Parent's supervised driving program

​​​​With an instruction permit, Wisconsin teens must:

  • Drive at least 50 hours with a qualified adult, with at least 10 of those hours at night, before applying for their first driver license.
  • More practice is better. The more time you drive together, the safer your teen will be when driving alone.

Parental involvement has been shown to:

  • Reduce teen crash rates
  • Reduce instances of driving under the influence
  • Reduce distracted driving
  • Increase seatbelt usage

You play a critical role in helping your teen learn to be a safe driver. The Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can help.View psdp regulations

  • DMV partnered with the Safe Roads Alliance to support you and your teen as your teen learns to drive safely.
  • When available, DMV gives one printed copy of the Wisconsin Parent's Supervised Driving Guide​ to the parent or legal guardian of each teen driver issued an Instruction Permit.
    • This offers step-by-step lessons for parents and guardians during the supervised-driving phase.​
    • The guidebook works in conjunction with Wisconsin’s driver education programs.​
  • If a parent or guardian is not available upon issuance of the Instruction Permit, the guidebook is given to the teen driver to give to their parent/guardian.
  • Information for driving instructors​.
  • Use the RoadReady mobile app to help you track your hours of supervised driving.

Supervised driving with your teen is important for their safety​.

  • ​More practice is better.
  • Drive on different kinds of roads; at different times of the day and night; in varied weather conditions.
  • Work on more advanced skills (scanning for hazards, driving on multi-lane roads, etc.) as your teen masters the basics.
  • Be a good role model yourself. Buckle up, focus your complete attention on driving when behind the wheel and obey all traffic laws.
  • Know and enforce Wisconsin’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirements and restrictions​.

Safe Roads Alliance developed The Parents Supervised Driving Program. The PSDP guidebook is published in association with the WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles with funding from State Farm Insurance Company.

For more information:

​​​​Questions?
EmailWisconsin DMV email service​​​