Driving Tests

Rhode Island 50-Hour Driving Log: Who Can Supervise You

informational·how to guide·Published May 30, 2026

How many supervised driving hours does a Rhode Island teen need, and who can sit with you?

Rhode Island requires at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, before a driver under 18 gets the limited provisional license. A parent or guardian signs a statement that you finished them. Your supervisor can be a parent, guardian, licensed foster parent, adult or certified driver education instructor who has been licensed for five years, and sits beside you in the front seat.

Where these Rhode Island rules come from

The hours and the parent statement come from R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6. The supervising driver rule comes from R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.1. The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) driver education page adds guidance on logging hours. Sections 31-10-6.3, 31-10-6.4, 31-10-14 and 31-10-19 and the CCRI student and parent agreement supply the other details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (dmv.ri.gov) before you drive.

The 50-hour rule at a glance

At least 50 hours of driving with a supervising driver beside you.
At least 10 of those hours at night. CCRI counts night as sunset to sunrise.
The hours can include lessons with a commercial driving school or any other supervised driving.
A parent or guardian signs a statement that you finished the hours. It goes with your application for the limited provisional license.
You must also hold the limited instruction permit for at least 6 months, have no moving violation or seat belt infraction conviction in the past 6 months, and pass a road test.

Who can supervise your driving in Rhode Island?

Under Rhode Island law, a supervising driver is a parent, guardian, licensed foster parent, adult or certified driver education instructor. Every supervisor must be a licensed driver who has been licensed to drive for five years.
CCRI's guidance lists a parent or guardian, a Rhode Island licensed driving school, or a qualified supervising driver who is at least 21 and licensed for at least five years. The law says only "adult", and the law wins over guidance. A supervisor who is 21 or older and licensed for five years meets both.

Is this person a valid supervisor?

Your parent or guardian has been licensed for 5 years or more

Yes. A parent or guardian is on the law's list of supervising drivers.

A relative or family friend has been licensed for 5 years or more and is an adult

Yes. The law accepts any adult with five years of licensing. A person 21 or older also meets CCRI's guidance.

The person was licensed less than 5 years ago

No. The five-year rule applies to every supervising driver.

You drive with a certified driver education instructor

Yes. A certified driver education instructor is on the law's list of supervising drivers.

Where the supervisor must sit

On a limited instruction permit, the supervising driver must sit beside you in the front seat while the car moves, and nobody else may sit in the front seat. Everyone in the car must wear a safety belt, or use a child restraint, while you drive. With the provisional license, you may drive with a supervisor at any time, and the supervisor still sits beside you in the front seat. Test yourself with the practice question on who may sit in the front seat. Our post on the Rhode Island limited instruction permit at 16 covers how to get the permit.

Do driving school lessons count toward the 50 hours?

Yes. The law says the 50 hours may include lessons with a commercial driving school or any other supervised driving. A student 16 or older in a driving school or school program approved by the Division of Motor Vehicles does not need the permit while driving the school's dual-control training car with the school's instructor in the seat beside them.

How to keep your driving log

1
Start a log on day one
CCRI encourages families to use the Parent's Supervised Driving Program and the RoadReady mobile app to log supervised hours. A notebook or spreadsheet also works for your own record.
2
Write down each drive
Record the date, the start and end time, the supervisor's name and whether the drive was between sunset and sunrise.
3
Count lessons too
Log your lessons with a commercial driving school too.
4
Total the hours before you apply
Check that you have at least 50 hours, with at least 10 at night, and that you have held the permit for 6 months. Your parent or guardian can then sign the statement.

What does your parent sign?

Your parent or guardian signs a statement that you obtained at least 50 hours of experience, 10 of them at night, while driving with a supervising driver. You present it with your application for the limited provisional license.
Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-14, the application of anyone under 18 must be signed and verified before a person who can administer oaths. The signer is your father, mother, guardian, adult husband or wife, or licensed foster parent who lives in Rhode Island and qualifies as a supervising driver. If no parent, guardian or licensed foster parent meets these rules, another responsible adult who accepts the obligation may sign.

How to learn from every drive

Learning also happens from the passenger seat. When your parent or supervisor drives, they can talk through what the mirrors show and what they think about in each maneuver, and point out the good and bad moves of other drivers. On your own drives, do the same out loud, so your supervisor hears how you plan. Our free practice questions, in English only, help you study the rules between drives. The practice question on the 50-hour statement checks the numbers in this guide.

What happens if you drive without the right supervisor?

What happens if you drive without the right supervisor?
What you do	What it counts as under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.4
Drive with no supervising driver when your permit or license needs one	Operating a motor vehicle without a license
Drive alone outside the hours that the provisional license allows	Operating a motor vehicle without a license
Break a seating or passenger rule, such as a second person in the front seat on a permit	An infraction: $100 for a first offense, $110 for a second, $140 for a third or later

Is there a course for parents?

The law calls for an optional, voluntary course for the parent, guardian or designee on the driver education curriculum and the graduated licensing rules for drivers under 18. CCRI develops the course, or may approve a similar course, such as AAA's course, as equivalent. After your hours, the next stage is the provisional license; see the Rhode Island provisional license curfew and passenger rules.

Key takeaways

Plan for at least 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 at night.
A supervisor must be a licensed driver with five years of licensing. One who is 21 or older also meets CCRI's guidance.
The supervisor sits beside you in the front seat, and nobody else sits there.
Driving school lessons count. A parent or guardian signs a statement with your provisional license application.
Driving without the required supervisor counts as driving without a license.
Next step: practice the rules on the free Rhode Island operator license practice test.

Rhode Island supervised driving hours: common questions

Do the 10 night hours count inside the 50 hours?

Yes. The law asks for a minimum of 50 hours of experience with 10 of those at night, so the 10 night hours are part of the 50, not extra. CCRI counts night as sunset to sunrise, so in winter your night hours can start early in the evening.

Can my older brother or sister supervise my driving?

Yes, if your sibling is an adult who has been licensed to drive for five years. CCRI's guidance also asks for a supervisor who is at least 21. In Rhode Island, a teen gets the permit at 16 at the earliest, so a sibling who started here is 21 or older before reaching five years of licensing.

Is a driving log required by law?

The law requires the signed parent or guardian statement. The Parent's Supervised Driving Program and the RoadReady mobile app are two ways to log the hours. A written log helps your parent sign with confidence, so keep one even if you do not use an app.

Can driving school lessons count toward my 50 hours?

Yes. The law says the 50 hours may include driving lessons with a commercial driving school or any other supervised driving. The CCRI driver education class does not add hours, because CCRI says the course is classroom instruction only. After the course and the knowledge test, you may apply for the limited instruction permit.

What if my permit runs out before I finish the 50 hours?

A Rhode Island limited instruction permit is valid for one year. The Division of Motor Vehicles can extend it for a reasonable time if you show evidence of a hardship. The permit also expires on your 18th birthday, and so does the limited provisional license, so start your log early.