Your teen needs 10 night hours on Indiana’s driving log, and you’re trying to work out whether tonight’s drive counts. Here’s the short answer: Indiana doesn’t set a clock time for night on the log. Count the minutes after sunset, when Indiana law requires headlights, and use that rule for every entry.
How much that gives you depends on the season. The U.S. Naval Observatory’s sun data puts sunset in Indianapolis at 9:16 p.m. on June 21, 2026 and 5:23 p.m. on December 21.
The rule to follow
The Indiana Driver’s Manual says drivers must use headlights between sunset and sunrise. Treat that window as night for the log. Time before sunset goes in the DAY column, time after it goes in the NIGHT column.
Why it matters
The state never says when night starts. Indiana Code 9-24-3-2.5 requires 10 hours of nighttime driving without defining nighttime, and the BMV’s Log of Supervised Driving, State Form 54706, has DAY and NIGHT columns with no definition either. A parent signs that log, so a rule you can explain and apply the same way every time is worth having.
How it works in practice
- 10 of the 50 hours. The BMV’s driver’s license page requires at least 50 supervised hours, and at least 10 of them at night. The night hours count toward the 50.
- Sunset to sunrise. Night starts when the sun sets and headlights are required, not at a fixed hour.
- Sunset moves with the season. A night drive in June starts after 9:15 p.m. In December, a drive home at 5:30 p.m. already counts.
- One line, two columns. Sunset in Indianapolis on November 4, 2026 is 5:39 p.m., so a drive from 5:20 to 6:00 p.m. that day is 19 minutes of day and 21 minutes of night, on the same line.
- Restriction G. A learner’s permit with the daytime-only restriction (restriction G in the Driver’s Manual) doesn’t need the 10 night hours. It still needs all 50.
What the practice gets you
A log you can sign without second-guessing. Every night entry follows the same line, the night total is easy to check, and your teen gets real practice with headlights, glare and dark roads before driving alone.
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana define night driving for the 50-hour log?
No. State law requires 10 hours of nighttime driving, and State Form 54706 has a NIGHT column, but neither sets a start time. Counting from sunset, when headlights are required, is a rule you can apply to every entry.
Does driving at dusk count as night?
Count it from sunset. Minutes before sunset go in the DAY column, even if it’s starting to get dark.
How do I log a drive that starts before sunset and ends after?
Split it on one line. Put the minutes before sunset under DAY and the minutes after it under NIGHT.
Do I need night hours if my permit is daytime-only?
No. With the daytime-only restriction, the BMV doesn’t require the 10 night hours, but your teen still needs all 50 supervised hours.
What Drive Now offers
Drive Now is a free app run with Simmons Driving School in Terre Haute. It logs each drive by GPS and sorts the time into day and night for you. The school sets the night start time, which can change with the season. When the hours are done, the app fills in State Form 54706 for a parent to sign, and the Indiana BMV accepts the Drive Now app log. The app is free on the App Store and Google Play.