Teen permit driving hours in Texas (2026): total, night, what counts
Short answer
How many supervised driving hours does Texas require?
In Texas, a learner's permit holder logs 30 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night. Driver education adds 14 hours of in-car instruction, for 44 hours in all. For parent-taught driver education, only 2 hours a day count toward the requirement.
- Total: 30 hours of supervised driving
- Night: 10 hours of the total
Permy: Teen Driving Log counts these hours the way Texas counts them and works out night from your local sunset. Permy Pro, a one-time purchase, fills in the DES150N 30-Hour Behind-the-Wheel Log from your drives; you sign it and add a few details by hand. Get Permy on the App Store.
Permy is an independent app, not affiliated with any state agency. Confirm the current requirements with your state agency before relying on them.
What counts as night in Texas?
Night starts 30 minutes after sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise. Permy works out sunset and sunrise from where you drive.
The state's wording: “Night is 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.”
The official guide supplies the +30/-30 night definition. Its older 1-hour daily cap is superseded by current 16 TAC §84.500.
Is there a daily limit in Texas?
For parent-taught driver education, TDLR limits supervised behind-the-wheel practice to 2 hours a day. The same limit is in 16 TAC §84.500, the rule for Texas driver education courses. If your teen takes driver ed through a school, ask the school whether its practice log counts hours the same way.
Permy applies this limit to every Texas log. On a day you drive more than that, Permy keeps every minute in your log and shows how much of it counts.
Where do these numbers come from?
Permy tracks the 30 supervised-practice hours, separate from the 14-hour in-car instruction/observation component. Current 16 TAC §84.500(b)(1)(A)(iv) limits supervised practice to 2 hours per day; the older linked guide’s 1-hour wording is superseded by the current rule. The DES150N log lists at least 20 daytime and 10 nighttime hours. A Permy export does not replace the official practice log and certification.
- Current 16 TAC §84.500 limits supervised practice to 2 hours per day; DES150N log specifies 30 total, 20 daytime and 10 nighttime hours. (source)
Official sources:
- Texas Secretary of State — 16 TAC §84.500(b)(1)(A)(iv)
- Texas TDLR DES150N 30-Hour Practice Log December 2024
- TDLR Behind the Wheel (current page: 2 hours per day)
- TDLR 30-Hour Guide (night definition; older 1-hour cap conflicts)
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