How Many Driving Hours Do You Need in Maryland?

Maryland requires 60 hours of supervised practice driving if you are under 18 without a high school diploma, and 14 hours for everyone else. The 60-hour requirement includes 10 hours at night; the 14-hour requirement includes 3 hours at night. Those hours are logged on a learner’s permit before you can take the skills test, and they are separate from the behind-the-wheel time you complete through a driver education course.¹

Practice Hours Required by Age

The number of hours depends on your age and, at 18, whether you have finished high school:¹

Under 18 without a diploma: 60 hours total, 10 of them at night.
18 with a diploma or equivalent: 14 hours total, 3 at night.
Ages 19 through 24: 14 hours total, 3 at night.
25 and older: 14 hours total, 3 at night.

“Night” is defined as the window from 30 minutes before sunset until 30 minutes after sunrise, so plan the night portion around actual sunset times rather than the clock.²

Practice should cover a mix of conditions. Highway driving, city streets, rain, and different traffic levels all belong in the log. Empty parking lots alone will not prepare you for the skills test.

Driver Education Hours Are Separate

Every first-time Maryland driver, regardless of age, must also complete a certified driver education course: 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driving school.³ Those 6 hours with an instructor do not count toward the 60 or 14 hours of supervised practice you log on your own time. You need both.

Courses are offered by driving schools licensed and certified by the MVA, and costs vary by provider. The MVA publishes an approved-provider list on its site.

Who Can Supervise, and How You Log the Hours

Every practice mile must happen with a qualified supervising driver in the front passenger seat. That person has to be at least 21, hold a valid license, and have been licensed for at least three years. No one else can sit in the front seat while you are practicing.²

You track the hours in a practice log the MVA issues with your permit, and a parent, guardian, or mentor signs off on completed sessions. If you would rather not carry paper, the MVA accepts the RoadReady app, available for Android and iOS, as a substitute.⁴ Bring the completed log with your unexpired permit to your skills test appointment.¹

One rule catches many new drivers off guard: while driving on a learner’s permit, you cannot use any wireless device, not even hands-free, except to call 911 in an emergency.¹ Driving on a learner’s permit without a supervisor carries a $290 fine and 5 points on your record.⁵

How Long You Have to Hold the Permit

Logging the hours is only half of the wait. You also have to hold the learner’s permit for a minimum period before you can test for a provisional license, and that period depends on your age:¹

Under 18 without a diploma: 9 months.
18 with a diploma: 9 months.
Ages 19 through 24: 3 months.
25 and older: 45 days.

The permit itself is valid for two years from the date it is issued.² If it expires before you finish your hours and pass the skills test, you start over: reapply, retake the knowledge test, and pay the fee again. The minimum age to apply for a permit is 15 years and 9 months, and the minimum age for the provisional license is 16 years and 6 months.¹

A Ticket on Your Permit Resets the Clock

A moving violation conviction while you hold the permit, or a probation before judgment ruling on one, extends the wait. You will need to hold the permit for at least 9 additional months from the date of that conviction, whatever your age group.¹ For a driver who otherwise only had to wait 45 days or 3 months, that is a significant setback.

Moving to Maryland With a Permit From Another State

Hours logged on an out-of-state learner’s permit do not transfer. Maryland gives no credit for a permit issued elsewhere, and you cannot exchange one for a Maryland permit. You have to apply from scratch, pass the knowledge test, and meet every requirement for your age group, including the full practice hours.⁶

A full out-of-state license is treated differently. If you have held it for at least 18 months, you can transfer directly. If not, Maryland issues you a provisional license and you finish the remaining provisional period here.⁶

1
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) – Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Rookie Driver – Learner’s Permit
2
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Maryland’s Graduated Licensing System Brochure
3
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) – Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Driver Education
4
Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) – Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Rookie Driver Safety for Teens and Parents
5
Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule
6
Maryland MVA. Maryland Driver’s License