How many practice hours do you need in Georgia?
In Georgia, a learner driver must log 40 hours of supervised driving practice—including 6 at night—before applying for a license.
Georgia learner permit requirements
- Minimum permit age: 15
- Supervised practice required: 40 hours total, 6 at night (what counts as night driving)
- Permit hold period: 12 months and 1 day
- License eligibility age: 16
- How hours are certified: 40-hour parental certification required under Joshua's Law.
Under Joshua's Law, applicants must complete 40 hours of supervised driving (6 at night) and an approved driver-education course. The permit must be held for one year and one day.
When can you drive with a permit in Georgia?
Georgia sets no curfew for Class CP learner's permit holders. With a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat, you can practice at any hour. The midnight–5 a.m. ban starts with the Class D provisional license, and it has no exceptions.
With a licensed driver 21 or older, able to take control, in the front passenger seat.
Same as daytime. There's no permit curfew.
Alone. First 6 months, only immediate family as passengers; next 6 months, one non-family passenger under 21; after that, three.
Not allowed, with no exceptions, even with an adult in the car.
- Georgia's restrictions follow the license class, not your age: the curfew applies for as long as you hold a Class D license.
- The permit must be held for one year and one day before the Class D road test.
With no permit curfew, the 6 night hours fit any evening after dark. Winter makes them easy: sunset is around 5:30 p.m. across Georgia in December.
Checked against Georgia DDS: Teen driving laws FAQ in October 2026. Limits after the road test are under restrictions for new drivers.
Requirements change and have exceptions. Always confirm the current rules with the Georgia DDS before applying.
Need driver ed in Georgia? You can take it online
Joshua's Law requires Georgia teens to complete an approved 30-hour driver-ed course — a state-approved online course counts.
Take Georgia driver ed online with Aceable →Disclosure: we may earn a commission if you enroll through this link—at no extra cost to you. It doesn't affect our recommendations.
Georgia's graduated licensing stages
Drive with a licensed adult 21+ in the front passenger seat; complete 40 hours of practice (6 at night).
Issued after holding the permit one year and a day; strict night and graduated passenger limits apply.
Class D restrictions are removed.
Driving restrictions for new Georgia drivers
With a Class D provisional license you can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m. There are no exceptions, not even with an adult in the car.
For the first 6 months, no non-family passengers; for the next 6 months, one passenger under 21; after 12 months, up to three passengers under 21.
Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone at all; Georgia's hands-free law applies to everyone else.
Log every Georgia practice hour automatically
DriveMint tracks each supervised drive, separates day and night hours, and generates a PDF you can print or show at the DMV. Prove all 40 hours without a paper logbook falling apart in the glove box.
New to DriveMint? Watch the one-minute video guides, from setup to a signed log.
Georgia driving practice FAQs
How many driving hours do you need in Georgia?+
Georgia requires 40 hours of supervised driving practice, including 6 hours at night, before a teen can apply for a license.
What time can you drive with a permit in Georgia?+
Georgia puts no time-of-day limit on a Class CP learner's permit. A permit holder can drive at any hour as long as a driver who is at least 21, licensed for the vehicle and able to take control sits in the front passenger seat. The curfew belongs to the Class D provisional license: a Class D holder can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m., with no exceptions, even with a parent in the car.
What is Joshua's Law in Georgia?+
Joshua's Law requires teens to complete an approved driver-education course and 40 hours of supervised driving (6 at night) before getting a Class D license.
When can I drive friends in Georgia?+
No non-family passengers for the first 6 months, then one passenger under 21 for the next 6 months, then up to three after a full year.
Requirements in other states
Compare practice hours in all 50 states side by side, or read what actually counts as a night driving hour.