Driving Tests

Pennsylvania 65-Hour Driving Log: Night Hours, Bad Weather and the DL-180C

informational·how to guide·Published July 28, 2026

How many supervised driving hours does a Pennsylvania teen need?

A Pennsylvania learner's permit holder under 18 needs 65 hours of supervised practice driving before the junior license road test. At least 10 of those hours must be at night and 5 in bad weather, and they count inside the 65. The teen must also hold the permit for six months. A parent or guardian certifies the hours on form DL-180C.

Where the 65-hour rules come from

The rules come from 75 Pa.C.S. section 1505 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, the PennDOT Parent or Guardian Certification Form DL-180C (revised 6-25), the PennDOT parent guide PUB 385A and the PennDOT driver's test scheduling FAQ. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services (pa.gov/dmv) before you drive.

The 65-hour rule at a glance

The 65-hour rule at a glance
Item	What Pennsylvania requires
Total supervised driving	65 hours before the junior license exam (applicants under 18)
Night driving	At least 10 hours, counted inside the 65
Bad weather driving	At least 5 hours, counted inside the 65
Time on the permit	Six months before the junior license exam
Driver education driving	The 6 hours of driving with an instructor can be credited
Motorcycle permit	A basic rider course replaces the night and bad weather hours and counts toward the 65
Proof	Form DL-180C, signed by a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse who is at least 18

How do the night and bad weather hours work?

The 10 night hours and 5 bad weather hours are part of the 65, not extra time. For example, a teen who logs 40 daytime hours, 20 night hours and 5 bad weather hours has 40 + 20 + 5 = 65 hours and meets both minimums. A teen with 70 hours but only 3 in bad weather still needs 2 more bad weather hours, as our practice question on the night and weather minimums shows. Practice at night and in bad weather as much as you safely can.

How to log your hours with PUB 385A

1
Pick a log
The PennDOT parent guide PUB 385A gives two ways to log driving time: the printed log in the guide, or the free RoadReady app.
2
Log each drive after it ends
On the printed log, write the date, the place (for example rural or highway), day or night, the weather, the skills practiced and the driving time. The adult adds initials. You or your teen can fill in the line once the drive is finished.
3
Mark night and bad weather drives
The day or night column and the weather column show how many of your hours count toward the 10 and the 5.
4
Or use the app to track and print
RoadReady tracks the hours until your teen reaches the state requirements. You can print the log straight from the app, and it makes a state-approved document to turn in.
5
Sign the DL-180C and keep the log
The law requires the signed DL-180C. The guide also says your teen can turn in the log when applying for the license.

Who can supervise the 65 hours?

By law, the supervisor is a licensed driver who is at least 21. A spouse, parent, guardian or person in loco parentis of the permit holder can supervise at 18. The supervisor must hold a license for the class of vehicle that the teen drives, sit in the seat beside the teen, and must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The DL-180C text says the hours were given by a licensed driver "21 years of age or older", so if a parent under 21 gave hours, ask PennDOT before you sign. Our free practice question on who may supervise a permit holder checks this rule.

Do driver education hours count toward the 65?

Yes, in part. A driver education course may include six hours of driving with an instructor, and PennDOT says these six hours can be credited toward the 65. A teen who takes the road test at a high school in the End-of-Course Skills Program must finish the classroom and skills parts of the driver education course and also have the full 65 hours, with 10 at night and 5 in poor weather.

What the parent signs on the DL-180C

The teen completed at least 65 hours of supervised practical driving, including 10 hours at night and 5 hours in bad weather. A motorcycle permit applicant takes a Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program basic rider course in place of the night and bad weather hours.
A licensed driver 21 or older gave the behind-the-wheel experience (the words on the form).
The teen printed or viewed PennDOT's online material on the dangers of distracted driving. Use the form marked 6-25, which has this line.
The form asks for the teen's printed name and learner's permit number.
The signer is a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse who is at least 18.

Where do you sign the DL-180C?

The parent or guardian goes with the teen to the skills test

Sign the form at the test, in front of the driver license examiner. The form also allows an End-of-Course skill test teacher, a certified third party examiner or a motorcycle safety instructor. No notary is needed.

The parent or guardian does not go with the teen to the Driver License Center

Sign the form in front of a notary before the test. The teen brings the notarized form to the test.

When can your teen take the road test?

After six months on the permit and 65 certified hours. PennDOT asks a teen under 18 to bring the completed DL-180C and the DL-180TD consent form to the test. The permit is valid for one year, so plan the six months and the hours inside that time. The Pennsylvania road test guide covers the test itself, and the junior license rules explain what the license allows.

Key takeaways

Teens under 18 need 65 supervised hours and six months on the permit before the junior license road test.
At least 10 of the hours are at night and 5 in bad weather. They count inside the 65.
Log each drive on the PUB 385A printed log or in the RoadReady app. The 6 driving hours of a driver education course can count.
A parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse who is 18 or older signs the DL-180C, including the distracted driving line.
Next step: practice the traffic laws on the free Pennsylvania Class C permit practice test. It is in English only.

Pennsylvania 65-hour driving log: common questions

How long does it take to finish 65 driving hours?

65 hours takes more than 20 minutes of driving every day for six months. That matches the six months that the teen must hold the permit. A teen cannot take the road test before six months on the permit, even if all 65 hours are done sooner, and the permit is valid for one year.

Can my 19-year-old brother or friend supervise my practice drives?

No. A supervisor must be at least 21, unless the supervisor is your spouse, parent, guardian or person in loco parentis, who can be 18. The supervisor must also hold a license for the vehicle class and sit beside you. Only hours with a supervisor who meets these rules count toward the 65.

Is there an app to log driving hours in Pennsylvania?

Yes. RoadReady is a free app that PennDOT names in its parent guide. Start a drive in the app and it counts the hours until your teen meets the state requirements. When the hours are done, you can print the log. The paper log in the guide works too, and the parent still signs the DL-180C.

Do motorcycle permit holders need the night and bad weather hours?

No. A motorcycle permit applicant completes a Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program basic rider course in place of the 10 night hours and 5 bad weather hours. The course counts toward the 65 hours. A rider under 18 still needs six months on the permit and 65 hours before the motorcycle test.

What happens if a parent signs the DL-180C with wrong hours?

A person who knowingly files a false certification commits a summary offense under Pennsylvania law. Log each drive when it ends, so the totals on the form match the log. The certification itself does not make the parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse liable.

Where do I get the DL-180C?

PennDOT gives out the form when it processes the learner's permit application. PennDOT must also make it available by mail or electronic means. Fill it in when your teen is ready for the road test, and sign it in front of an examiner or a notary.