How Many Questions Are on the Permit Test? US States Compared

Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How many questions are on the permit test? It depends on your state. On official pages, the range runs from 18 questions in Pennsylvania to 50 in Florida and Utah, and most pass marks sit around 75% to 85%. This page compares the US permit (knowledge) test by state, using only figures published by each state agency. Where the table says to check, ask the state DMV for the figures.

Key facts

• Almost every state requires a knowledge test and a vision screening before your first permit. A few accept a driver ed course test instead (for example Michigan teens, and South Dakota with a recent driver ed certificate).
• Questions are multiple choice and come from your state’s driver handbook: road signs, traffic laws and safe driving.
• Some states split the test into a road signs part and a rules part, each with its own pass mark.
• A growing number of states let you take the test online at home.

Permit test questions and pass marks by state

Not in the table: for the other states and DC, check the question count and pass mark with the state DMV. Practice-test websites often quote numbers for these states, but those are not official. Check with your state DMV before your test.

Which states let you take the permit test online?

Official pages describe online or at-home options in these states. Eligibility rules (age, a parent proctor, a webcam) differ.

• Alaska: online through the DMV’s online knowledge test provider
• Florida: under 18s, through an approved third-party administrator
• Iowa: at home on a computer with a parent proctor
• Kansas: remotely on a laptop or desktop
• Michigan: adults 18 and older, since July 2025
• North Dakota: online, then visit an office for the permit
• Ohio: online, maximum 2 attempts in 6 months
• Oregon: online with a webcam on a laptop or desktop
• Vermont: online only

State permit test guides

For full details, see the guides for California, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania, or start from learning to drive in the USA for every state guide.

How the test usually works

1. Study your state’s current driver handbook. The questions come from it.
2. Bring the documents your state asks for, plus a parent or guardian if you are under 18.
3. Pass the vision screening.
4. Take the test on a touch screen, a computer or paper. Many states offer other languages or an audio version.
5. If you fail, wait for the retest period. This ranges from the next day (Pennsylvania, Ohio) to a week or more (California for under 18s, Connecticut, Rhode Island).

How to prepare for the permit test

• Learn road signs by shape and color. Several states test signs separately, and New York and Georgia set a minimum score on signs.
• Focus on numbers your handbook gives: speed limits, following distances, parking distances, and BAC limits for under 21s.
• Use your state agency’s own practice test where one exists (for example Iowa, Utah and Ohio publish sample tests).
• Read the GDL section. Questions about your own permit restrictions are common.

Common questions

How many questions can you miss on the permit test?

It depends on the state. For example, you can miss 3 in Pennsylvania, 5 in Connecticut and Nebraska, 6 in Idaho and New York, and 10 in Florida. Check your state’s handbook for its number.

Is the permit test hard?

It is a reading test more than a driving test. Every answer is in your state’s handbook, so read all of it, including the sections on signs, fines and GDL limits, rather than relying on practice questions alone.

Can I take the permit test in Spanish or another language?

Many states offer other languages. Some states limit this: Georgia gives the road signs test in English only, and Florida says its knowledge exams are English only.

How long is a passed test valid?

It varies. For example, Connecticut results last 2 years, Nebraska’s 6 months, and Utah says 18 months.

Do teens in driver ed still take the DMV test?

In some states driver ed replaces it. Texas lets approved driver education providers give the knowledge test. Michigan teens take a course test instead of a separate state test.

Sources

• California DMV, “Instruction Permits” and “California Driver Handbook: The Testing Process” (dmv.ca.gov)
• Connecticut DMV, “Learn about DMV’s knowledge and vision test” (portal.ct.gov)
• Florida 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)
• Iowa DOT, “Take a practice test” (iowadot.gov)
• Kansas Department of Revenue, “Driver’s license written exam available online” (ksrevenue.gov)
• Massachusetts RMV, “Learner’s permit” and “Driver’s Manual” (mass.gov)
• Kansas Department of Revenue, “Kansas Driving Handbook” (ksrevenue.gov)
• New Hampshire DMV, “Driver’s Manual” (dmv.nh.gov)
• Michigan Secretary of State, “New drivers 18 and older” (michigan.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” and “Oregon Driver Manual 2026-2027” (oregon.gov)
• PennDOT, “Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual (PUB 95)” (dot.state.pa.us)
• 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)
• Alaska DMV, “Instruction Permit” (dmv.alaska.gov)
• North Dakota DOT, “Class D Driver License Manual” (dot.nd.gov)
• Texas Department of Public Safety, “Texas Learner License as a Teen” (dps.texas.gov)