Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Georgia road test (DDS calls it the Road Skills Test) is the driving exam for a Class D provisional license at 16 or 17, or a Class C license at 18 or older. You need a minimum score of 75%. Parallel parking, straight-line backing and a turnabout in a narrow space are all scored. This page explains each task, the vehicle rules, booking and what happens if you fail.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- Appointment only. Walk-ins and same-day appointments are not available.
- Pass mark: at least 75%.
- Parallel parking space: 22 feet long by 10 feet deep. Finish within 18 inches of the curb.
- Backing: about 50 feet in a straight line, at no more than 10 mph, looking behind you.
- The test is in English only and can be virtual or traditional.
- Retest: next day after a first failure, 7 days after later failures, 30 days if you fail because of a crash or traffic violation.
Book the test and bring the right papers
- Submit the online License/ID/Permit Form. DDS requires it before every center visit.
- Schedule through DDS Online Services. You can modify or cancel there with your appointment number and email.
- Bring a licensed driver aged 21 or older. Only you and that driver may be in the car, with no other children or pets.
Teens also need everything for a Class D: your permit (held 1 year and 1 day), proof of school enrollment, ADAP certificate, driver education certificate and the parent’s 40-hour affidavit. See Class CP and Class D rules. Drivers 18 and over need a valid Georgia learner’s permit and sign the 40-hour affidavit.
Vehicle requirements
- A four-wheel vehicle, which you provide.
- A paper copy of the registration and a current, valid insurance card.
- An unexpired license plate. With a temporary dealer tag, or a car bought within the last 30 days, bring the bill of sale. For a car bought from a private seller rather than a dealer, the bill of sale must be within the last 7 days.
- Rental cars: your name must be on the rental agreement.
- The car must pass a DDS safety inspection before the test.
- If the car has no working turn signals, you must know hand signals.
- Driver assistance tech (parking sensors, lane assist and so on) is allowed, but you must show you can drive without it.
DDS will not test in weather or other conditions it judges unsafe, and it will reschedule.
What is on the Georgia road test?
| Task | What the examiner wants |
|---|---|
| Parallel parking | Park midway between two standards, within 18 inches of the curb |
| Straight-line backing | About 50 feet, slow (no more than 10 mph), straight and smooth. Turn your head and look back the whole time. Do not touch the boundary lines |
| Turnabout | Turn around in a narrow space. The manual says a three-point turn. DDS’s test page says two-, three- or five-point turns |
| Stops at signs and signals | Signal, use the proper lane and stop before the crosswalk. Stay stopped until pedestrians on your side have cleared, and go only when it is safe |
| Approaching corners | Be in the proper lane and look both ways |
| Yielding right-of-way | Yield to pedestrians, drivers and cyclists who entered the intersection before you |
| Turning | Get in the proper lane and signal an adequate distance before the turn |
| Passing | Check ahead and behind before you pass |
| Following distance | When the car ahead passes a fixed point, count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two”. If you reach the point before you finish, you are too close |
| Clutch (manual cars) | Shift smoothly and correctly |
| Posture | Keep both hands on the wheel and your elbow off the window. Do not chat with the examiner |
How to parallel park for the Georgia road test
These steps are from Section 5 of the Georgia Driver’s Manual:
- Signal. Pull up alongside the car (or front standard) ahead of the space, about 2 feet away, door to door.
- Turn the wheel sharply right and back slowly toward the car behind the space.
- When your front door passes the back bumper of the car ahead, straighten the wheels and keep backing diagonally in a straight line.
- When your front bumper clears the car ahead, turn sharply left and back slowly toward the car behind.
- Stop before touching anything behind you. Shift to drive, turn sharply right and pull toward the center of the space.
- Check that you are midway between the standards and no more than 18 inches from the curb. Signal again when you pull out.
Practice tip: mark a 22-foot by 10-foot box with cones in an empty parking lot. The Parent/Teen Driving Guide spends sessions 14 to 16 on parking (the guide explained).
Backing and the turnabout
The manual says to check all sides before backing and to look over your right shoulder rather than relying on mirrors. Keep your speed down and steer small. For the turnabout, use the narrowest legal option the examiner asks for, and check traffic both ways before each move.
Virtual or traditional?
In a virtual road test, a DDS examiner watches remotely through a dual-facing camera and a hands-free phone, with your licensed adult aged 21 or older riding as a passenger. In a traditional test, the examiner sits in the passenger seat. DDS’s Virtual Road Test fact sheet calls the virtual test the standard method. See Georgia virtual road test explained.
Students of some DDS-certified driving schools can take the test with their school instead. See taking your Georgia road test at a driving school.
Results and retakes
At the end of a Class C or D test, the examiner will show you your score sheet and discuss it if you want. Pass and you get a temporary license, and the permanent card is mailed to you. If you fail:
| Situation | Wait before retesting |
|---|---|
| First failure | Until the next day |
| Second or later failure | 7 days |
| Failed because of a crash or traffic violation (ticketed or not) | 30 days |
Retests need a new appointment and payment of the permit fee. For the usual mistakes, see common reasons people fail the US driving test.
Common questions
Is parallel parking on the Georgia road test?
Yes. It is one of the scored tasks, in a space 22 feet long and 10 feet deep.
What is the passing score?
At least 75%.
Can I use a backup camera?
The car can have driver assistance features, but you must show you can drive without them. Plan to turn your head and look back while backing, as the test requires.
Can my friend ride along?
No. Only you and the licensed driver aged 21 or older may be in the vehicle.
Can I use a rental car?
Yes, if your name is on the rental agreement and the car passes the safety inspection.
Do other states test the same things?
Back to the main guide: Learning to drive in Georgia.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Section 3: Testing Information” and “Section 3 Continued”, Georgia Driver’s Manual (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Steps to Parallel Parking” and “Backing Up”, Section 5, Georgia Driver’s Manual (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Test and Exams Information” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Road Test Appointments” (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Virtual Road Test: Quick Facts” fact sheet (dds.georgia.gov)
- Georgia Department of Driver Services, “Third Party Testing” (dds.georgia.gov)