With a learner's permit, you may drive only when:

A licensed adult, usually 21 or older, sits in the front passenger seat

You stay on streets with a speed limit under 35 mph

Another permit holder is in the car with you

It is daylight and the weather is clear

Which statement about the minimum age for a learner's permit in the U.S. is true?

It varies by state, usually 15 or 16, and as young as 14 in a few states

There is no minimum age with parental consent

What are the three stages of graduated driver licensing (GDL)?

Learner's permit, intermediate (provisional) license and full license

Written test, vision test and road test

Driver's education, permit and insurance

Day license, night license and highway license

Which restrictions are most common on an intermediate (provisional) license for teen drivers?

Limits on late-night driving and on carrying teen passengers

No highway driving and no driving in rain

A lower speed limit than other drivers

No driving outside the county where you live

Before a teen can move from a learner's permit to an intermediate license, most states require:

A set number of supervised practice hours, often 40 to 50, including some at night

At least 200 hours of driving alone

A full year without any passengers

A letter from a school principal

How can you tell that a driver's license is REAL ID-compliant?

It has a star marking, usually in the upper corner

It has the word FEDERAL printed across the photo

It is a different color from other licenses

When you apply for a learner's permit, most states ask you to bring:

Proof of identity and legal presence, your Social Security number, and proof of residency

A letter from your insurance company only

A utility bill in your parent's name and nothing else

What does liability insurance pay for?

Injuries and property damage you cause to other people

Repairs to your own car after any crash

Your traffic tickets and court fines

What can happen if you collect too many points on your driving record within a set period?

Nothing, because points expire after one month

You receive a discount on your insurance

You must only take a new vision test

If your license is suspended, you:

May not drive until the license is reinstated, unless your state grants a restricted license

May still drive to work and school without any special permission

May drive if a licensed adult is with you

Under implied consent laws, by driving on public roads you have agreed to:

Take a breath, blood or urine test for alcohol or drugs when lawfully asked by an officer

Let police search your phone at any time

Carry a first-aid kit in your vehicle

Allow your insurance company to track your driving

You are involved in a crash. What is the first thing the law requires you to do?

Stop at or as near the scene as you safely can

Drive home and call your insurance company

Move to the nearest gas station before stopping

Leave if the damage looks minor

While parking, you scrape a parked car and nobody is around. What must you do?

Find the owner or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report it as your state requires

Wait in your car for up to 5 minutes, then leave

Leave a note only if the damage is serious

When must you report a crash to the DMV or another state agency?

When your state requires it, usually if someone is injured or killed or damage exceeds a set dollar amount

Only if a police officer tells you to

Never, because your insurance company handles it

Only if the crash happens on a highway

You move to a new address in the same state. When must you notify the DMV?

Within the number of days your state sets, often 10 to 30

Never, the post office tells the DMV

Licensing, GDL and Driver Responsibility Questions, With Answers

Licensing questions on the permit test cover the rules of the license itself: who may supervise a learner, the three stages of graduated driver licensing (GDL), the documents and REAL ID star, liability insurance, how points lead to a suspension, implied consent, and the legal duties you have after a crash. Many details vary by state, so the answers below say where they do.

Updated on 2026-11-06 · Ver en español

DMVPermitUSA is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by any state DMV, BMV, MVD, DPS or other government agency. Always check your state's official driver handbook and DMV website for current requirements.

Practice licensing questions · Take a full mock exam

With a learner's permit, you may drive only when: A. You stay on streets with a speed limit under 35 mph / B. Another permit holder is in the car with you / C. A licensed adult, usually 21 or older, sits in the front passenger seat / D. It is daylight and the weather is clear. Answer: C. A licensed adult, usually 21 or older, sits in the front passenger seat. A learner's permit allows driving only with a qualified supervising driver beside you. Most states require a licensed driver who is at least 21; some set the minimum at 18 or 25, so check your state.
Which statement about the minimum age for a learner's permit in the U.S. is true? A. It varies by state, usually 15 or 16, and as young as 14 in a few states / B. It is 16 in every state / C. It is set by federal law at 15 / D. There is no minimum age with parental consent. Answer: A. It varies by state, usually 15 or 16, and as young as 14 in a few states. Each state sets its own permit age. Most allow a permit at 15 or 16, while a few rural states allow one at 14. Applicants under 18 usually need a parent or guardian's signature.
What are the three stages of graduated driver licensing (GDL)? A. Written test, vision test and road test / B. Learner's permit, intermediate (provisional) license and full license / C. Driver's education, permit and insurance / D. Day license, night license and highway license. Answer: B. Learner's permit, intermediate (provisional) license and full license. GDL programs give new drivers experience step by step: a supervised learner's permit, then an intermediate license with restrictions, then a full license once the driver reaches a set age and keeps a clean record.
Which restrictions are most common on an intermediate (provisional) license for teen drivers? A. No highway driving and no driving in rain / B. A lower speed limit than other drivers / C. No driving outside the county where you live / D. Limits on late-night driving and on carrying teen passengers. Answer: D. Limits on late-night driving and on carrying teen passengers. Night driving and teen passengers are two of the biggest crash risks for new drivers, so most states limit both during the intermediate stage. The hours and passenger limits vary by state, with exceptions for work, school or a supervising adult.
Before a teen can move from a learner's permit to an intermediate license, most states require: A. At least 200 hours of driving alone / B. A full year without any passengers / C. A set number of supervised practice hours, often 40 to 50, including some at night / D. A letter from a school principal. Answer: C. A set number of supervised practice hours, often 40 to 50, including some at night. Most states require a parent or guardian to certify supervised practice, typically 40 to 50 hours with about 10 of them at night, along with a minimum holding period. Hours and periods vary by state.
How can you tell that a driver's license is REAL ID-compliant? A. It has a star marking, usually in the upper corner / B. It has the word FEDERAL printed across the photo / C. It is a different color from other licenses / D. It has a QR code on the front. Answer: A. It has a star marking, usually in the upper corner. REAL ID cards carry a star, most often in the upper right corner, though the design varies by state. Since May 7, 2025, adults need a REAL ID or another accepted document, such as a passport, to board domestic flights.
When you apply for a learner's permit, most states ask you to bring: A. Only a school ID card / B. Proof of identity and legal presence, your Social Security number, and proof of residency / C. A letter from your insurance company only / D. A utility bill in your parent's name and nothing else. Answer: B. Proof of identity and legal presence, your Social Security number, and proof of residency. Most states ask for an original document proving identity and lawful status (such as a birth certificate or passport), your Social Security number, and usually two proofs of address. Lists of accepted documents vary by state.
What does liability insurance pay for? A. Repairs to your own car after any crash / B. Your traffic tickets and court fines / C. Theft of your car / D. Injuries and property damage you cause to other people. Answer: D. Injuries and property damage you cause to other people. Liability coverage pays for harm you cause to others, up to your policy limits. Nearly every state requires it, with minimum amounts that vary by state; collision and comprehensive coverage protect your own car.
What can happen if you collect too many points on your driving record within a set period? A. Your license can be suspended / B. Nothing, because points expire after one month / C. You receive a discount on your insurance / D. You must only take a new vision test. Answer: A. Your license can be suspended. Most states assign points for moving violations, and reaching a set total within a period leads to a warning, a required course or a suspension. New and teen drivers often face lower thresholds. A few states use a different system, but repeat violations always carry penalties.
If your license is suspended, you: A. May still drive to work and school without any special permission / B. May drive if a licensed adult is with you / C. May not drive until the license is reinstated, unless your state grants a restricted license / D. May drive only during the day. Answer: C. May not drive until the license is reinstated, unless your state grants a restricted license. Driving on a suspended license is a separate offense that can bring fines, a longer suspension and even jail. Some states offer a hardship or restricted license for limited purposes, but only when it is formally granted.
Under implied consent laws, by driving on public roads you have agreed to: A. Let police search your phone at any time / B. Take a breath, blood or urine test for alcohol or drugs when lawfully asked by an officer / C. Carry a first-aid kit in your vehicle / D. Allow your insurance company to track your driving. Answer: B. Take a breath, blood or urine test for alcohol or drugs when lawfully asked by an officer. Implied consent means that accepting the privilege of a license includes agreeing to chemical testing during a lawful DUI stop. Refusing leads to an automatic suspension whose length varies by state.
You are involved in a crash. What is the first thing the law requires you to do? A. Stop at or as near the scene as you safely can / B. Drive home and call your insurance company / C. Move to the nearest gas station before stopping / D. Leave if the damage looks minor. Answer: A. Stop at or as near the scene as you safely can. Every state requires drivers involved in a crash to stop. Then move vehicles out of traffic if no one is hurt and your state allows it, call 911 if anyone is injured, and exchange license, registration and insurance information.
While parking, you scrape a parked car and nobody is around. What must you do? A. Leave, because no one saw it / B. Wait in your car for up to 5 minutes, then leave / C. Leave a note only if the damage is serious / D. Find the owner or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report it as your state requires. Answer: D. Find the owner or leave a note with your name and contact details, and report it as your state requires. Hitting an unattended vehicle and leaving without identifying yourself is a hit-and-run. Leave a secure note with your name, address and how to reach you, and report the crash to police or the DMV where your state requires it.
When must you report a crash to the DMV or another state agency? A. Only if a police officer tells you to / B. Never, because your insurance company handles it / C. When your state requires it, usually if someone is injured or killed or damage exceeds a set dollar amount / D. Only if the crash happens on a highway. Answer: C. When your state requires it, usually if someone is injured or killed or damage exceeds a set dollar amount. Most states require a written report within a few days when a crash causes injury, death or damage above a threshold; California, for example, requires a report within 10 days for injury or damage over $1,000. Rules vary by state.
You move to a new address in the same state. When must you notify the DMV? A. Only when your license expires / B. Within the number of days your state sets, often 10 to 30 / C. Within one year / D. Never, the post office tells the DMV. Answer: B. Within the number of days your state sets, often 10 to 30. States require you to update your address within a short period, often 10 days (as in California and New York) or 30 days (as in Florida and Texas), so that renewal notices and legal notices reach you.

What licensing questions cover on the DMV test

Licensing questions do not ask how to drive; they ask about the legal side of driving. They come from the first and last chapters of most handbooks: getting and keeping your license, financial responsibility, and your duties when something goes wrong. Expect a few on every test, and more if you are under 18, because GDL rules apply directly to you.

The main subjects are the learner's permit (age, supervisor, documents), the GDL stages and their restrictions, REAL ID, insurance and proof of financial responsibility, the points system and suspensions, implied consent, and what to do after a crash. For the full permit process, read our learner's permit guide and the documents checklist.

The rules behind the most-missed questions

Licensing questions are missed mostly because the rules vary by state and test-takers answer from what a friend in another state told them. The test always uses your state's numbers, so learn these from your own handbook:

Licensing rules that vary by state
Rule	Typical range	Where to check
Minimum permit age	15 to 16 (14 in a few states)	Permit chapter of your handbook
Supervising driver	Licensed, usually 21 or older	Permit restrictions
Supervised practice	Often 40 to 50 hours, about 10 at night	GDL section
Intermediate night limit	Often starts between 9 p.m. and midnight	GDL section
Address change deadline	Often 10 to 30 days	License renewal chapter
Crash report to the state	Injury, death or damage over a set amount	Financial responsibility chapter

One rule never varies: after any crash in which you are involved, you must stop. Leaving the scene of a crash with injuries is a serious crime in every state.

How to study this topic

Read your state's GDL page and write the numbers on one card: permit age, holding period, practice hours, night and passenger limits, and the age for a full license. Our graduated driver licensing guide compares the stages, and your state page lists the exact figures.

Then practice with mixed questions, because the test does not group them by chapter. Our topic practice tests and mock exams explain every answer, including the ones where the rule depends on the state.

Licensing and GDL test questions: FAQ

What is graduated driver licensing (GDL)?

GDL is a three-stage system used in every state for new teen drivers: a learner's permit with supervised driving, an intermediate or provisional license with restrictions, and a full license. It lets new drivers gain experience while limiting the highest-risk situations.

Do I need a REAL ID to get a learner's permit?

No. REAL ID is optional in every state; it matters for boarding domestic flights and entering some federal buildings. If you want one, bring the extra documents your state requires when you apply, so you do not have to go back later.

Do I need insurance to drive with a learner's permit?

The car you drive must be insured as your state requires. Permit holders are usually covered by the vehicle owner's policy, often a parent's, but insurers may require you to be listed, so the family should check with the insurance company.

Can a teen with an intermediate license drive at night?

Usually only until a set hour, often between 9 p.m. and midnight depending on the state, unless a licensed adult is in the car or the trip is for work, school or an emergency. Check your state's GDL rules.

What information should I exchange after a crash?

Exchange names, addresses, driver's license numbers, vehicle registration and license plate numbers, and insurance company and policy numbers. Note the location and take photos if it is safe. Do not argue about fault at the scene.

How do points affect my insurance?

Violations that add points to your record usually raise your insurance rates as well, sometimes for several years. Many states let you take a defensive driving course to reduce points or avoid them on a minor ticket.