Driving Tests

Vermont Driver's Ed Requirements: 30-6-6 Course and 40-Hour Log

informational·how to guide·Published October 15, 2026

Do you need driver's ed in Vermont, and how many hours must you log?

Yes, if you are 16 or 17 and want a junior license. Vermont requires a state-approved driver education course of 30 hours in the classroom, 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours of observation. You also need 40 hours of supervised practice driving, at least 10 of them at night, on top of the 6 behind-the-wheel course hours. A parent or guardian normally certifies the practice hours.

Where the Vermont driver education rules come from

The rules come from the Vermont DMV junior driver's license page and the Vermont law on junior operator's licenses, 23 V.S.A. § 607. The Vermont DMV driver education page covers the course and the high school road test. Other DMV pages add detail: graduated license laws, the learner's permit, the Driver Education Certification Service, driving schools and teen drivers, with the Vermont Driver's Manual. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Vermont DMV (dmv.vermont.gov) before you drive.

What a 16- or 17-year-old needs before the license

What a 16- or 17-year-old needs before the license
Requirement	What Vermont asks	Who confirms it
Driver education course	30 hours classroom, 6 hours behind the wheel, 6 hours observation	Your instructor, in the DMV's DECS system
Practice driving	40 hours behind the wheel, at least 10 at night	Usually a parent or guardian, on a DMV form
Learner's permit	Held for at least one year	DMV record
Clean permit record	Six months in a row with no permit suspension, revocation or recall	DMV record
Parent consent	A parent or guardian signs your application before the test	The signed application

The 30-6-6 course: who must take it

Every Vermont license applicant under 18 must pass a state-approved driver education course. The law sets the same condition: a junior operator's license goes only to a person who passed the driver exam and a course approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of Education.

The course has at least 30 hours of classroom study, 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an instructor and 6 hours of observation. Students who pass get a Driver Education Certificate.

Where to take driver education in Vermont

High schools. The Vermont Agency of Education oversees the driver education courses at high schools.
Commercial driving schools. The DMV licenses the schools and their instructors, and the schools are private businesses. The DMV lists the standard driving schools by county; ask each school about tuition and schedules.
A certified course. The course must be certified by the Vermont Agency of Education or the Vermont DMV. Ask about this before you pay.
A road test at your high school. Some high schools are in a DMV testing program, where an instructor certified as a DMV examiner gives the road test to students of that school. If you pass, you get a Driver Education Examination Certificate. Take it in person to a DMV office with your valid permit, the application signed by a parent or guardian, the road test and license fees, and proof of Vermont residency.

How the DMV learns that you finished the course

Your instructor enters your completion in the Driver Education Certification Service (DECS) with your learner's permit number. The instructor must do this before the DMV can give you a road test. DECS sends the record to the DMV and flags your student record for DMV staff. The instructor also prints a completion certificate for you.

When the course and the practice hours are done, you schedule an appointment for the road test. For the car and the test itself, see what to expect on the Vermont driving test.

The 40 practice hours: night driving and who rides with you

Drive at least 40 hours with a supervisor, at least 10 of them at night. Night driving runs from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

The supervisor rides in the front passenger seat. The law allows your licensed parent or guardian, a licensed or certified driver education instructor, or another licensed person who is at least 25 years old.

Worked example: you log 32 day hours and 8 night hours. That is 40 in total, but 10 - 8 = 2 night hours are missing, so your log ends at 42 hours. A free practice question on a short night log tests this rule.

How to log and prove your practice hours

1
Pick a way to track
The DMV names two tools: the Driving Practice Log Sheet and the RoadReady App. Use one of them from your first practice drive.
2
Write each drive down
The DMV log sheet is for the driving time and the skills of a driver under 18. Write down each drive, and keep the day and night totals apart so you can see the 10-hour night goal.
3
Get the hours certified
The DMV tells you to have your parent or guardian certify the 40 hours. The law also lets a driver education instructor or a licensed person at least 25 years old certify them, on a DMV form that the Commissioner approves.
4
Send proof with your application
Proof of the practice goes to the DMV when you apply for the junior license. A parent or guardian also signs the application that lets you be tested.

Permit rules that set your earliest license date

Two more rules in the law decide when you can get the junior license. You must hold the learner's permit for at least one year, and you must keep six months in a row with no permit suspension, revocation or recall before the license. Start the log when you get the permit, so the 40 hours fit inside that year. The permit rules, including who can ride with you, are in the guide to the Vermont learner's permit at 15.

If you took driver education in another state

You took a course in another state

Vermont accepts it only if a certified or licensed instructor taught it and it had both classroom and behind-the-wheel parts. If a state agency did not issue the certificate, you need a letter on state letterhead from the agency. It must say that a recognized program issued the certificate and list the minimum requirements for completion.

You live in another state but take a Vermont course

You can get a Vermont learner's permit. The school must give you a letter that confirms your enrollment.

You already hold an out-of-state junior license

As of October 2026, the DMV transfers it like a standard operator's license: you do not retest and you do not certify 40 hours. You still need proof that you completed driver education.

Key takeaways

Every Vermont license applicant under 18 needs the state-approved 30-6-6 course: 30 hours classroom, 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours observation.
Your instructor records your completion in DECS before the road test; the paper certificate is for your own records.
Drive 40 practice hours, at least 10 at night, on top of the 6 behind-the-wheel course hours. Night starts 30 minutes after sunset.
A parent or guardian usually certifies the hours; the law also allows an instructor or a licensed person 25 or older.
Next step: check what you know about Vermont's permit and junior license rules on the free Vermont practice test.

Vermont driver education: common questions

Do the 6 behind-the-wheel hours count toward the 40 practice hours?

No. The law requires the 40 hours of practice in addition to the 6 behind-the-wheel hours of driver education. If you drive 6 hours with an instructor in the course, you still need the full 40 hours with your supervisor, and at least 10 of those hours must be at night.

Can my driving instructor or a neighbor sign my practice log?

Yes, if the person qualifies. The law lets your licensed parent or guardian, a licensed or certified driver education instructor, or any licensed person at least 25 years old certify the hours on a DMV form. A licensed neighbor who is 25 or older qualifies. The DMV names a parent or guardian, so that is the usual choice.

How much does driver's ed cost in Vermont?

Ask the school. Vermont driving schools are private businesses, and the DMV tells you to contact each school directly about tuition and schedules. Its list of standard driving schools is sorted by county. Ask each school what the full 30-6-6 course costs and whether one of its instructors can give the road test.

Do I need to bring my certificate to the DMV test?

No. The DMV says the completion certificate that DECS prints is not required when you come for testing. Your instructor records your completion in DECS, and DMV staff see it on your student record. Keep the paper with your own records.

Do adults over 18 need driver education in Vermont?

The DMV requires the 30-6-6 course for license applicants under 18. For novice adult drivers, the DMV lists a state-approved 6+6 Adult Driver Education Course, with at least 6 hours in the classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel.