Driving Tests

Parent-Taught Driver's Ed in Idaho: How the Program Works (2026)

informational·how to guide·Published August 16, 2026

Can a parent teach driver's ed in Idaho instead of a driving school?

Yes. Since March 17, 2026, a qualifying parent or legal guardian anywhere in Idaho can teach the driving part of driver's training. The student takes 30 hours of approved online classroom instruction, and the parent teaches 6 hours of in-car observation and 6 hours behind the wheel and keeps a drive log. Then the student does 50 hours of supervised practice over at least 6 months.

Where the Idaho parent-taught driver's ed facts come from

The parent rules, the permit rules, the 50-hour practice period and the license limits come from Idaho Code 49-307. The steps, the documents and the test eligibility date come from the ITD Parent-Student On-Road Driver's Training checklist. The fees and test facts come from the Idaho Driver's Handbook. The statewide change comes from 2026 House Bill 628 and the retest wait from Idaho Code 49-313. The drive log comes from the ITD drive log template, and the permit age and cancellation rules come from the ITD Graduated Driver's License fact sheet. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Idaho Transportation Department DMV (itd.idaho.gov/dmv) or your county driver's license office before you drive.

What is Idaho's Parent-Student On-Road Driver's Training program?

Idaho calls it Parent-Student On-Road Driver's Training. A parent or legal guardian replaces the licensed instructor for the in-car part of a driver's training course. The student still takes the classroom part online.
The program used to be open only in rural school districts, or in urban districts with no driver's training course. House Bill 628 took effect on March 17, 2026, and it opened the program to parents statewide. A student under 17 must complete a driver-training program to get an Idaho driver's license, so this program is one way to meet that rule.

What the student must finish in the course

What the student must finish in the course
Part	Amount	Who does it
Classroom instruction	30 hours	An online course approved by the State Department of Education
In-car observation	6 hours	Parent or legal guardian
Behind-the-wheel instruction	6 hours	Parent or legal guardian

Who can teach: the parent rules

A parent or legal guardian qualifies when both of these are true:
- The parent has a valid Idaho driver's license that permits unaccompanied driving.
- The parent has not had a license suspended, revoked or canceled, and has not been disqualified from holding an Idaho license, for the previous two years.
A parent stops qualifying if the license is suspended, revoked, canceled or disqualified during the student's education. More than one parent or legal guardian may teach the same student. Hours count only with a DMV preapproved parent or guardian, so ask your county driver's license office how to get approved before the first lesson.

How to do parent-taught driver's ed in Idaho, step by step

1
Get the permit at a county driver's license office
The student must be at least 14½, and needs the permit before the online class or any driving lesson. Any county driver's license office in Idaho can issue it. Bring a certified original birth certificate (or a marriage certificate for a stepparent, or a court-ordered guardianship document) to show the parent relationship. Also bring acceptable photo identification and a Social Security card or number. A student under 18 also needs a liability signer (a parent or court-ordered guardian) and a Verification of School Compliance (VOC).
2
Sign up for an approved online course
Choose a course from the approved list of the State Department of Education. The student takes all 30 classroom hours in that course.
3
Teach the 12 driving hours during the class
Teach 6 hours of in-car observation and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction at the same time as the classroom course. The lessons must meet the content standards of the Idaho driver education curriculum.
4
Log every session
For each driving session, write the date, time, location and skills practiced. At the end, the parent signs the certification on the official ITD drive log that the student completed the 12 hours.
5
Submit the proof and the log
Give the course completion proof and the finished drive log to ITD or your county driver's license office. This sets the test eligibility date.

How much does the Idaho parent-taught permit cost?

The Idaho Driver's Handbook fee table lists $16.50 for the Parent Lead Driver Training and Supervised Instruction Permit. That amount includes $6.50 that is collected in advance for the skills test receipt. The standard Driver Training Instruction Permit and Supervised Instruction Permit costs $21.50. Later, the knowledge test costs $5, and the skills test costs $35 in total: $6.50 to the county DMV and up to $28.50 to the skills test examiner. Permit fees are not refundable, and the permit is not renewable.

What happens after the course: the 50-hour practice period

After the course, the driver's training permit serves as the Supervised Instruction Permit (SIP). The student must practice for at least six months and log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night. Both limits apply: see our free question on why 50 hours alone is not enough.
The supervising driver must hold a valid driver's license, be 21 or older and sit beside the student, with no other person in the front seat. A violation of the SIP rules cancels the permit, and a new six-month period starts with a new permit. See also our guide to Idaho Graduated Driver's License rules.

When can your teen take the Idaho driving tests?

The test eligibility date has not come yet

Wait. A knowledge test or skills test taken before the test eligibility date is invalid, and you must buy and pass it again.

The test eligibility date has come, the 50 hours are done and the teen is at least 15

Schedule an appointment with a skills tester for the Idaho skills test, and take the knowledge test. The knowledge test has 40 questions, and the teen needs 34 correct, per the Idaho Driver's Handbook. The handbook allows the tests in either order but says it helps to pass the knowledge test first. Confirm the order with your county office.

The teen fails a test

Wait three days (the law says three calendar days) and pay the test fee again.

The parent's signature and the first license limits

Before the license is issued, a parent or legal guardian must sign and date a statement that the requirements are done and that gives permission to issue the license.
A new driver under 16 may drive only in daylight hours, which in Idaho means 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., unless a licensed driver 21 or older sits beside them.
In the first six months, a license holder under 17 may carry no more than one passenger under 17. Relatives by blood, adoption or marriage do not count toward that limit. Check yourself with our free question on the passenger limit.

Key takeaways

Since March 17, 2026, parents anywhere in Idaho can teach the driving part of driver's training.
The student needs 30 hours of approved online classroom instruction, plus 6 hours of in-car observation and 6 hours behind the wheel with the parent.
The parent needs a valid Idaho license and no suspension, revocation, cancellation or disqualification for two years, and must keep a drive log.
Submit the proof and the log to set the test eligibility date, then practice 50 hours (10 at night) over at least six months.
Next step: practice on the free Idaho Class D practice test.

Idaho parent-taught driver's ed: common questions

Can a stepparent or guardian teach my teen to drive in Idaho?

Yes. A stepparent can show the relationship with a marriage certificate, and a legal guardian with a court-ordered guardianship document. Each one must also meet the license and two-year record rules. More than one qualifying parent or guardian may teach the same student, so two parents can share the 12 hours.

How old must my teen be to start parent-taught driver's ed in Idaho?

At least 14½. That is the youngest age for an Idaho Driver Training/Supervised Instruction Permit, and the student needs that permit before the online class or the first driving lesson. The license itself comes no sooner than age 15 and no sooner than six months after the course.

Can I use any online driver's ed course?

No. Only an online course that the State Department of Education approves counts for the 30 classroom hours. The department publishes the list on its website, and each county driver's license office has it too. Hours from an unapproved source are not accepted, so check the list before you pay for a course.

Can we start the 50 practice hours during the online class?

No. First finish the class and the 12 parent-taught hours. Then submit the course completion proof and the drive log to ITD or your county driver's license office. The supervised instruction period, with its 50 hours (10 at night) over at least six months, cannot begin until you submit them.

Who keeps the permit in parent-taught driver's ed?

Idaho law issues the driver's training instruction permit to the qualifying parent or legal guardian, not to a driving instructor. After the course, the same permit serves as the Supervised Instruction Permit. The student must have the permit with them at all times while driving.