The Delaware road test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain who takes the road test at the DMV and how to book it.
• You can list what to bring and what the vehicle needs.
• You can describe the maneuvers and skills you will be asked to show.
• You can say what happens if you do not pass.

What you need to know and understand

• Road tests at the DMV are given every weekday except Wednesday.
• You can book through the DMV's online My Road Test scheduler or by calling a DMV office.
• You must bring your permit, an accompanying driver aged 21 or older with their license, and the vehicle's registration and insurance cards.
• You provide the vehicle, and it must be registered, insured and pass the examiner's safety check.
• The drive lasts about 30 minutes and includes a three-point turn and backing 50 feet.
• If you fail, you must wait before retesting; the DMV road test page says at least 10 days.

Booking and timing

Adults must pass the eye screening and knowledge exams first and must pass the road test within the 12 months the permit is valid, or start again. The DMV's road test page says you become eligible for the Class D road exam 10 days after passing the knowledge exam. Check the current rule when you book. Tests run at the Wilmington, Delaware City, Dover and Georgetown DMV sites.

On the day

1. Bring your valid learner's permit.
2. Bring a licensed driver aged 21 or older, with their license. They must stay on site to drive the car away if you do not pass.
3. Bring the valid registration card and insurance card, paper or electronic, for the car you will use.
4. Make sure the car has at least half a tank of fuel and is free of clutter, and let the examiner carry out a basic safety inspection before you set off.
5. Do not smoke, use a phone or play music during the test, and switch off any automatic parking assist.

Skills the examiner looks for

The examiner will never ask you to do anything illegal or unsafe. The manual does not publish a scoring sheet, so aim for smooth, safe, legal driving throughout rather than trying to game a score.

• Knowing your vehicle's controls and checking it for safety.
• Responding to signs, signals and pavement markings.
• Right and left turns, lane changes and merging with traffic.
• Using right-of-way rules and entering intersections safely.
• Keeping a proper speed, following at a safe distance and overtaking correctly.
• Parallel parking, a three-point turn and backing in a straight line for 50 feet.

If it does not go your way

If you fail any part, prepare thoroughly and book again. The DMV road test page says you must wait at least 10 days before retaking it, so confirm the date when you book. Our guide to what you must demonstrate on the Delaware road test breaks each skill down further.

Common mistakes

• Turning up without the accompanying licensed driver. You cannot test without one.
• Bringing a car with an expired registration card or a warning light on. It may fail the safety check before you start.
• Rolling stops at stop signs. Stop completely behind the line.
• Forgetting mirror and blind-spot checks before lane changes and merges.

Test yourself: The Delaware road test

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

Go deeper

• Delaware Permit Test
• Delaware Road Test
• Learning to Drive in Delaware