16 and want a Stage II restricted license

Send the consent form and either the 50-hour statement or the SDE certificate. You must also have held Stage I for at least six months, as the free question on the six-month Stage I period shows.

You are 17 and your license is less than six months old

You count as a Stage II restricted license holder. Our guide to Stage II restricted license rules lists the limits that go with it.

You are 18 or older

The graduated license rules do not apply to you. You may apply at once for Stage III, and you must pass the road skills test.

You are 16 or older and married, or head of a household

The graduated license rules do not apply to you either.

How to get your Stage II license with DL-31

1
Hold Stage I
Keep your learner license for at least six months if you are under 18. Practice driving with your supervisor.
2
Choose your route
Do 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, or finish an SDE-approved driver education course.
3
Get the signatures
Ask a parent or legal guardian to sign the consent part of DL-31. Ask a signer named in the law to sign the 50-hour part, or get the SDE certificate for the course.
4
Book the road skills test
You can book road skills test appointments online, up to two weeks ahead, in select locations. A 16-year-old applicant must come with a parent or guardian.
5
Pass the test and get your license
When you pass the road skills test, you get your license after you pay the required fee.

Can driver's ed let you skip the road test?

Not by itself. Every first-time applicant must pass an exam; driver's ed can change who gives it. A student in a high school driver education class may send proof of passing the written, oral, vision and driving parts with an approved third party testing agent, in place of the Department of Public Safety exam. That agent is a certified driver education instructor at a public high school who is approved by the State Department of Education and trained as a third party testing agent, or a private high school instructor certified, approved and trained by the Department of Public Safety. You present the certificate at a driver's license office.
Ask if your school system offers third-party testing; if not, see our road skills test checklist.

What ALEA announced in 2020 for driver ed students

Under the process ALEA announced in March 2020, a student who finished SDE driver education and passed the road test with an instructor no longer needed a parent to take them for a road test before the permit was exchanged. From the 2019-2020 school year, the student's information went to ALEA automatically. The Y restriction came off on the morning of the 16th birthday if the student had held the permit for at least six months. The Y restriction means a qualified supervisor must sit in the next seat. The family could then order the Stage II license online at alea.gov ("Duplicate"). Ask your teacher how this works today.

How long is a private high school driver ed course?

Minimum length: 70 clock hours or one semester.
Classroom: at least 30 hours of instruction.
Driving: on the street with a certified driver education teacher, in a car with dual controls.
Driving hours: no set number; the planning figure is about six hours per student.
Public high schools: ask the school for its own course hours.

Key takeaways

A 16-year-old needs a signed consent form plus one of two papers: a 50-hour statement or an SDE driver education certificate.
If you are under 18, hold Stage I for at least six months before you apply for Stage II.
Driver education does not have to include the 50 hours, and you still pass a road skills exam. Where your school system offers third-party testing, a certified school instructor can give it.
Next step: the road skills exam is based on the Alabama Driver Manual, so review the rules on the free Alabama Class D learner license practice test, in English, before your test.

Alabama DL-31 and 50 hours: common questions

Where do I get the DL-31 form in Alabama?

ALEA lists DL-31, the Graduated Driver License Form, on its Driver License Forms page at alea.gov as a PDF that you can print. Every 16-year-old applicant needs the consent part signed, plus either the 50-hour part or the driver education certificate. You submit these papers to the Department of Public Safety when you apply.

Can a grandparent or driving instructor sign the 50-hour form?

Yes. Code of Alabama Section 32-6-7.2 lets a licensed or certified driving instructor sign the 50-hour statement. A grandparent can sign it too, but only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. The printed DL-31 shows a signature line for a parent or legal guardian only, but the law names all of these signers.

Is there a log I must keep for the 50 hours?

DL-31 has a signature line where the signer certifies at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice. Ask the person who will sign how they want to track the hours, and keep your own notes of dates and times while you practice.

Do I give up my learner's permit at the road test?

Yes. If you are 16 or 17, you surrender your learner license at the time of the road test. When you pass, you get a new regular license with the "Y" restriction removed. It stays valid for the rest of the four-year period of your learner license.