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DMV permit test · District of Columbia

District of Columbia DMV permit practice test

As of October 26, 2026, DC DMV gives the driver knowledge test in English, Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese, and audio-assisted tests are available.

A District of Columbia learner permit requires an applicant at least 16 years old who passes vision screening and the knowledge test.

DC DMV charges $20 for a learner permit and $10 for the knowledge test at a service center, or $39.95 at a test proctoring center and $49.95 for a virtual test (per dmv.dc.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against dmv.dc.govHow we check
Take the free 10-question testFull pack · $14.95

District of Columbia permit test at a glance

Minimum permit age
16source, Oct 26, 2026
Permit or application fee
$20source, Oct 26, 2026
Wait after a failed test (under 18)
3 dayssource, Oct 26, 2026
Permit held before the road test
6 monthssource, Oct 26, 2026
Supervised practice
40 hourssource, Oct 26, 2026

Free · no account

Free District of Columbia practice test: 10 questions

OneTryPass wrote these questions from the DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English). Pick an answer to see if you got it; each explanation names the part of the handbook it comes from.

  1. Getting your permit

    Question 1. During which hours may you drive with a DC DMV learner permit?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

    A District of Columbia learner permit allows driving only from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and always with a qualified supervisor beside you.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Types of Driver Licenses & Permits (pp. 14–16)

  2. Getting your permit

    Question 2. Who must ride with a DC learner permit holder?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. A driver 21 or older with a valid full license, sitting in the front passenger seat

    In the District, a permit holder cannot drive alone. The supervisor must be 21 or older, hold a valid full license and sit in the front passenger seat, and everyone must wear a seat belt.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Types of Driver Licenses & Permits (pp. 14–16)

  3. Getting your permit

    Question 3. What does a DC teen need before getting a provisional license?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. Age 16½, a learner permit held 6 months, 40 certified hours of supervised driving and a passed road test

    The DC provisional license starts at 16 years, 6 months. You must have held the learner permit for 6 months with no pointable violations, have 40 hours certified by a licensed driver 21 or older, and pass the road skills test.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Types of Driver Licenses & Permits (pp. 14–16)

  4. Getting your permit

    Question 4. You fail the DC DMV knowledge test on a Tuesday. When is the earliest you can retest?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. Saturday

    After a failed knowledge test, DC DMV makes you wait three full calendar days, so a Tuesday failure means retesting on Saturday at the earliest.

    From Knowledge Tests | dmv · Next Steps — If you fail…

  5. Speed and following distance

    Question 5. Unless a sign says otherwise, what is the speed limit on District of Columbia city streets?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. 20 mph

    The DC driver manual sets 20 mph on city streets unless otherwise posted. Alleys and school zones are 15 mph.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Traffic Rules — Speed Limit Laws/Unless Otherwise Posted (p. 46)

  6. Right of way

    Question 6. A school vehicle stops on a DC street with its red lights flashing. How far from it must you stop?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. At least 20 feet

    In the District, all vehicles stop at least 20 feet from the front or rear of a school vehicle showing alternating red lights and wait until the lights go off. Drivers on the other side of a divided highway do not have to stop.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Driver Information — Stopping for School Vehicles (p. 38)

  7. Turns and lanes

    Question 7. You are stopped at a red light in the District of Columbia and want to turn left. What is the rule?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. Wait for green: a left turn on red is illegal in the District

    The DC driver manual is plain about it: making a left turn on red is illegal in the District of Columbia, so wait for the signal to change.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Driving Rules — Turns (p. 42)

  8. Parking

    Question 8. How close to a fire hydrant may you park in the District of Columbia?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. 10 feet

    The DC manual bans standing or parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. Stop signs and traffic signals at the side of the road need 25 feet.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Parking Rules — Stopping, Standing, Parking (p. 44)

  9. Alcohol and drugs

    Question 9. Under District of Columbia law, when is a driver under 21 legally intoxicated?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. With any measurable amount of alcohol in the blood, breath or urine

    DC law defines “intoxicated” for drivers under 21 as any measurable amount of alcohol in the blood, urine or breath. For adults the line is .08.

    From D.C. Code § 50–2206.01 | D.C. Law Library · § 50–2206.01(9), definition of “intoxicated”

  10. Sharing the road

    Question 10. A DC fire engine is responding to an emergency ahead of you. How closely may you follow it?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. No closer than 500 feet

    The DC manual says not to follow fire apparatus closer than 500 feet when it is answering an emergency, and not to drive into a block where fire engines or emergency vehicles have stopped.

    From DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) · Driver Information — Authorized emergency vehicles (p. 35)

District of Columbia permit test questions people ask

How does the DC DMV knowledge test work?

Walk in to any DC DMV service center and test first come, first served for $10, or book a virtual test ($49.95) or a Test Proctoring Center seat ($39.95). The learner permit version has a 75-minute limit and runs in 24 languages, with audio help for readers who need it.

DC DMV does not publish the number of questions or the passing score on its test page, so OneTryPass does not quote one. Pass, and you have 14 business days to bring your documents to a service center.

Sources: Knowledge Tests · Driver License Fees

How old do you have to be to get a learner permit in DC?

Sixteen. Applicants under 21 enter the GRAD program automatically, moving from learner permit to provisional license to full license; 16- and 17-year-olds also bring a signed parental consent form.

The permit costs $20 and lasts two years for US citizens. It cannot be renewed: once it expires, you pass the knowledge test again.

Sources: Learner Permits and Provisional Licenses · Obtain a REAL ID Learner Permit · Driver License Fees · DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual

What are the GRAD rules for DC learner permit and provisional drivers?

Permit holders drive from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a licensed driver 21 or older beside them, and may not use a phone at all. After 6 months and 40 certified hours, a road test earns the provisional license from age 16½.

Provisional drivers carry only one licensed adult 21 or older in the front seat plus siblings or parents, with night limits that run later on weekends and in July and August. A full license under 21 needs 10 more certified hours of night driving.

Sources: D.C. Code § 50–1401.01 (operator’s, learner’s and provisional permits) · D.C. Code Chapter 17A, Distracted Driving Prevention · GRAD License Program

Every District of Columbia rule we checked

Each line is one rule from an official District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles page, with the date we read it.

Knowledge test
DC DMV gives the driver knowledge test in English, Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese, and audio-assisted tests are available. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since December 15, 2025, District of Columbia residents can also take the knowledge test in Turkish, Hungarian, Finnish, Danish, Indonesian, Dutch, Farsi, Italian and Swedish. source, Oct 26, 2026
The DC DMV learner permit (GRAD) knowledge test has a 75-minute limit, and going past the limit counts as a failed test. source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age
A District of Columbia learner permit requires an applicant at least 16 years old who passes vision screening and the knowledge test. source, Oct 26, 2026
District of Columbia drivers under 21 who get a learner permit are enrolled automatically in the GRAD program of learner permit, provisional license and full license. source, Oct 26, 2026
Fees
DC DMV charges $20 for a learner permit and $10 for the knowledge test at a service center, or $39.95 at a test proctoring center and $49.95 for a virtual test. source, Oct 26, 2026
If you fail
An applicant who fails the DC DMV knowledge test waits three full calendar days to retest, so a Tuesday failure means a Saturday retest at the earliest. source, Oct 26, 2026
Six failed DC knowledge tests within 12 months lock the applicant out of a seventh try until 12 months after the first failure. source, Oct 26, 2026
Using a phone, smart watch or study materials during the DC DMV knowledge test counts as cheating: the test is failed and retesting waits 60 days. source, Oct 26, 2026
Permit rules
A District of Columbia learner permit holder drives only from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older who sits beside the permittee wearing a seat belt. source, Oct 26, 2026
DC law requires a learner permit held at least 6 months and 40 hours of certified driving with a licensed adult 21 or older before a provisional permit, available from age 16½. source, Oct 26, 2026
To move from a provisional permit to a full District of Columbia license before 21, a driver also needs 10 hours of nighttime driving certified by a licensed adult 21 or older. source, Oct 26, 2026
District of Columbia law bars learner permit holders and drivers under 18 from using any phone or electronic device, hands-free included, except in an emergency. source, Oct 26, 2026
What to bring
DC learner permit applicants bring proof of identity and age, two proofs of District residency, proof of Social Security number and, at 16 or 17, a parental consent form. source, Oct 26, 2026
Test appointments
DC DMV service centers give the knowledge test first come, first served; virtual tests and tests at the Test Proctoring Center need an appointment. source, Oct 26, 2026
After passing the DC knowledge test, the applicant has 14 business days to bring the eligibility documents to a DC DMV service center, or the result is voided. source, Oct 26, 2026
Official handbook
DC DMV publishes its automobile driver manual online as a flipbook, and applicants may not consult the manual while taking the knowledge examination. source, Oct 26, 2026

The full District of Columbia pack

The free questions above are a sample. The pack is the whole question bank, practiced the way the app below shows.

Inside the District of Columbia pack: study sessions that bring missed questions back, timed full practice tests and a readiness score.

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Full District of Columbia practice pack

$14.951 year of access · no subscription

  • Every practice question in the District of Columbia bank, not just these 10
  • Study sessions that bring missed questions back
  • Timed full practice tests with a readiness score
  • Mistake review by topic, on any device, for a year

Refunds: Full refund within 7 days of purchase, no questions asked.

OneTryPass is not affiliated with the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles. The official DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) is free at dmv.dc.gov.

District of Columbia permit test FAQ

How much does a learner permit cost in the District of Columbia?

The permit itself is $20. The knowledge test adds $10 at a DC DMV service center, $39.95 at the Test Proctoring Center or $49.95 online, and the fee is owed whether you pass or fail. Source: official pages "Driver License Fees" and "Knowledge Tests", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Can I take the DC knowledge test online?

Yes. The standard and GRAD knowledge tests can be taken virtually or at the Test Proctoring Center by appointment; motorcycle and CDL tests cannot. A language line helps people who have limited ability to speak, read or write English. Source: official page "Knowledge Tests", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Are these the real District of Columbia DMV test questions?

No. OneTryPass writes its own practice questions from the rules in the DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English), and each question names the part of the handbook it comes from so you can check the rule.

Is OneTryPass affiliated with the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site and is not part of the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles. The DC DMV Automobile Driver Manual (English) is free at dmv.dc.gov.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles' own website or handbook. OneTryPass reads the page, writes the rule in plain English and records the date. A rule that passes its re-check date leaves this page on its own until it is read again.

How often each kind of rule is read again: knowledge test, 120 days; minimum age, 365 days; fees, 90 days; if you fail, 180 days; permit rules, 365 days; what to bring, 180 days; test appointments, 60 days; official handbook, 180 days.

Something wrong on this page? Tell us at [email protected] and include the link to the official page that changed.