Driving Tests

Minnesota Supervised Driving Log: 50 Hours, or 40 With the Parent Class

informational·how to guide·Published August 1, 2026

How many supervised driving hours does a Minnesota teen need?

A Minnesota teen under 18 needs 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 15 at night, to get a provisional license. If the primary driving supervisor finishes the parent class (supplemental parental curriculum, at least 90 minutes), the log needs only 40 hours, still with 15 at night. A licensed driver at least 21 years old supervises, and the primary driving supervisor signs the log.

Where the Minnesota driving log facts come from

The hours, the log contents and the parent class come from Minnesota Statutes 171.055, the law on the provisional license, and from the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Supervised Driving Log form. The start of the hours and the advice for parents come from the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety graduated driver's licensing page and its teen driving pages. The permit, supervisor, certificate and full license details come from Minnesota Statutes 171.04, 171.05 and 171.0701, Minnesota Rules 7410.4920, the DVS page for new drivers under 18 and the Minnesota Driver's Manual. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs) before you drive.

Minnesota supervised driving hours: with and without the parent class

Minnesota supervised driving hours: with and without the parent class
Item	Without the parent class	With the parent class
Total supervised hours	50 hours	40 hours
Night hours (inside the total)	At least 15	At least 15
Minutes on the log	3,000 total, 900 at night	2,400 total, 900 at night
What else to bring	The signed log	The signed log and the parent class certificate

What is the Minnesota parent class?

The parent class is the supplemental parental curriculum. It is optional. It is at least 90 minutes long, and a driver education instructor gives it or is in the room. It covers graduated driver's licensing, the safety risks for new drivers, how adults influence them, and more resources.
Each driver education school must have a schedule or a way to give the class to any primary driving supervisor who asks. Ask your local driver education school when its next class is.

How to finish the Minnesota driving log, step by step

1
Choose your hours goal
Decide before the permit application whether the primary driving supervisor will take the parent class. The law links the class certificate to that application, and the choice sets the goal at 40 hours or 50 hours.
2
Get the parent class certificate (optional)
A driver education instructor completes the certification that the primary driving supervisor finished the class, and the certificate carries the supervisor's name. DVS and a state rule list it for the road test, so bring it to the road test with the log.
3
Start logging after behind-the-wheel instruction
The hours start after the teen finishes behind-the-wheel instruction, and they must be done before the provisional license test.
4
Write each drive on the DVS template
Record the date, the day minutes, the night minutes, the total minutes and the skills you practiced. Add more sheets of the same template when you run out of rows.
5
Sign the log
Add up the day, night and total minutes in the totals row of each sheet. The primary driving supervisor then signs and dates the form to confirm the hours.
6
Bring the log to the road test
Show the printed log at the road test and hand it in with the provisional license application. Bring the six-hour behind-the-wheel certificate (white card) too. The road test post has the rest of the checklist.

What must the Minnesota supervised driving log show?

The law asks for a log in a format that the state approves. DVS gives that format as its Supervised Driving Log template. Each supervised trip needs its date and its length of driving time. The log must state that the teen drove with a licensed driver at least 21 years old, and that at least 15 of the hours were at night.
The log has been required since January 1, 2015, for every driver under 18 who finishes behind-the-wheel instruction and tests for a provisional license.

Worked example: how many drives is 40 or 50 hours?

Use your own typical drive length. Say your teen drives 45 minutes each time. With the parent class, 40 hours is 2,400 minutes, and 2,400 / 45 is about 53.3, so plan 54 drives. Without it, 50 hours is 3,000 minutes, and 3,000 / 45 is about 66.7, so plan 67 drives. The class saves 10 hours, or 600 minutes.
The night goal is 900 minutes in both cases, so 900 / 45 gives 20 night drives. Try our free question on how many hours the log must show to check the numbers.

Rules for each supervised drive

The teen has the instruction permit in the car on each drive.
A permit holder under 18 drives with a certified driver education instructor, a parent or guardian, or another licensed driver 21 or older. Test yourself on who may supervise a teen permit holder.
The supervisor sits in the seat beside the teen.
A permit holder under 18 may not use a phone while the car moves, even hands free, except to get emergency help.
Practice on many road types and in different conditions, such as highways, city streets, rural roads and different kinds of weather.

What comes after the log?

With the log done, the teen can take the road test and apply for the provisional license. The teen must be at least 16, must have held the permit for six months with no convictions for alcohol or drug driving offenses or moving violations, and must have finished driver education. The provisional license rules post covers the limits on the license itself.
A full license before 18 needs 12 months on the provisional license. The adult who approves the license application, such as a parent or guardian, must also certify 10 more hours of supervised driving with a licensed driver 21 or older during that time.

Key takeaways

The log needs 50 hours with 15 at night, or 40 hours with 15 at night if the primary driving supervisor finishes the parent class.
The parent class is optional, lasts at least 90 minutes and is given by or with a driver education instructor.
Use the DVS log template. Each drive has a date and a length, and the primary driving supervisor signs the log.
Show the log at the road test and hand it in with the provisional license application.
Next step: practice on the free Minnesota Class D practice test.

Minnesota driving log: common questions

Which parent should take the Minnesota parent class?

The parent or guardian who will supervise most of the drives and sign the log. The law ties the class to the primary driving supervisor, and the certificate carries that person's name. On the DVS log form, the signer states that he or she is the parent or guardian who supervised the teen for most of the required hours.

Can I keep the Minnesota driving log in an app or on my own paper?

Not for the final log. DVS accepts only its Supervised Driving Log template, and logs on any other document are not accepted. When the rows run out, attach more sheets of the same template. DVS asks for a printed log at the road test, so write each drive on the printed form and bring the signed pages.

Do the 15 night hours count toward the 40 or 50 hours?

Yes. The 15 night hours are part of the total, not extra. With the parent class that is 40 hours in all, 15 of them at night. Without it, that is 50 hours in all, 15 of them at night. On the form, night minutes have their own column next to day minutes.

How many hours should my teen drive beyond the minimum?

As many as you can. On the log form, DVS encourages parents to add as many extra hours as possible to prepare a safe driver. The practice does not stop at the road test: keep watching and training your teen in the first six to 12 months after licensing, the period of greatest crash risk.