California requires 50 hours of supervised driving practice, including 10 at night, plus completion of a state-approved driver education course. Teens can get a provisional permit at 15½ and a provisional license at 16. California enforces some of the strictest teen driving restrictions in the nation, with a 12-month restriction period.
Total Supervised Hours
50h
Including 10h at night
Minimum Permit Age
15 years 6 months
Holding period: 6 months
Provisional License Age
16
Full license: 18
No driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first 12 months (unless for work, school, or medical necessity).
No passengers under 20 for the first 12 months unless accompanied by a licensed adult 25 or older.
No cell phone use at all (handheld or hands-free) for drivers under 18.
Meeting California's 50 hours of supervised driving practice can feel overwhelming — especially when you're also juggling school schedules, extracurriculars, and work. DashLog makes it simple by automatically tracking every supervised drive your teen completes. Start a session, drive, and DashLog logs the date, time, duration, and whether it was a daytime or nighttime drive — all mapped against California's specific GDL requirements.
Parents in California get real-time progress dashboards showing exactly how many of the required 50 hours their teen has completed, including a breakdown of 10 hours at night hours. DashLog sends milestone alerts when your teen hits 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of their required hours — so you always know where you stand without manually counting on a paper log. Plus, live location tracking during drives gives parents peace of mind without micromanaging.
When it's time to visit the California DMV, DashLog generates a clean, DMV-ready driving log report that documents every session with dates, times, and total hours. No more scrambling to find a crumpled paper log the night before the test. DashLog is free during our beta — join thousands of California families already tracking their teen's progress.
California requires 50 hours of supervised driving practice, with at least 10 hours at night. Teens must also complete a state-approved driver education course of at least 30 hours.
California teens can apply for a provisional permit at age 15 years and 6 months after completing driver education. They must hold the permit for at least 6 months before taking the driving test.
California prohibits provisional license holders from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the first 12 months. Exceptions include driving for work, school, or medical necessity with a signed note.
No. For the first 12 months, California teens with a provisional license cannot carry passengers under 20 unless a licensed adult age 25 or older is also in the vehicle.
Yes. California bans all cell phone use for drivers under 18 — including hands-free devices. This is a zero-tolerance policy and violations can result in fines and added restrictions.
Understand the 3 stages of GDL and how they protect new drivers.
State-by-state breakdown of supervised hour requirements.
Paper log vs app — and why DashLog is the smarter choice.
Compare teen driving requirements across every U.S. state.
DashLog tracks every supervised hour against California's GDL requirements — so your teen is ready for the license test.
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