Minnesota Driver Education FAQs

You can apply for an instruction permit at 15, after meeting Minnesota’s education, testing, identification, and application requirements.

For drivers under 18 following the standard teen licensing pathway, Minnesota requires the applicable classroom and behind-the-wheel driver education requirements. The classroom portion is generally completed in person, with a specific homeschool exception for qualifying students.

No. TeenDrivingCourse is not a Minnesota DVS-approved provider and does not replace the required classroom or behind-the-wheel instruction.

Minnesota requires 30 hours of classroom driver education for the applicable teen licensing pathway.

You generally need 50 supervised hours, including 15 nighttime hours. The total can be reduced to 40 hours if a qualifying parent or guardian completes the required parent class.

Yes. Completing the qualifying parent education class can reduce the total supervised-driving requirement from 50 to 40 hours, but you still need 15 nighttime hours.

You must be at least 15 to take the knowledge test for the instruction permit.

If you are under 18, you must practice with a supervising driver who is at least 21 years old.

If you are under 18, you generally need to hold your instruction permit for at least six months before taking the road test, while meeting the other eligibility requirements.

You can move to the provisional stage at 16 after meeting the permit, driver education, supervised-driving, and road-test requirements.

Generally, no. During your first six months, provisional drivers cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m., subject to Minnesota’s listed exceptions.

During the first six months, you are generally limited to one passenger under 20 who is not immediate family. During the second six months, the limit increases to three, with Minnesota’s stated exceptions.

No. Minnesota prohibits drivers under 18 with an instruction permit or provisional license from using or talking on a cell phone while driving, including hands-free use.

The included 3-day PrepWizard trial provides practice questions, timed exams, and Focus Mode so you can concentrate on topics you need to review before taking the knowledge test.

Yes, as an additional study resource. It can help reinforce driving knowledge and defensive-driving concepts, but it does not replace Minnesota-approved classroom or behind-the-wheel instruction.