Free practice test

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work certification and licensesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

Maryland · Permit test

The MVA driving log and driver education

Before the driving test in Maryland, you log supervised practice and finish an approved driver education course. The Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) driving log is the Practice Log in the Rookie Driver Manual, the MVA’s practice guide, and you hand it in with a signed certification page.

  • 30 hoursClassroom part of driver education
  • 6 hoursBehind-the-wheel lessons in driver ed
  • 2 business daysMVA reply time on out-of-state driver ed
Get the Rookie Driver ManualFree practice test

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you fill in the MVA driving log?

Each row of the log has the date, start time, skill or activity, end time and the hours you completed. The Rookie Driver Manual, October 2026 edition, sets out what counts:

  • Count night hours from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise
  • Practice in bad weather too, and on a wide variety of roads
  • If you prefer an app, the manual says the RoadReady app can record your hours

The number of hours you need depends on your age, and the provisional license page has the table.

Hours and permit time by age →

The certification page and coach agreement

The certification page is signed by a parent, guardian, mentor or coach, with their driver’s license number, under penalty of perjury. It confirms your practice hours, that they came on top of your driver education lessons, and that you can drive safely. You bring it, with the log and your valid permit, to the driving test.

The Rookie Driver-Coach Agreement, also in the manual, isn’t handed in. It’s a page of blanks you and your coach fill in together: when and where you may drive, how many passengers, and what happens if you break the rules.

Driver education in Maryland

Every new driver needs an MVA-approved driver education course before the driving test, including drivers 25 and older. You start the behind-the-wheel part once you have a valid learner’s permit. When you finish, your driving school sends proof to the MVA electronically.

The MVA keeps a searchable list of approved schools as a public service, and says it doesn’t endorse or recommend any of them. The Rookie Driver Manual suggests checking that a school is MVA-licensed and comparing locations, schedules, costs and policies.

See the MVA’s driver ed rules ↗

Driver education from another state

The MVA accepts a full course from only some states, and never a partial one. You can’t do the classroom part elsewhere and the driving part in Maryland. Its driver education page lists:

  • Accepted: Colorado, Virginia, Delaware (approved schools only), Illinois (courses taught through its statewide school system to students aged 15 to 17) and North Carolina (courses taught to students under 18)
  • Not accepted: Maine, Pennsylvania and West Virginia

For any other state, email the MVA’s driver education team for a review. If it approves your course, you get a letter to bring to your appointment. If your Maryland school closes mid-course, the MVA reviews your records and gives you credit for the training you finished, and you choose a new school for the rest.

Sources: Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and 3 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewPractice testWhere to learnDriving testDriver’s manualLearner’s permitProvisional licenseDriver’s license

Other licenses

CDLMotorcycle