Skip to content
OneTryPass
Free practice test

DMV permit test · Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania DMV permit practice test

As of October 25, 2026, the PennDOT knowledge test for a Pennsylvania learner’s permit has 18 multiple-choice questions, and applicants must answer 15 correctly to pass.

PennDOT accepts non-commercial learner’s permit applications only from people 16 or older; no one can apply before the 16th birthday.

PennDOT charges $45.50 for an initial permit and four-year Pennsylvania driver’s license (per pa.gov, checked on Oct 25, 2026).

Updated Oct 25, 2026Rules checked against pa.govHow we check
Take the free 10-question testFull pack · $14.95

Pennsylvania permit test at a glance

Questions on the test
18source, Oct 25, 2026
Correct answers to pass
15source, Oct 25, 2026
Minimum permit age
16source, Oct 25, 2026
Permit or application fee
$45.50source, Oct 25, 2026
Permit held before the road test
6 monthssource, Oct 25, 2026
Supervised practice
65 hourssource, Oct 25, 2026

Free · no account

Free Pennsylvania practice test: 10 questions

OneTryPass wrote these questions from the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual. 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. Before the road test, how much supervised practice must a Pennsylvania learner under 18 complete?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. 65 hours, including 10 at night and 5 in bad weather

    PennDOT requires at least 65 hours of behind-the-wheel skill-building for learners under 18, with no less than 10 hours after dark and five hours in bad weather, backed by a signed certificate of completion.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit

  2. Right of way

    Question 2. A school bus has stopped with its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. How far from the bus must you stop?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. At least 10 feet away

    Pennsylvania drivers stop at least 10 feet from the bus, whether behind it, coming toward it or at the intersection where it stopped. Failing to stop brings a 60-day license suspension, five points and a fine.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Special Circumstances and Emergencies

  3. Speed and following distance

    Question 3. The lights on a school zone speed limit sign are flashing. What is the speed limit in a Pennsylvania school zone?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. 15 mph

    Pennsylvania school zones are 15 mph while the lights on the sign flash or during the hours the sign shows. That is lower than any other posted limit you will see.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Safe Driving Skills › Managing Speed

  4. Turns and lanes

    Question 4. You are driving at 40 mph and plan to turn. How far ahead must you turn on your signal?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. At least 300 feet

    Under Pennsylvania law the signal goes on at least 100 feet before the turn below 35 mph, and at least 300 feet before it at 35 mph or more.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Safe Driving Skills › Managing Speed

  5. Night driving

    Question 5. In daylight, when does Pennsylvania law still require your headlights to be on?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. Whenever your wipers are running because of the weather

    Since January 2007, Pennsylvania requires headlights any time the wipers are in continuous or intermittent use because of the weather. Daytime running lights are not enough, because the tail lights must be on too.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Safe Driving Skills › Managing Speed

  6. Alcohol and drugs

    Question 6. At what blood alcohol concentration is a Pennsylvania driver under 21 considered to be driving under the influence?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. .02 or more

    Pennsylvania treats a driver under 21 with a BAC of .02 percent or more as driving under the influence. The .08 limit is for drivers 21 and older.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Driver Factors

  7. Sharing the road

    Question 7. What is the least space Pennsylvania law lets you leave when passing a bicycle?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. 4 feet

    Allow at least 4 feet between your vehicle and the bicycle. If it is safe, you may cross the center double yellow line to keep that clearance.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 5: Laws and Related Issues

  8. Parking

    Question 8. You are parking along a street with a curb. How far from the curb may your car be?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. No more than 12 inches

    Park as close to the curb as you can and never more than 12 inches away. Where there is no curb, pull as far off the roadway as possible.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Safe Driving Skills › Parking

  9. Right of way

    Question 9. Police are working a crash on the shoulder ahead. What does Pennsylvania's Steer Clear law require?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. Move into a lane that is not next to the scene, or slow down if you cannot move over

    The Steer Clear law requires moving to a lane not adjacent to an emergency response area, or reducing speed when traffic keeps you from moving over. A first offense carries a fine of up to $250.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 3: Special Circumstances and Emergencies

  10. Signs and signals

    Question 10. You reach an intersection where the traffic signal is completely dark. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. Treat it as a four-way stop

    Pennsylvania drivers handle an intersection with a dead traffic signal exactly like one with a stop sign on every corner. Lights that are working but flashing red also mean a full stop.

    From Pennsylvania Driver's Manual · Chapter 2: Signals

Pennsylvania permit test questions people ask

How many questions are on the Pennsylvania permit test, and how many must you get right?

PennDOT’s knowledge test has 18 multiple-choice questions, and 15 correct answers pass. It covers traffic signs, Pennsylvania driving laws and safe-driving practices, and you can take it on paper or as an audio test.

Driver License Centers offer it on request in many languages, Arabic, Mandarin, Nepali, Spanish, Swahili and Ukrainian among them. Once you pass, the examiner issues the learner’s permit, valid for one year.

Sources: Chapter 1: Testing | Driver and Vehicle Services · Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit | Driver and Vehicle Services

How old do you have to be to get a learner’s permit in Pennsylvania?

Sixteen. PennDOT will not take a permit application before the 16th birthday, although a health care provider can fill in the physical on the back of the DL-180 up to six months earlier.

The DL-180 stays valid for one year from that physical. Applicants under 18 also need the Parent or Guardian Consent Form (DL-180TD), signed before a notary when the parent, guardian or spouse cannot come along.

Source: Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit | Driver and Vehicle Services

What are the rules for a Pennsylvania junior learner’s permit and junior license?

Until 18, a learner drives only with a licensed driver 21 or older, or a licensed parent, guardian or spouse 18 or older, in the front seat, and never with more passengers than seat belts. The road test waits for 65 logged hours, 10 at night and five in bad weather, and the mandatory six months from the permit issue date.

The junior license that follows bans driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. without a parent, guardian or spouse 18 or older, apart from documented work or volunteer service. Six points, or a conviction for going 26 mph or more over the limit, means a mandatory 90-day suspension.

Source: Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit | Driver and Vehicle Services

What do you need to bring for a Pennsylvania learner’s permit?

Bring the completed DL-180 (it cannot be mailed), the DL-180TD if you are under 18, original proof of date of birth and identity, your signed Social Security card and the fee. Applicants 18 and older add two proofs of residency, such as a utility bill, a W-2, a lease or mortgage documents.

REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania. It adds a one-time $30 to the standard renewal fee and needs proof of identity and lawful status, your Social Security number and two proofs of Pennsylvania residency.

Sources: Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit | Driver and Vehicle Services · REAL ID in Pennsylvania | Driver and Vehicle Services

Every Pennsylvania rule we checked

Each line is one rule from an official Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) page, with the date we read it.

Knowledge test
The PennDOT knowledge test for a Pennsylvania learner’s permit has 18 multiple-choice questions, and applicants must answer 15 correctly to pass. source, Oct 25, 2026
The Pennsylvania knowledge test covers traffic signs, state driving laws and safe-driving practices, and PennDOT issues a valid learner’s permit only after it is passed. source, Oct 25, 2026
Minimum age
PennDOT accepts non-commercial learner’s permit applications only from people 16 or older; no one can apply before the 16th birthday. source, Oct 25, 2026
Fees
PennDOT charges $45.50 for an initial permit and four-year Pennsylvania driver’s license. source, Oct 25, 2026
PennDOT Driver License Centers take debit or credit cards, checks or money orders, but they do not accept cash. source, Oct 25, 2026
If you fail
A Pennsylvania applicant who fails the PennDOT knowledge test may retake it the following business day. source, Oct 25, 2026
PennDOT allows one knowledge test attempt per day at any location and hands the DL-180 and DL-180TD forms back after a failed test, to be brought again next time. source, Oct 25, 2026
Permit rules
Pennsylvania learners under 18 complete at least 65 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, including 10 hours at night and five hours in bad weather, before the road test. source, Oct 25, 2026
The Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual sets a mandatory six-month wait from the permit issue date, plus a signed certificate for the 65 practice hours, before the road test. source, Oct 25, 2026
A Pennsylvania junior learner drives only with a licensed driver 21 or older, or a licensed parent, guardian or spouse 18 or older, sitting in the front seat. source, Oct 25, 2026
A Pennsylvania junior driver’s license holder may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless a parent, guardian or spouse 18 or older is along. source, Oct 25, 2026
A Pennsylvania junior driver who reaches six or more points, or is convicted of going 26 mph or more over the limit, gets a mandatory 90-day suspension. source, Oct 25, 2026
What to bring
Pennsylvania permit applicants bring the DL-180 application, the DL-180TD consent form if under 18, original proof of birth date and identity, and a signed Social Security card. source, Oct 25, 2026
The physical on the Pennsylvania DL-180 can be done no more than six months before the 16th birthday, and the application stays valid for one year from that exam. source, Oct 25, 2026
REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, and PennDOT charges a one-time $30 REAL ID fee on top of the standard renewal fee. source, Oct 25, 2026
A Pennsylvania REAL ID requires one document for identity and lawful status, one for the Social Security number and two proofs of Pennsylvania residency. source, Oct 25, 2026
Test appointments
PennDOT gives the knowledge test in written or audio form, on request, at every Pennsylvania Driver License Center, in languages that run from Albanian and Amharic to Urdu and Vietnamese. source, Oct 25, 2026
PennDOT asks Pennsylvania applicants who need a sign language interpreter for the knowledge or road test to contact it at least two weeks ahead. source, Oct 25, 2026
Official handbook
PennDOT publishes the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual as a download, an audio version and an online edition, in several languages. source, Oct 25, 2026
PennDOT presents the online Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual as a general guide to the laws, not a substitute for the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. source, Oct 25, 2026

The full Pennsylvania pack

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

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

One-time payment

Full Pennsylvania practice pack

$14.951 year of access · no subscription

  • Every practice question in the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The official Pennsylvania Driver's Manual is free at pa.gov.

Pennsylvania permit test FAQ

How much does a Pennsylvania learner’s permit cost?

PennDOT lists $45.50 for an initial permit and four-year license. Driver License Centers accept debit or credit cards, checks and money orders, but not cash. Source: official page "Payments and Fees | Driver and Vehicle Services", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Can you take the Pennsylvania permit test in another language?

Yes. On request, every Driver License Center gives the knowledge test in written and audio form in languages from Albanian and Amharic to Urdu and Vietnamese. Source: official page "Chapter 1: Testing | Driver and Vehicle Services", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Is the online Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual the law itself?

No. PennDOT calls the manual a general guide to the laws and says it does not replace the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, which holds the actual laws for drivers and vehicles. Source: official page "Online Driver's Manual | Driver and Vehicle Services", checked on Oct 25, 2026.

Are these the real Pennsylvania DMV test questions?

No. OneTryPass writes its own practice questions from the rules in the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, and each question names the part of the handbook it comes from so you can check the rule.

Is OneTryPass affiliated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site and is not part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The Pennsylvania Driver's Manual is free at pa.gov.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)'s 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.