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Do You Need Driver's Ed in Michigan?

Last updated 2026-07-29

Required in two separate segments, not one course

Michigan splits driver education into Segment 1 and Segment 2, and they aren't interchangeable or combinable into a single class — each has its own hour requirement, its own exam, and its own place in the GDL timeline.

You can start Segment 1 as early as 14 years and 8 months old, well before you're eligible for the Level 1 Learner's License itself — meaning a motivated teen can begin the process before turning 15.

Segment 1: the bigger, earlier requirement

Segment 1 requires at least 24 hours of classroom instruction, a minimum of 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, 4 hours of observation time, and a minimum score of 70% on the Segment 1 state exam.

Completing Segment 1 is what actually gets you the Level 1 Learner's License — you can't get the permit itself until this segment, with its exam, is done.

Segment 2: shorter, and comes later

Segment 2 consists of a minimum of 6 hours of classroom instruction, plus passing the Segment 2 exam — notably shorter than Segment 1's 24-plus-6-plus-4-hour structure.

Segment 2 isn't required until you're ready to move from Level 1 to Level 2 — you need it, your 50-hour driving log, your Level 1 license, and your Segment 2 Certificate of Completion together before taking the driving skills test.

This is separate from your 50 hours of supervised driving

Neither Segment 1 nor Segment 2 counts toward the 50 hours of supervised driving (10 at night) you personally need to log with a licensed adult. The segments cover classroom and instructor-led behind-the-wheel time; the 50 hours is practice you do separately, tracked in your own driving log.

Michigan even provides tools specifically for this separate tracking — a physical driving log through The Supervised Driving Guide, or the free RoadReady mobile app, neither of which has anything to do with Segment 1 or Segment 2 completion.

Adults 18 and older skip both segments entirely

If you're 18 or older and have never been licensed, neither Segment 1 nor Segment 2 applies to you — you go straight to a temporary instruction permit, a much shorter 30-day practice-driving requirement, and the driving skills test, without any driver-education course requirement at all.

That's a meaningfully lighter path than the teen pipeline — no classroom hours, no observation time, no separate exams, just the practice period and the skills test itself.

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