Kansas requires a signed driving log for every learner's permit holder
Kansas law requires you to complete and keep a supervised driving log while you hold a learner's permit. This log is not optional — it documents the hours you drive under supervision and the conditions you drive in. The Kansas Department of Revenue does not collect the log itself, but law enforcement can ask to see it during a traffic stop, and your supervising driver or parent may need to show it when you move to the next licensing stage.
The log serves two purposes: it proves you have met the minimum supervised driving requirement (which varies by your age), and it creates a record of the types of driving you have practiced. Kansas does not provide a single official form, but the log must contain specific information in a format that is straightforward to verify.
You do not need to submit the log to the DMV before taking your driving test, but you must have it available and accurate. Falsifying a driving log — having someone sign off on hours you did not actually drive — can result in permit suspension or denial of your license process.
Key Takeaways
- Kansas learner's permit holders must keep a signed driving log that documents supervised hours, but the state does not provide an official form.
- The supervising driver (usually a parent or guardian) must sign the log after each driving session, confirming the date, time, and road conditions.
- Minimum supervised driving hours depend on your age: 50 hours total for drivers under 16, with at least 10 hours after dark.
- You must bring the completed log when you take your driving test; examiners may review it to confirm you have met the hour requirement.
- Falsifying hours or having someone sign for driving you did not do can result in permit revocation and delay your path to a full license.
What information must go in your Kansas driving log
Your log must record the date, start time, end time, total minutes or hours driven, and the supervising driver's signature. You should also note the type of road or condition — for example, "residential streets," "highway," "night driving," or "rain." This detail matters because Kansas requires a minimum of 10 hours of night driving, so you need a way to prove which sessions were after dark.
The supervising driver signs to confirm they were present in the vehicle and that the information is accurate. This person must be at least 21 years old and hold a valid driver's license. A parent, guardian, or other licensed adult can serve as the supervising driver, but the same person does not have to sign every entry — you can have different supervisors on different days.
Keep the log in a safe place. Use a notebook, a printed form, or a digital log — Kansas does not specify the format. What matters is that the information is legible, complete, and can be verified by the supervising driver's signature. If you lose pages or cannot produce the log when asked, you may be required to restart your supervised driving hours.
Minimum supervised driving hours by age in Kansas
The number of hours you must log depends on how old you were when you received your learner's permit. Kansas divides this into two age groups, and the requirement is the same for both, but the timeline and restrictions differ.
| Age When Permit Issued | Total Supervised Hours Required | Night Driving Hours Required | Minimum Permit Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 50 hours | 10 hours (after 9 p.m.) | 6 months |
| 16 or older | 50 hours | 10 hours (after 9 p.m.) | 14 days |
If you are under 16, you must hold your learner's permit for at least 6 months before you can take the driving test for a full license. During that time, you accumulate the 50 hours. If you are 16 or older, you only need to hold the permit for 14 days, but you still must log 50 supervised hours — this means you will be driving frequently during those two weeks.
The 10 hours of night driving must occur between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Make sure your log clearly marks which sessions were night driving so you can prove you have met this requirement. If you have not completed the night driving hours by the time you are ready to test, you cannot take the driving test until you do.
How to create and maintain your driving log
Start your log on the day you receive your learner's permit. You can use a notebook, a printed template, or a spreadsheet — the format does not matter as long as it includes all required information. Some parents and teens prefer a straightforward notebook with columns for date, start time, end time, hours driven, road type, and supervising driver's signature. Others use a spreadsheet and print it out for signatures.
After each driving session, write down the details while they are fresh. Have your supervising driver review the entry and sign it. Do not wait until the end of the week or month to fill in multiple sessions at once — this makes it harder to remember details and raises questions about accuracy if you are asked to show the log.
Keep a running total of your hours so you know how close you are to the 50-hour requirement. Some families use a checklist or a straightforward tally to track night driving hours separately, since that is a specific requirement. Store the log in a safe place — a folder in your car, a binder at home, or a digital file you can print if needed.
What happens when you take your driving test
Bring your completed driving log with you when you go to take your driving test at a Kansas DMV office or approved testing location. The examiner will review it to confirm you have met the 50-hour requirement and the 10-hour night driving requirement. If your log is incomplete, missing signatures, or shows fewer than the required hours, you will not be allowed to test.
The examiner may ask questions about specific entries — for example, which roads you drove on or what conditions you practiced in. Be honest and specific in your answers. If there are gaps in your log or entries that do not make sense, the examiner may delay your test until you can provide a complete, verified log.
Once you pass the driving test, you no longer need the log for licensing purposes. However, keep it for your own records for at least a year in case there are any questions about your licensing history.
Common mistakes to avoid with your Kansas driving log
The most common mistake is not having the supervising driver sign the log when ready after each session. If you wait days or weeks, the supervising driver may not remember the details, and unsigned entries look suspicious. Make signing part of your routine — as soon as you park, review the session details and get a signature.
Another mistake is not tracking night driving hours separately. You might log 50 hours total but only have 6 hours of night driving. When you go to test, you will not be allowed to take the exam until you complete the remaining 4 night hours. Use a clear marker or a separate column in your log to identify night sessions.
Do not round or estimate hours. If you drove for 47 minutes, write 47 minutes or 0.78 hours — do not round up to 1 hour. Examiners can tell when entries are rounded, and it raises questions about the accuracy of your entire log. Be precise about times and durations.
Finally, do not have someone sign for hours you did not drive. This is falsification of a licensing document and can result in permit suspension, denial of your license, and in some cases, legal consequences. The log is a record of your actual supervised driving experience, not a checkbox to complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a digital driving log or does it have to be on paper?
Kansas does not specify a format, so digital logs are acceptable as long as they contain all required information and can be signed by the supervising driver. If you use a digital log, you will need to print it or have it available on your phone to show the examiner at your driving test. Make sure the supervising driver's signature is legible and dated.
What if my supervising driver forgets to sign an entry right away?
Ask them to sign it as soon as possible, but be honest about the delay. Write the date of the driving session and the date of the signature separately if needed. If there is a long gap between the session and the signature, note why — for example, "signed on [date] for session on [date]." Examiners understand that life happens, but they need to see that the supervising driver is confirming the information.
Do I need to log practice for the written test, or only behind-the-wheel driving?
The log is only for supervised driving in the vehicle. Study time for the written test does not count toward your 50 hours. Only time spent actually driving with a supervising driver in the car counts.
Can the same person supervise all 50 hours, or do I need different supervisors?
One person can supervise all 50 hours. Most commonly, a parent or guardian signs every entry. You can have different supervisors on different days if you want — for example, a parent on weekdays and another family member on weekends — but it is not required.
What if I lose my driving log before I take the test?
Contact the supervising driver or drivers who signed your log and ask them to help you reconstruct it. You will need to provide dates, times, and road types from memory, and have them sign the new log confirming the information is accurate. This is difficult and time-consuming, so keep your original log in a safe place. If you cannot reconstruct it reliably, you may need to restart your supervised driving hours.