Skip to content
OneTryPass
Free practice test

DMV permit test · Wisconsin

Wisconsin DMV permit practice test

As of October 26, 2026, the Wisconsin DMV knowledge test for a Class D permit has 50 questions, and applicants must answer 40 correctly, or 80%.

Wisconsin issues a Class D instruction permit from age 15; applicants under 18 must also be enrolled in a certified driver education program.

The Wisconsin DMV charges $35 for a Class D instruction permit valid for 18 months, and nothing for the knowledge and signs tests taken at a service center (per wisconsindot.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

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

Wisconsin permit test at a glance

Questions on the test
50source, Oct 26, 2026
Passing score
80%source, Oct 26, 2026
Correct answers to pass
40source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum permit age
15source, Oct 26, 2026
Permit or application fee
$35source, Oct 26, 2026
Tries per application
5source, Oct 26, 2026
Wait after a failed test (under 18)
1 daysource, Oct 26, 2026
Permit held before the road test
6 monthssource, Oct 26, 2026
Supervised practice
50 hourssource, Oct 26, 2026

Free · no account

Free Wisconsin practice test: 10 questions

OneTryPass wrote these questions from the Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026). 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. How many of the 50 questions on the Wisconsin Class D knowledge test must you answer correctly?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. 40

    You need 40 of 50, which is 80%. Plan for about 45 minutes, and remember the highway signs test is a separate test with its own score.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 1: Driving Test Requirements — C. Knowledge Test

  2. Signs and signals

    Question 2. Wisconsin's highway signs test has 15 questions. How many must be correct?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. 12

    Twelve of the 15 sign questions must be right, or 80%. The test checks that you can read signs that regulate, warn and direct traffic.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 1: Driving Test Requirements — B. Highway Signs Test

  3. Getting your permit

    Question 3. You have a Wisconsin Class D instruction permit and want to practice after dark. Who must sit beside you?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. A qualified instructor or a licensed person 25 or older with at least two years of driving experience

    During hours of darkness, a permit holder needs a qualified instructor or a licensed person 25 or older with at least two years of licensed driving experience in the seat beside them.

    From Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site - Instruction permit (temps) · Restrictions for persons operating with an instruction permit

  4. Alcohol and drugs

    Question 4. How much alcohol may a Wisconsin instruction permit holder have in their system while driving?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. None at all, at any age

    Wisconsin requires absolute sobriety from instruction permit holders: no alcohol in their system at any time, no matter how old they are.

    From Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site - Instruction permit (temps) · Instruction permit restrictions

  5. Right of way

    Question 5. A school bus is stopped with red lights flashing on an undivided Wisconsin road. How far from the bus must you stop?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. At least 20 feet

    Stop at least 20 feet away, whether the bus is on your side of the road or the other side, and wait until the red lights stop flashing. On a divided highway, traffic on the other side of the barrier need not stop.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 10: Sharing the Road — C. School Buses

  6. Sharing the road

    Question 6. How much room should you give a bicyclist when you pass in Wisconsin?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. At least three feet

    Give at least three feet when passing, and wait for oncoming traffic to clear before you go around. Bicyclists may use the whole lane, so do not try to share it with them.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 10: Sharing the Road — E. Bicycles

  7. Speed and following distance

    Question 7. What following distance rule does the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook teach?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. Four seconds, plus one more second for each adverse condition

    Count four seconds behind the vehicle ahead and add a second for each adverse condition, such as heavier traffic, rain, snow or ice.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 3: The Basics — B. Understanding Vehicle Speed

  8. Speed and following distance

    Question 8. In the outlying part of a Wisconsin city or village with no speed limit posted, what is the maximum speed?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. 35 mph

    The handbook sets 35 mph for outlying parts of cities and villages without a posted limit. Residential areas default to 25 mph, and school zones to 15 mph when children are present.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 3: The Basics — B. Understanding Vehicle Speed

  9. Sharing the road

    Question 9. In winter, how much room should you leave behind a Wisconsin snowplow with flashing lights?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. At least 200 feet

    Keep at least 200 feet from a snowplow whose red, amber or green lights are flashing. Drive with your headlights on and skip the high beams in snow.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 7: Driving Conditions — C. Winter

  10. Night driving

    Question 10. When does Wisconsin require your low beams to be on?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. From a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and whenever you cannot see a person or vehicle 500 feet away

    Low beams are required from a half hour past sunset to a half hour before sunrise and when visibility drops below about one block, or 500 feet. They are recommended whenever your wipers are on.

    From Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) · Section 3: The Basics — K. Communication

Wisconsin permit test questions people ask

How many questions are on the Wisconsin permit test?

There are two tests before the instruction permit. The knowledge test has 50 questions and you need 40 correct (80%); the highway signs test has 15 questions and you need 12. Set aside about 45 minutes for the knowledge test.

At a DMV service center both tests are free and walk-in. Teens 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test online through Know To Drive for $10 a try, with a parent watching; after two failed online attempts, the third must be taken at the DMV.

Sources: Section 1: Driving Test Requirements · Wisconsin Department of Transportation Wisconsin knowledge tests

What are the instruction permit and probationary license rules in Wisconsin?

A permit holder drives with a regular-license holder of two or more years beside them: a qualified instructor or a parent, guardian or spouse 19 or older, or anyone 21 or older. After dark, that person must be an instructor or a licensed driver 25 or older. Teens hold the permit six months and log 50 hours, 10 in darkness.

The probationary license that follows keeps teens off the road from midnight to 5 a.m., except between home, school and work, for the first nine months or until 18. A moving violation or broken restriction extends those limits by six months.

Sources: Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site · Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site · Section 2: Progression of Licenses

Every Wisconsin rule we checked

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

Knowledge test
The Wisconsin DMV knowledge test for a Class D permit has 50 questions, and applicants must answer 40 correctly, or 80%. source, Oct 26, 2026
Wisconsin permit applicants also pass a separate 15-question highway signs test, getting at least 12 answers right. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Wisconsin Class D knowledge and signs tests are offered on computer and paper in English, American Sign Language, Burmese, Chinese, Croatian, Hmong, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Somali and Spanish. source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age
Wisconsin issues a Class D instruction permit from age 15; applicants under 18 must also be enrolled in a certified driver education program. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Wisconsin applicant under 18 needs an adult sponsor, usually a parent, step-parent or legal guardian, to sign the driver license application and accept liability. source, Oct 26, 2026
Fees
The Wisconsin DMV charges $35 for a Class D instruction permit valid for 18 months, and nothing for the knowledge and signs tests taken at a service center. source, Oct 26, 2026
Taking the Wisconsin knowledge test online, an option for ages 15 to 17, costs $10 per attempt, pass or fail. source, Oct 26, 2026
If you fail
An applicant who fails a Wisconsin knowledge test can retake it the next day at the earliest, and may take the same test only five times within a year without special permission. source, Oct 26, 2026
Permit rules
Wisconsin permit holders under 18 keep the instruction permit at least six months before a probationary license; at 18 or older the minimum is seven days. source, Oct 26, 2026
Before a probationary license, a Wisconsin permit holder under 18 needs at least 50 hours of driving experience, 10 of them in darkness. source, Oct 26, 2026
The person beside a Wisconsin Class D permit holder must have a regular license with at least two years of experience and be a qualified instructor 19 or older, a parent, guardian or spouse 19 or older, or anyone 21 or older. source, Oct 26, 2026
Wisconsin instruction permit holders must maintain absolute sobriety, with no alcohol in their system at any time, whatever their age. source, Oct 26, 2026
For the first nine months on a Wisconsin probationary license, or until 18, a teen may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. except between home, school and work. source, Oct 26, 2026
What to bring
Wisconsin instruction permit applicants prove citizenship or legal status, name and date of birth, and identity, and show Wisconsin residency if they are 18 or older. source, Oct 26, 2026
Test appointments
Wisconsin knowledge tests at DMV customer service centers are walk-in only; the DMV does not book appointments for them. source, Oct 26, 2026
Wisconsin teens 17 and under may take the Class D knowledge test online, with a parent or guardian monitoring and a webcam on a laptop or desktop. source, Oct 26, 2026
Official handbook
The 2026 edition of the Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook is the study guide for the knowledge and signs tests. source, Oct 26, 2026

The full Wisconsin pack

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

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

One-time payment

Full Wisconsin practice pack

$14.951 year of access · no subscription

  • Every practice question in the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles. The official Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) is free at wisconsindot.gov.

Wisconsin permit test FAQ

Can new Wisconsin drivers use a cell phone while driving?

Only to report an emergency. That rule covers both instruction permit and probationary license holders; drivers with a regular license are urged to use hands-free options or pull over. Source: official page "Section 9: Dangerous Driving Behaviors", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

What does a Wisconsin instruction permit cost?

The Class D instruction permit is $35 and lasts 18 months, and a renewal costs the same. Knowledge and signs tests at a DMV service center cost nothing. Source: official page "Wisconsin Department of Transportation DMV fees", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Are these the real Wisconsin DMV test questions?

No. OneTryPass writes its own practice questions from the rules in the Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026), and each question names the part of the handbook it comes from so you can check the rule.

Is OneTryPass affiliated with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site and is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles. The Wisconsin Motorists’ Handbook (BDS126, 2026) is free at wisconsindot.gov.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division 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.