Photo: Artsistra, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Connecticut permit test has 25 questions, and you need at least 20 correct to pass, so you can miss 5. You take it at a DMV office by appointment, right after a vision test, and you must finish the free Work Zone Safety Course first. This guide covers what to bring, the fees, what happens if you fail, and the rules once you hold a Connecticut learner’s permit.
Key facts (Connecticut DMV, checked November 2026)
- Minimum age: 16. Applicants 18 and older get an adult learner’s permit.
- Knowledge test: 25 questions, 20 correct to pass, based on the Connecticut Driver’s Manual.
- Vision: 20/40 or better, with or without glasses, plus 140 degrees of binocular peripheral vision. If you are blind in one eye, the other eye must be 20/40 with a field of at least 100 degrees.
- Fees as of November 2026: $40 testing fee (covers vision, knowledge and road tests) + $19 permit.
- Failed knowledge test: wait 7 days and pay $40 again.
- The permit is valid until you get your license or for 2 years, whichever comes first.
How many questions are on the Connecticut permit test?
25 multiple-choice questions. You need 20 right (80%). The questions come from the State of Connecticut Driver’s Manual: licensing rules, seat belt and phone laws, safe driving, alcohol and the law, rules of the road, emergencies, and signs, signals and pavement markings.
Languages: the test is offered in Albanian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. You can ask for a paper test in more than 20 other languages, and the DMV can give you a headset for an audio version.
Step 1: Complete the Connecticut Work Zone Safety Course
Effective January 1, 2026, anyone applying for a learner’s permit must complete the free online Connecticut Work Zone Safety Course. It takes less than an hour.
- Create an account using your legal name.
- Complete the course and print your completion certificate.
- Hand the printed certificate to the DMV with your other documents before the knowledge test.
Step 2: Book, pay and gather your documents
Testing is by appointment only. You cannot walk in. Book and prepay online. For teens, permit testing is listed at these DMV offices: Bridgeport, Cheshire, Danbury, Enfield, Hamden, Norwalk, Old Saybrook, Waterbury, Wethersfield and Willimantic.
What to bring to the Connecticut permit test
- Original identity documents from the DMV document checklist (no photocopies or faxes): two forms of ID, with at least one from the primary list (for example, a US passport or US birth certificate).
- Proof of Social Security Number (Social Security card, or a W-2 or 1099 from the past five years).
- Two different proofs of Connecticut residency from two sources, generally dated within 90 days. For under 18s, a parent can use mail addressed to them at the same address.
- Completed Form R-229 (Application for Non-Commercial Learner’s Permit and/or Driver’s License). You can print it after booking.
- Under 18: a parent or legal guardian present, or a completed Certificate of Parental Consent (Form 2-D).
- Your Work Zone Safety Course certificate.
- A Connecticut non-driver ID card, if you have one. It is surrendered when the permit is issued.
- Glasses or contact lenses, if you need them to see.
Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, and hospital-issued birth records are not accepted. Non-US citizens applying for a first permit must go to a DMV hub office. If you plan a REAL ID, see REAL ID and your first US driver’s license.
Step 3: The vision test, then the knowledge test
You take the vision test first. If you fail it, you cannot sit the knowledge test that day, but you can reschedule straight away. If you fail the knowledge test, wait 7 days, then rebook and pay the $40 fee again.
If you pass, you get a paper permit for temporary use, and the permanent permit arrives by mail.
Medical conditions: you must meet the same health standards as license holders. If a condition could affect your driving, the DMV reviews it before issuing the permit, so contact Driver Services well ahead of your test. The DMV can also issue a limited license, for example daylight only, no limited-access highways, automatic transmission only, or with mirrors on both sides.
How to study for the Connecticut knowledge test
- Read the written manual. The DMV notes that the audio version was recorded from the November 2014 edition and is not up to date. Use the written manual for current laws.
- Use the official practice material. The DMV publishes three practice tests (English and Spanish), and its mobile app has sample questions. Each manual chapter also ends with study questions, and the answers are at the back.
- Memorize the Connecticut numbers. These are the 25-question test itself, 20/40 vision, the 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. teen curfew, 0.02% BAC under 21, the $75 seat belt fine, and parking limits of 25 feet from a stop sign and 10 feet from a hydrant.
- Know signs by shape and color. See US road signs by shape and color and US pavement markings.
To compare with other states, see permit test questions by state.
Connecticut learner’s permit rules
| Rule | Age 16 or 17 | Age 18 or older |
|---|---|---|
| Who must supervise | A qualified trainer or licensed driving instructor | A driving school instructor, secondary school instructor or qualified trainer |
| Passengers | Only a parent, legal guardian or qualified trainer (parents may ride along with an instructor) | No passenger rule stated |
| Phone use | None, not even hands-free | Hands-free only, as for all adult drivers |
| Curfew | None, but a qualified trainer must be with you | None |
| Seat belts | Everyone belted, no more passengers than belts | Everyone belted |
A qualified trainer is 20 or older and has held a license for at least four years with no suspension in that period. They must sit in the front passenger seat, ready to take control. The order of who can serve as a home trainer is set out in the Connecticut home training guide.
Breaking permit rules can lead to a permit suspension. See Connecticut teen driver restrictions.
Common questions
How many questions can you miss on the Connecticut permit test?
5. You need 20 of 25 correct.
Can I walk in to take the Connecticut permit test?
No. Permit tests are by appointment only, booked and prepaid online.
How long is a Connecticut learner’s permit valid?
Until you get your license or 2 years from issue, whichever comes first.
Does the $40 fee cover the road test too?
Yes. The $40 testing fee covers the vision, knowledge and road tests. Each retake costs another $40.
What if my parent cannot come to the test?
Bring a completed Certificate of Parental Consent (Form 2-D). For youths in DCF care, a DCF manager authorized to sign must sign it.
I lost my permit. What now?
Request a duplicate. As of November 2026 the fee is $19. You need your permit for the road test, so replace it before then.
When can I book my road test?
Once you pass the knowledge test you can book it, but you can only take it after the required permit time and training. See the Connecticut road test checklist and the full Connecticut guide.
Sources
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Take the knowledge and vision tests” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Get a learner’s permit” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Teen driver’s license information” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Get an adult learner’s permit” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Get a driver’s license” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Driving restrictions for teens” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “Fees” (portal.ct.gov)
- Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, “State of Connecticut Driver’s Manual” (revised March 2023) (portal.ct.gov)