How many practice hours do you need in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, a learner driver must log 50 hours of supervised driving practice—including 15 at night—before applying for a license.
Minnesota learner permit requirements
- Minimum permit age: 15
- Supervised practice required: 50 hours total, 15 at night (what counts as night driving)
- Permit hold period: 6 months
- License eligibility age: 16
- How hours are certified: Supervised driving log of 50 hours (15 at night), certified by a parent or guardian. DriveMint fills in the Supervised Driving Log from your logged drives (see every state form).
Minnesota requires 50 hours of supervised driving with at least 15 at night. If a parent completes the supplemental parent awareness class, the requirement drops to 40 hours (15 at night).
When can you drive with a permit in Minnesota?
Minnesota puts no time limit on an instruction permit. You can drive at any hour, as long as a parent or guardian, a certified driving instructor, or another licensed driver 21 or older sits beside you. The midnight–5 a.m. limit starts with the provisional license.
With a parent or guardian, a certified driving instructor, or a licensed driver 21+ beside you.
Allowed, with that same supervisor beside you.
Alone.
Only between home and work or a school event without school transportation, for your job, or with a licensed driver 25+.
Alone.
Alone. The night limit has ended.
- You must hold the permit for at least six months, without moving-violation convictions, before the road test.
- Drivers under 18 with a permit or provisional license can't use a phone at all while driving, even hands-free, except to call 911 in an emergency.
With no permit curfew, night practice can start as soon as it's dark. In December, sunset is before 5 p.m. across Minnesota, so the 15 night hours fit into early evenings.
Checked against Minnesota Statutes §171.05 and §171.055 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 Minnesota DVS before applying.
Minnesota's graduated licensing stages
Complete driver-ed classroom; drive with a parent or guardian, a certified instructor, or a licensed driver 21+; log 50 hours (15 at night).
Issued after 6 months with the permit; a midnight–5 a.m. limit for the first 6 months and passenger limits for 12 months.
Available after 12 months on a provisional license without serious violations.
Driving restrictions for new Minnesota drivers
For the first 6 months, provisional drivers can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless they're with a licensed driver 25+, driving between home and work, driving between home and a school event the school isn't providing transportation for, or driving for their job.
For the first 6 months, no more than one passenger under 20; for the next 6 months, no more than three. Immediate family members don't count, and the limits don't apply when a parent or guardian is in the car.
Drivers under 18 with a permit or provisional license may not use a cell phone at all while driving.
Log every Minnesota 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 50 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.
Minnesota driving practice FAQs
How many driving hours do you need in Minnesota?+
Minnesota requires 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 15 hours at night, before a teen can apply for a license.
What time can you drive with a permit in Minnesota?+
Minnesota sets no hours for instruction permit holders. A teen with a permit may drive at any time of day or night, as long as a certified driver education instructor, a parent or guardian, or another licensed driver 21 or older sits in the seat beside them. The time limit starts after the road test: for the first six months of a provisional license, teens can't drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless they're driving between home and work, between home and a school event the school isn't providing transportation for, or for their job, or a licensed driver 25 or older is with them. After six months the night limit ends.
Can you reduce Minnesota's 50-hour requirement?+
Yes — if a parent or guardian completes the supplemental parent awareness class, the requirement drops from 50 hours to 40, though the 15 night hours still apply.
How many night hours does Minnesota require?+
15 hours at night — among the highest night requirements nationally.
Requirements in other states
Compare practice hours in all 50 states side by side, or read what actually counts as a night driving hour.