The District of Columbia road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can book the road test and know the fees and cancellation rules.
• You can check that your car meets every DC DMV requirement.
• You can list what to bring on the day.
• You can parallel park smoothly and legally.
• You can explain the retake rules if you do not pass.

What you need to know and understand

• An appointment is required. Walk-ins are not accepted.
• The DC DMV road test fee is $10. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead, or two business days, to avoid a $30 fee.
• Under 21, you need at least 6 months on your permit and the signed 40-hour certification form.
• A licensed driver aged 21 or older must come with you. Driving yourself to the test alone on a permit bars you from testing for 6 months.
• Third-party testers certified by DC DMV can give the test for a fee of up to $100, using the same routes and score sheet.
• If you fail, you must wait 72 hours before retesting.
• Six fails within 12 months means no seventh test until 12 months after the first fail.

Test-day checklist

• Arrive at least 15 minutes early.
• Your valid learner permit.
• Your 40-hour certification form if you are under 21.
• A licensed driver aged 21 or older.
• Current registration card and valid tags, and an insurance card or policy that names the car and shows an expiration date.
• A valid inspection sticker if one applies. A failed sticker is not accepted.

Will your car pass the examiner's check?

The examiner can cancel the test if the car falls short. DC DMV requires:

• Working brake lights, turn signals, horn and power windows, and doors that open from inside and outside.
• An inside rearview mirror and correctly placed side mirrors.
• A hand or push-button emergency brake between the driver and front passenger seats, so the examiner can reach it.
• A windshield free of cracks with nothing hanging from the mirror.
• Properly inflated tires, with no donut spare.
• No warning lights on the dashboard, including low fuel.
• For a rental car, your name on the contract as an approved driver. DC DMV also offers its own road test vehicles at no extra fee, with a consent form that a parent or guardian signs if you are under 18.

On the road

The test covers safe control of the car, correct signaling, obeying signs and signals, handling city traffic and parallel parking. DC DMV publishes a video showing the steps for parallel parking. Bad weather or a car the examiner cannot safely stop in an emergency can also lead to cancellation. Our DC road test guide goes into the route and score sheet in more detail.

1. Pull up alongside the car in front of the space, leaving a small, even gap, check mirrors and signal.
2. Reverse slowly, turning toward the curb as your rear bumper passes the other car's rear bumper.
3. Straighten as you enter the space, then turn away from the curb to bring the front in.
4. Finish close to and parallel with the curb, then center the car in the space.

Common mistakes

• Bringing a car with a dashboard warning light on, even low fuel.
• Forgetting the 40-hour form or the accompanying licensed driver.
• Rolling through stop signs or stopping past the stop line.
• Forgetting to check mirrors and blind spots before moving off and changing lanes.
• Not stopping fully for pedestrians at crosswalks, which DC law requires.

Test yourself: The District of Columbia road test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• DC Permit Practice Test
• DC DMV Road Test