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Do You Need Driver's Ed in Maryland?

Last updated 2026-07-31

Yes -- and it applies at every age, not just to teens

Maryland's answer is a clear yes, and it's worth calling out because some states only require formal driver education for teen applicants. The Driver's Manual states that while holding a Learner's Instructional Permit, an applicant must complete the Maryland Driver Education Program -- and this requirement applies whether the applicant is under 25 or 25 and older.

That's a genuinely different shape from a state where an adult first-time applicant can skip the classroom requirement entirely. In Maryland, everyone getting a license for the first time goes through the same driver education requirement, just with different practice-hour totals layered on top depending on age.

Driver education is separate from the practice-hour requirement

Don't confuse the Maryland Driver Education Program with the supervised practice-driving hours -- they're two separate, both-mandatory requirements. An applicant under 25 must complete the driver education program AND log at least 60 hours of supervised driving (at least 10 at night) with a supervising driver, plus keep a signed Practice and Skills Log.

An applicant 25 or older still must complete the same driver education program, but the practice-hour requirement drops substantially -- at least 14 hours, with at least 3 of them at night. Either way, finishing the classroom or online driver-ed course doesn't excuse you from also logging real supervised driving time.

Finding an approved program

The manual doesn't list every approved driver education provider directly -- it directs applicants to the MVA's website, which maintains the current list of driver's education schools approved to teach the Maryland Driver Education Program.

Since approved-provider lists change over time and aren't reproduced in the manual itself, confirming a specific school's current approval status directly at mva.maryland.gov before enrolling is safer than relying on a program's own marketing claims.

What this means for the supervising driver

Completing driver education doesn't change who's allowed to supervise your practice driving afterward. A supervising driver still must be at least 21 years old, currently licensed at least 3 years in Maryland or another state for the same vehicle class, and seated beside you -- unless the vehicle is a motorcycle.

In other words, driver education and supervised practice driving work together rather than as alternatives: the classroom program teaches the material, and the logged hours with a qualifying adult are where that material gets applied behind the wheel.

How this fits into the bigger GDL picture

Completing the Maryland Driver Education Program is one of several requirements -- alongside the permit hold period, the practice hours, and a clean driving record -- needed to graduate from a Learner's Permit to a Provisional License. Skipping or delaying it delays everything that comes after it in the sequence.

See our GDL guide for how the driver-education requirement fits into the full three-step Rookie Driver System, and our guide on what to bring to your permit test appointment for what's actually needed on the day you apply for the permit itself, before driver education starts.

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More Maryland Guides

Rules and requirements change — always confirm current details with Maryland MVA before your exam. Check the full guides index or the Maryland cheat sheet and FAQ, or take a free Maryland practice test.