Driving Tests

Connecticut 8-Hour Safe Driving Course and 2-Hour Parent Class Explained

informational·how to guide·Published August 2, 2026

Who must take the 8-hour safe driving course and the 2-hour parent class in Connecticut, and when?

Every 16- or 17-year-old license applicant in Connecticut must finish an 8-hour Safe Driving Practices course before the road test, and a parent or legal guardian attends 2 of those 8 hours with the teen. Adults who never held a Connecticut license and hold no valid license from elsewhere also take the 8 hours. The law caps the teen course fee at $200.

Where the Connecticut course rules come from

The 8-hour course for teens comes from Connecticut General Statutes section 14-36 in the 2026 Supplement. The 2-hour parent class comes from section 14-36j, and the rule for adults from section 14-37b. The Connecticut DMV teen driver's license page and the DMV adult learner's permit page list the steps. The Connecticut Driver's Manual and the DMV road test page add the certificate details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Connecticut DMV (portal.ct.gov/dmv) before you drive.

Who must take the Connecticut 8-hour course

Who must take the Connecticut 8-hour course
Applicant	Course needed	What else to know
Age 16 or 17, first license	8-hour Safe Driving Practices course, with a parent or legal guardian at 2 of the hours	You must hold a youth instruction permit first.
Age 16 or 17 with an out-of-state license	The same 8-hour class in Connecticut, with the 2-hour parent training	Take it at a Connecticut commercial driving school or secondary school. DMV gives this license service only at a hub office or the Enfield office.
Age 18 or older, no earlier Connecticut license and no valid license from elsewhere	8-hour course	You can take it at any time, but before the on-the-road skills test.
Age 18 or older, Connecticut license expired two years or more ago	No course	You still need an adult learner's permit, but the 90-day wait does not apply when DMV can verify the old license.

What the 8 hours cover

For 16- and 17-year-olds, the law requires at least 4 of the 8 hours on alcohol and drugs, including cannabis: their effects on a driver, the dangers of impaired driving, substance abuse and the penalties. The course also shows a video on how cannabis can slow reaction time and harm motor function, perception and peripheral vision. The adult course also has at least 4 hours on alcohol and drugs. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles approves the course content at drivers' schools and secondary schools. The practice question on what to do when alcohol, cannabis or another drug impairs you covers the same idea.

What the 2-hour parent class covers and who attends

The 2 hours cover the laws and penalties for drivers under 18, the dangers of teen driving, how adolescents develop, and the responsibilities and liabilities of parents of teen drivers. A parent or legal guardian must attend these 2 hours with the teen. The 2 hours sit inside the 8, so they add no extra course. Before the driver's test, the teen gives DMV an affidavit from a school official, signed under penalty of false statement, that a parent or guardian attended.

Which training path fits your teen

Your teen uses a high school or driving school program

The program has 30 hours of classroom training, and the safe driving practices course with the 2 hours of parent training is part of them. Your teen holds the permit at least 120 days before the road test.

Your teen uses home training

Your teen does 22 hours of classroom-type training at home, plus the 8-hour course with the 2-hour parent class at a commercial or secondary school. Your teen holds the permit at least 180 days. The home trainer is a Qualified Trainer: 20 or older, licensed at least 4 years, with no suspension in the past 4 years.

Your teen mixes the options

Any mix of the three options is accepted. The 8-hour course and the parent class still happen at a school.

How a 16- or 17-year-old completes the course requirements

1
Get the youth instruction permit
A 16- or 17-year-old cannot get a Connecticut license without holding one. The guide to the Connecticut youth learner's permit has the steps.
2
Pick the training path
Choose a high school course, a commercial driving school, home training, or a mix.
3
Take the 8 hours with a parent at 2 of them
Book the course with a school. If the permit was issued on or after January 1, 2026, your teen also needs the highway work zone program. The Work Zone Safety Course guide explains it.
4
Log 40 hours behind the wheel
Your teen needs at least 40 clock hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction. Any mix of commercial school, secondary school and parent instruction counts.
5
Check that the proof reaches DMV
The school sends the EDEC certificate to DMV after the course. Give DMV the parent attendance affidavit before the driver's test.
6
Take the road test after the permit hold
Bring the permit, a completed Form R-229 that your Qualified Trainer signs, and the EDEC certificate. Without the permit, DMV does not give the test.

Take the course in person or live online

A school may offer the course in person, through distance learning, or both. Distance learning must be live with an instructor, the applicant must use a camera, and the class must include interaction, participation or testing. The camera rule took effect on January 1, 2026 under P.A. 25-159.

Course fee and other names you may see

The law caps the fee for the teen course at $200 (U.S. dollars), so ask each school what its price covers. The Connecticut Driver's Manual calls the course certificate form CS-1, while DMV web pages call it the EDEC. One DMV page also calls the course an eight-hour Drug and Alcohol Safety Program (D.A.S.P.).

Key takeaways

Every 16- or 17-year-old Connecticut license applicant takes an 8-hour Safe Driving Practices course. At least 4 hours cover alcohol and drugs, including cannabis.
A parent or legal guardian attends 2 of the 8 hours with the teen, and a school official signs an affidavit that they did.
Adults 18 and older with no earlier Connecticut license and no valid license from elsewhere take the 8 hours before the on-the-road skills test. A Connecticut license expired two years or more ago means no course.
The law caps the teen course fee at $200 (U.S. dollars). The school sends the EDEC certificate to DMV.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Connecticut Class D practice test.

Connecticut 8-hour course and parent class: common questions

Do I pay extra for the 2-hour parent class?

No. The 2 parent hours are part of the 8-hour course that every 16- and 17-year-old applicant takes, so the parent or legal guardian attends with the teen during that course. The law caps the fee for the teen course at $200 (U.S. dollars). Ask the school what its fee covers before you book.

Is the 8-hour course the same as the 40 hours of driving practice?

No. The 8-hour course is classroom instruction on safe driving practices. The 40 hours are a separate requirement: clock hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road instruction that a commercial school, a secondary school, a parent or a mix can give. Your teen needs both, plus the permit hold, before the road test.

My 16-year-old has a license from another state. Does the course still apply?

Yes. DMV says a 16- or 17-year-old with an out-of-state license completes the 8-hour class at a commercial driving school or secondary school in Connecticut, with the 2-hour parent training. The teen also passes a vision test and a road test and gives the EDEC. A teen who finished driver training in another state but not a safe driving practices course must still take this course.

When should my teen take the 8-hour course?

Before the road test. The EDEC certificate is due at the road test, and the parent attendance affidavit must reach DMV before the driver's test. Your teen is ready for the road test once the driver training is complete and the permit hold of 120 or 180 days is over, so plan the course to end by then.

Who sends my course certificate to the DMV?

The school does. A Connecticut licensed driving school issues the EDEC certificate and sends it to DMV electronically after you finish the course. DMV also lists the EDEC among the items for the road test, so ask the school to confirm that it sent the certificate before your appointment.