NY 50-Hour Driving Log Sheet: MV-262 Form, Rules, and Road Test

If you’re 16 or 17 and testing for a New York junior driver’s license, you have to complete a 50-hour driving log of supervised practice — 35 hours in daylight and at least 15 after sunset — and certify it on Form MV-262, signed by your parent or guardian, before the examiner will run your road test.¹

Who Has To Submit the MV-262

The 50-hour certification applies to holders of a Class DJ (junior driver) or Class MJ (junior motorcycle) learner permit, meaning applicants who are 16 or 17 on the day of the road test.¹ If you turn 18 before you test, you hold a standard Class D permit and the MV-262 is no longer required.

You also have to hold your learner permit in valid status for at least six months before you’re eligible for the road test.² That window is long enough to build the hours without rushing.

What Counts Toward the 50 Hours

The total splits into two parts: 50 hours of supervised driving overall, with at least 15 of those hours completed after sunset.¹ The other 35 can happen at any time of day. There’s no rule requiring specific weather or road types, though the state driver’s manual points out that safe drivers need experience on expressways, in rain, fog, and snow, and at railroad crossings.³

Driving School Lessons Count

Time behind the wheel with a licensed driving school instructor counts toward the 50-hour total. The MV-262 itself distinguishes between hours supervised by a driving school instructor and hours supervised by another qualifying adult, which confirms both qualify.⁴ The DMV lists lessons at a licensed school as one way to build the required hours.¹

The 5-Hour Pre-Licensing Course Does Not Count

New York separately requires every new driver to complete a pre-licensing course, commonly called the 5-hour course, before scheduling a road test.¹ It’s a classroom course, not behind-the-wheel practice, and its hours do not roll into your 50. When you finish, you receive a separate certificate (Form MV-278) that you also have to bring to the road test. Students who complete a 48-hour driver education program through a high school or college are exempt from the standalone 5-hour course but still need the 50 supervised hours.

Who Can Supervise the Practice Driving

Every permit holder in New York, at any age, must be accompanied by a supervising driver who is at least 21 and holds a valid license for the type of vehicle being driven.⁵ If you’re practicing on a motorcycle, the supervisor needs a motorcycle endorsement. The supervisor rides in the front passenger seat.

A parent or guardian is the most common supervisor, but any qualifying adult can serve. The MV-262 has a place for hours supervised by someone other than a parent or driving school instructor; the parent certifies on the form that those hours were completed under a qualifying supervisor.⁴ Driving without a qualifying supervisor is a permit violation and can carry fines.

How To Fill Out Form MV-262

The Certification of Supervised Driving is a one-page PDF available on the DMV website or at any motor vehicle office.⁴ The form asks for:

The applicant’s full legal name, exactly as it appears on the learner permit.
The ID number printed on the learner permit.
The applicant’s current home address.
Certification that the applicant completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 hours after sunset.
The parent or guardian’s signature certifying the hours.¹

Every field has to be legible and match the learner permit. A name that doesn’t match, or a missing signature, is reason enough for the examiner to refuse the form. You do not have to list individual sessions or dates on the MV-262; the form certifies the total, not a detailed log. Keeping your own running record of dates, times, and conditions is still a good idea in case the certification is questioned.

Bringing the Form to the Road Test

You hand the MV-262 to the license examiner on test day, along with your physical photo learner permit (not a copy or a digital image), your original 5-hour course certificate (MV-278), and any corrective lenses your permit requires. You also need a road-ready vehicle with valid registration, insurance, and inspection, and an accompanying licensed driver — over 21 if you drove yourself to the site, or over 18 if they drove you. No extra passengers are allowed.⁶

You need the MV-262 at every road test attempt. If you fail and reschedule, bring it again.⁴ Missing any required document means the examiner will not test you that day. If you don’t pass your first two attempts, you’ll pay $10 for each of the next two tests before rescheduling.⁷

Penalties for Falsifying the Certification

The MV-262 carries an explicit warning: falsifying any information on the certification may be a crime punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.⁴ Because the form is submitted to a public office, a parent who signs off on hours that were never completed could face charges for offering a false instrument for filing, a Class E felony under New York Penal Law.⁸ A Class E felony in New York carries up to four years in prison.

1
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Complete Pre-Licensing Requirements
2
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Chapter 1 – Driver Licenses
3
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Chapter 10 – Special Driving Conditions
4
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Certification of Supervised Driving (MV-262)
5
New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Learner Permit Restrictions
6
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Schedule and Take a Road Test
7
The State of New York. Schedule a Road Test
8
New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 175.35 – Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree