Photo: OregonDOT, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Free US permit practice tests for all 50 states and DC are linked below, one original set per state, built from that state’s driver handbook and its own rules on teen licenses, phones and alcohol. Use them to rehearse for the knowledge test (written test) you take before your learner’s permit. This page also explains how the real test works, where to find the question count and pass mark, and a study plan that works in two weeks.
All questions on this site are unofficial practice, written by Get Driving Test Ready. They test the same knowledge as the official tests but are not copied from any state’s test.
Key facts
- Every state’s permit test is multiple choice and drawn from its own driver handbook.
- Published sizes range from 18 questions in Pennsylvania to 50 in Florida and Utah. Most pass marks sit around 75% to 85%.
- Some states test road signs separately with their own pass mark, including Georgia, New York and North Carolina.
- Where the table says to check, ask your state for the question count. Numbers on unofficial sites are not reliable.
- Some states let you test online at home, including Ohio, Oregon, Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, North Dakota and Vermont (online only).
Permit practice tests by state
The middle column shows the real test format only where the state publishes it on an official page. Otherwise, check with the state DMV. Full comparison: US permit test by state.
| State | Real test (official figures) | Practice set |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Check with your state agency | Alabama practice test |
| Alaska | 20 questions; 16 correct to pass; 25 minutes (DMV sample knowledge test page) | Alaska practice test |
| Arizona | 30 questions; 80% (24 correct) (ADOT permit test page) | Arizona practice test |
| Arkansas | 20 correct answers to pass (ASP audio testing instructions); check the total count with ASP; up to 2 skips | Arkansas practice test |
| California | Check the count with the DMV; pass 80% | California practice test |
| Colorado | Check with your state agency | Colorado practice test |
| Connecticut | 25 questions; pass 20 (80%) | Connecticut practice test |
| Delaware | Check with your state agency | Delaware practice test |
| District of Columbia | Check with your state agency | District of Columbia practice test |
| Florida | 50 questions; pass 40 (80%) | Florida practice test |
| Georgia | 20 signs + 20 rules; 15 on each part | Georgia practice test |
| Hawaii | 30 questions (Honolulu and Maui county pages; the HDOT online page says 25, so check with the state DMV); Maui: more than 6 errors fails | Hawaii practice test |
| Idaho | 40 questions; miss no more than 6 | Idaho practice test |
| Illinois | 35 questions, 15 on signs (SOS workbook); check the pass mark with the SOS | Illinois practice test |
| Indiana | Check with your state agency | Indiana practice test |
| Iowa | Check with your state agency | Iowa practice test |
| Kansas | 25 questions plus sign identification; 80% (20 of 25), untimed; 4 attempts, then a 6-month wait | Kansas practice test |
| Kentucky | Check with your state agency | Kentucky practice test |
| Louisiana | Check with your state agency | Louisiana practice test |
| Maine | 30 questions; 24 to pass (BMV exam page) | Maine practice test |
| Maryland | 25 questions, 20 minutes (Driver’s Manual, Dec 2025); 88% pass mark per MVA pages | Maryland practice test |
| Massachusetts | 25 questions | Massachusetts practice test |
| Michigan | Check with your state agency | Michigan practice test |
| Minnesota | Multiple choice and true or false; 80% to pass; one attempt per day (check the question count with DVS) | Minnesota practice test |
| Mississippi | Check with your state agency | Mississippi practice test |
| Missouri | 25 written questions, 20 correct to pass, plus a separate road sign test | Missouri practice test |
| Montana | Check with your state agency | Montana practice test |
| Nebraska | 25 questions; miss no more than 5 | Nebraska practice test |
| Nevada | 25 questions; 80% (20 correct) (DMV written test page) | Nevada practice test |
| New Hampshire | 40 questions; the test ends after more than 8 wrong (32 to pass) | New Hampshire practice test |
| New Jersey | 50 questions; 40 to pass (80%) | New Jersey practice test |
| New Mexico | Check with your state agency | New Mexico practice test |
| New York | 20 questions; pass 14, including 2 of the 4 sign questions | New York practice test |
| North Carolina | 80%, plus a sign test (9 of 12 signs) | North Carolina practice test |
| North Dakota | Check with your state agency | North Dakota practice test |
| Ohio | 40 questions; pass 30 (75%) | Ohio practice test |
| Oklahoma | 20 questions; 15 to pass (Service Oklahoma Written Knowledge Test page) | Oklahoma practice test |
| Oregon | 35 questions | Oregon practice test |
| Pennsylvania | 18 questions; pass 15 | Pennsylvania practice test |
| Rhode Island | 40 questions; 90-minute limit | Rhode Island practice test |
| South Carolina | Check the count and pass mark with SCDMV; free SCDMV app (SC DMV Driver Exam) uses random questions from the manual | South Carolina practice test |
| South Dakota | Check with your state agency | South Dakota practice test |
| Tennessee | Online: 30 questions, 60 minutes; split evenly across signs and signals, safe driving, rules of the road, and alcohol and drugs; check the pass mark with the Department of Safety | Tennessee practice test |
| Texas | Check with your state agency | Texas practice test |
| Utah | 50 questions for never-licensed applicants; 80% | Utah practice test |
| Vermont | 20 questions; pass 16 (online only) | Vermont practice test |
| Virginia | Part 1: 10 sign questions, all must be correct; part 2: at least 80% (current question count: check with the state DMV) | Virginia practice test |
| Washington | 40 questions; DOL states 32 to pass | Washington practice test |
| West Virginia | 25 questions; pass 19 | West Virginia practice test |
| Wisconsin | Two tests: highway signs 15 questions (12 to pass) and knowledge 50 questions (40 to pass) | Wisconsin practice test |
| Wyoming | Check with your state agency | Wyoming practice test |
How the real permit test works
- Check you are eligible. Minimum ages and driver ed rules vary: see GDL rules compared.
- Bring your documents and, if you are under 18, a parent or guardian. See the first permit documents checklist.
- Pass the vision screening. Usually 20/40 in at least one eye: see vision standards by state.
- Take the test on a touch screen, computer or paper, at the office or online where allowed. Many states offer other languages and audio: see tests in other languages and oral and audio options.
- If you fail, wait for your state’s retest period. See retake waits by state.
What is on every state’s permit test?
| Topic | Typical share of questions | Study guide |
|---|---|---|
| Signs, signals and pavement markings | Large | Road signs, signals, markings |
| Right of way, turns and intersections | Large | Right of way, four-way stops, roundabouts |
| Speed, following distance and passing | Medium | Speed limits, following distance |
| Sharing the road | Medium | School buses, railroad crossings, bikes and trucks |
| Alcohol, drugs and implied consent | Medium | Zero tolerance, implied consent |
| Your state’s permit, teen and phone rules | Medium | Phone laws, your state guide |
| Parking, emergencies and bad weather | Small | Parking, weather, emergencies |
The shares are a guide to how handbooks weight these topics, not an official breakdown.
A two-week study plan
- Days 1 to 3: read your state handbook in full. Note every number: speeds, distances, BAC limits, permit hours, curfew times.
- Days 4 to 5: signs and signals. Learn by shape and color first, then meaning.
- Days 6 to 8: do your state practice set one section a day. Reread the handbook for every miss.
- Days 9 to 10: the national sample below, plus your state’s official practice test if it has one (Iowa, Utah and Ohio publish sample tests, for example).
- Days 11 to 13: full runs of your state set, aiming for 90% or more.
- Day 14: rest. Check your documents and appointment.
National sample: 10 questions every state asks in some form
These rules apply in every state, though wording and details vary. Check your own handbook for state differences.
1. You and another driver reach a four-way stop at the same moment. The other car is on your right. What should you do?
- A. Let the car on your right go first
- B. Go first because you are on the left
- C. Whoever signals first goes
- D. Both may go if neither is turning
Answer: A. When two drivers arrive together at an all-way stop, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. (Handbook topic: right of way)
2. On a two-lane road with no median, a school bus coming toward you stops with red lights flashing and its stop arm out. What must you do?
- A. Slow to 10 mph and pass
- B. Keep going, because the rule is only for traffic behind the bus
- C. Sound your horn and continue
- D. Stop and stay stopped until the lights go off and the arm folds
Answer: D. On an undivided road, traffic in both directions stops. Divided-highway exceptions vary by state. (Handbook topic: school buses)
3. A flashing yellow left-turn arrow means:
- A. Left turns are banned
- B. You may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
- C. You have a protected turn
- D. Stop and wait for green
Answer: B. It is a permissive turn. Oncoming traffic may have a green light. (Handbook topic: traffic signals)
4. You are 19 and a breath test shows a small amount of alcohol, well under 0.08. What is most likely?
- A. Nothing, because you are under the adult limit
- B. A warning only
- C. Penalties such as license suspension under zero-tolerance laws
- D. A fine only if you crash
Answer: C. Every state applies a very low limit to drivers under 21. (Handbook topic: alcohol and drugs)
5. At an intersection with no signs or signals, you and a driver on your left arrive at the same time. Who goes first?
- A. The driver on your left
- B. Neither: both must wait for a pedestrian
- C. The faster car
- D. You
Answer: D. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. (Handbook topic: right of way)
6. What does an eight-sided red sign always mean?
- A. Stop completely
- B. Yield
- C. Slow down for a hazard
- D. Do not enter
Answer: A. The octagon is reserved for STOP. (Handbook topic: road signs)
7. You are leaving a driveway onto a street. Who must yield?
- A. Traffic on the street, to you
- B. Whoever is larger
- C. You, to pedestrians on the sidewalk and traffic on the street
- D. Nobody if you signal
Answer: C. Drivers coming out of driveways and alleys stop before the sidewalk and yield. (Handbook topic: right of way)
8. An emergency vehicle with siren and flashing lights is coming up behind you. What should you do?
- A. Speed up to clear the way
- B. Pull to the right edge and stop until it passes, clearing any intersection first
- C. Stop where you are, even in an intersection
- D. Keep driving in your lane
Answer: B. Move right and stop, but don’t stop inside an intersection. (Handbook topic: emergency vehicles)
9. A white rectangular sign with black lettering usually:
- A. Warns of a hazard
- B. Marks a school zone
- C. Gives tourist information
- D. States a rule you must obey, such as a speed limit
Answer: D. White rectangles are regulatory signs. (Handbook topic: road signs)
10. What is the safest way to check your blind spot before changing lanes?
- A. Turn your head and look over your shoulder
- B. Use the mirrors only
- C. Rely on the lane-departure warning
- D. Signal and wait for a horn
Answer: A. Mirrors leave gaps. A head check covers the blind spot. (Handbook topic: lane changes)
Common questions
Are these the real DMV questions?
No. They are original questions written to test the same handbook knowledge. Some states publish their own sample tests, and it is worth doing those too.
How many questions can I miss?
It depends on the state. You can miss 3 in Pennsylvania, 5 in Connecticut and Nebraska, 6 in Idaho and New York, and 10 in Florida. Check your state in the table above.
Is the permit test hard?
It is a reading test more than a driving test. Every answer is in your state handbook. People fail by skipping sections, not because the questions are tricky.
How many practice tests should I do?
Keep going until you score 90% or more twice in a row on your state set, on different days.
What comes after the permit?
Supervised practice and the road test. See supervised hours by state, US road test by state and learning to drive in the USA.
Sources
- Pennsylvania DMV, “Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual: Testing” (pa.gov)
- California DMV, “Instruction Permits” and “California Driver’s Handbook” (dmv.ca.gov)
- Connecticut DMV, “Learn about DMV’s knowledge and vision test” (portal.ct.gov)
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test” (flhsmv.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Drivers Manual, Section 3” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Idaho Transportation Department, “Idaho Driver’s Manual” (itd.idaho.gov)
- Kansas Department of Revenue, “Driver’s license written exam available online” (ksrevenue.gov)
- Massachusetts RMV, “Learner’s permit” (mass.gov)
- Nebraska DMV, “Driver Licensing Examiners Manual” (dmv.nebraska.gov)
- New York DMV, “New York State Driver’s Manual” (dmv.ny.gov)
- NCDMV, “Driver License Tests” (ncdot.gov)
- Ohio BMV, “Driver License and ID Cards” (bmv.ohio.gov)
- Oregon DMV, “Instruction Permits” (oregon.gov)
- Rhode Island DMV, “Knowledge Exams” (dmv.ri.gov)
- Utah Driver License Division, “Written Knowledge Test” (dld.utah.gov)
- Vermont DMV, “Driver’s License Manual” (dmv.vermont.gov)
- West Virginia DMV, “Drivers Licensing Handbook” (transportation.wv.gov)
- Iowa DOT, “Take a practice test” (iowadot.gov)
- Arizona MVD, “Driver License Manual 99-0117” (azdot.gov)
- Kansas Department of Revenue, “Kansas Driving Handbook” (ksrevenue.gov)
- Maryland MVA, “Maryland Driver’s Manual” (mva.maryland.gov)
- Minnesota DVS, “Minnesota Driver’s Manual” (dps.mn.gov)
- Missouri DOR, “Missouri Driver Guide” (dor.mo.gov)
- New Hampshire DMV, “Driver’s Manual” (dmv.nh.gov)
- New Jersey MVC, “New Jersey Driver Manual” (nj.gov)
- South Carolina DMV, “Driver’s License Manual” (scdmvonline.com)
- Tennessee Department of Safety, “Comprehensive Driver License Manual” (tn.gov)
- Wisconsin DMV, “Motorists’ Handbook” (wisconsindot.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, Service Oklahoma, Nevada DMV, Maine BMV, Washington DOL, Virginia DMV, Arkansas State Police and Hawaii county driver licensing pages (official state domains)
- Alaska DMV, “Instruction Permit” and North Dakota DOT, “Class D Driver License Manual” (dmv.alaska.gov, dot.nd.gov)