Key points
Driver education means 27 hours of high school class (or 18 commercial, or 30 online), plus 6 hours behind the wheel.
Source: Handbook p. 6
“27 hours of high school classroom instruction, or 18 hours of commercial/private school, or 30 hours of Utah-approved online/home study; and • 6 hours behind the wheel instruction”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 6Applicants 15 to 18 must complete an approved driver education course before being licensed.
Source: Handbook p. 6
“Applicants 15-18 must complete an approved driver education course before being licensed in Utah.”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 6Students must also drive 40 hours with a parent or legal guardian, 10 of them after sunset.
Source: Handbook p. 6
“A student must also complete 40 hours of driving (10 hours after sunset) with a parent or legal guardian.”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 6Applicants 19 or older may skip driver education if they hold a permit 90 days and drive at least 40 hours, 10 after sunset.
Source: Handbook p. 6
“Applicants 19 years of age or older who have never been licensed to drive a motor vehicle may be licensed without completing a driver education course if they hold a learner permit for 90 days and complete at least 40 hours of driving (10 hours after sunset.)”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 6The entry level learner permit requires a minimum age of 15 and is valid for 18 months.
Source: Handbook p. 7
“The entry-level learner permit is valid for 18 months and entitles you to drive a regular motor vehicle if: • You have reached a minimum age of 15.”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 7Your supervisor must be a licensed parent, stepparent, foster parent, guardian, instructor or responsible adult 21 or older.
Source: Handbook p. 7
“The person sitting next to you is a licensed parent, stepparent, foster parent, legal guardian, approved driving instructor, or responsible adult, age 21 or older (passengers may be in the vehicle.)”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 7Written test scores for an entry level permit are valid for 18 months.
Source: Handbook p. 7
“The written knowledge test scores for an entry-level learner permit are valid for 18 months.”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 7You must hold the permit at least 6 months at ages 16 and 17, or 90 days at 19 or older.
Source: Handbook p. 7
“You have completed driver education and held a learner permit for at least six months if you are 16 or 17 years of age. If you are 19 years or older, you must hold the learner permit for 90 days.”
Utah Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 7
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 27 / 18 / 30 hours | classroom hours for high school, commercial school, or online study | Handbook p. 6 |
| 6 hours | behind the wheel instruction | Handbook p. 6 |
| 15 to 18 | ages that must complete driver education | Handbook p. 6 |
| 40 hours / 10 hours | parent supervised driving and hours after sunset | Handbook p. 6 |
| 19 / 90 days | age and permit time that can replace driver education | Handbook p. 6 |
| 15 | minimum age for an entry level permit | Handbook p. 7 |
| 18 months | validity of the entry level permit and its test scores | Handbook p. 7 |
| 21 | minimum age of a responsible adult supervisor | Handbook p. 7 |
| 6 months (ages 16 and 17) | permit holding period for younger teens | Handbook p. 7 |
3 questions from the Utah practice test
1. How many hours of practice driving must a Utah driver education student complete with a parent or legal guardian, and how many after sunset?
- 20 hours, including 5 after sunset
- 50 hours, including 10 after sunset
- 30 hours, all in daylight
- 40 hours, including 10 after sunset
Show answer
40 hours, including 10 after sunset. In addition to the classroom and behind the wheel portions of driver education, a Utah student must complete 40 hours of driving with a parent or legal guardian, and 10 of those hours must be after sunset. Fifty hours with ten at night and twenty hours with five at night do not match Utah's figures, and an all daylight schedule skips the required night driving. Night hours are required because reduced visibility changes how a new driver judges speed and distance.
2. How long are written knowledge test scores valid for a Utah entry-level learner permit?
- Six months from testing
- Eighteen months from testing
- Twenty-four months from testing
- Twelve months from testing
Show answer
Eighteen months from testing. Entry-level learner permit knowledge scores remain valid for 18 months. Twelve months is an easy mix-up because the handbook gives that duration for knowledge scores in the renewal permit discussion. Identify which permit stage applies before choosing a deadline. For an applicant using the entry-level process, write down the test date and track the 18-month period instead of borrowing the timing associated with a different permit category.
3. A Utah applicant who is 19 or older has never been licensed. May the applicant skip the driver education course?
- Yes, if the applicant holds a learner permit for 90 days and completes 40 hours of driving
- No, driver education is required at every age
- Yes, with no other condition
- Only if the applicant has a college degree
Show answer
Yes, if the applicant holds a learner permit for 90 days and completes 40 hours of driving. Applicants 19 years of age or older who have never been licensed to drive may be licensed without completing a driver education course if they hold a learner permit for 90 days and complete at least 40 hours of driving, 10 of them after sunset. The course is mandatory only for younger applicants, who must also hold a learner permit for six months before licensing. Age alone does not waive the permit holding condition, and education has nothing to do with it.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with laws and paperwork questions from the free Utah practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Utah Driver Handbook, Section 3: Driver Education and Permits. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.