District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles
District of Columbia permit test: 25 questions, two exams
Original District of Columbia questions with the law cited under every answer, scored the way DC DMV scores it.
- Exam Simulator25 questions, pass with 20, scored the way DC DMV scores it
- Practice Test 120 questions, a broad first pass across signs, right of way, rules and safety
- Road Signs Full197 questions, every sign, signal and pavement marking question
- Laws and Limits12 questions drawn from the D.C. Code Title 50
Work through them in order.
DC Practice Test 1
DC Practice Test 2
DC Practice Test 3
DC Practice Test 4
DC Practice Test 5
DC Full Marathon
DC Road Signs Mini
DC Road Signs Full
DC Right of Way
DC Complex Situations
District of Columbia Laws and Limits
DC Alcohol, Phones and Safety
DC Rules of the Road
District of Columbia Exam Simulator
Every question you miss saves to a review deck on this device. See how the review deck works.
Know the format before you book.
The District of Columbia charges three different prices for one knowledge test: $10 at a DC DMV service center, $39.95 at a test proctoring center, or $49.95 taken virtually from home, and the charge lands whether you pass or fail, with the learner permit a separate $20 on top. DC DMV also quietly runs two car exams. Applicants aged 16 to 20 sit the GRAD or learner permit test with a 75 minute limit, while everyone else gets the standard non commercial version at 60 minutes. What DC does not publish is a passing score, anywhere. The knowledge tests page, the driver manual page, the practice test page, the learner permit page and the licensing regulation record for 18 DCMR 104 were all read on 28 August 2026 and none names one, and the only pointer to a length is DC DMV's own practice exam, laid out as 25 questions on the same 60 minute clock. Failing costs three full days before a fourth day retest.
Honest note: DC DMV does not publish the exam format in a place we could confirm, so the 25 question count and the pass mark of 20 shown here are our best information rather than a verified fact. The practice questions themselves teach District of Columbia law either way. Confirm the format with District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles before your appointment.
DC DMV: format figure not published; checked 2026-08-27
What the process looks like.
The knowledge test is written from the District of Columbia Official Code Title 50, Motor and Non-Motor Vehicles and Traffic, with licensing rules at 18 DCMR Chapter 1. Our questions teach those same rules and cite the section behind each answer, so what you learn holds up on test day and on the road afterwards.
DC DMV runs two different automobile knowledge tests: a non commercial test with a 60 minute limit, and a GRAD or learner permit knowledge test with a longer 75 minute limit.
The GRAD program, short for Gradual Rearing of Adult Drivers, is mandatory for novice drivers aged 16 to 20 and moves them through a learner permit, a provisional license, and then a full license.
You must be at least 16 to apply for a learner permit, and a REAL ID learner permit is valid for two years and cannot be renewed. If it expires you take and pass the knowledge test again.
Learner permit holders may only drive between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and only with a fully licensed driver aged 21 or older next to them in the front passenger seat.
After you pass the knowledge test you have 14 business days to reach a DC DMV service center with your documents, or the result stops counting and you test again.
The knowledge test is offered in more than 20 languages, with audio assisted versions for anyone who needs help reading and a language line for applicants who cannot comfortably speak or read English.
Using a phone, a smart watch, or study material during the test counts as cheating, fails you on the spot, and blocks any retest for 60 days. Smart glasses and other wearable recording devices are barred from testing areas outright.
The knowledge test costs $10 at a DC DMV service center, $39.95 at a test proctoring center, or $49.95 for the virtual version, and the learner permit itself is a separate $20. You pay whether you pass or fail.
You must wait three full calendar days and return on the fourth day. Fail six times inside 12 months and you cannot sit a seventh test until a full year has passed from that first failure.
What the records show.
Time limit. The GRAD or learner permit knowledge test gets 75 minutes, while the standard non commercial test gets 60.
DC DMV Knowledge Tests, verified 2026-08-27Test fee spread. Same knowledge test, three prices: $10 at a service center, $39.95 at a test proctoring center, $49.95 virtually.
DC DMV driver license fees, verified 2026-08-27Wait after a fail. Fail on a Tuesday and the earliest you can test again is Saturday. Six failures inside 12 months locks you out for a year from the date of the first one.
DC DMV Knowledge Tests, verified 2026-08-27Result shelf life. A pass stops counting if you have not reached a service center with your documents inside 14 business days, and then you sit the whole test again.
DC DMV Knowledge Tests, verified 2026-08-27District of Columbia permit test questions, answered.
How many questions are on the DC DMV permit test?
DC DMV never states a number in plain words, but its own practice exam points at 25. The agency links a practice knowledge test from its site, and that test is laid out as 25 questions with a 60 minute limit, which is exactly the limit DC publishes for the standard non commercial knowledge test. DC DMV does warn that the practice test does not reuse real exam questions. Applicants aged 16 to 20 sit the separate GRAD or learner permit test instead, which is allowed 75 minutes rather than 60, and its length is not published at all. We run 25 questions here on that basis.
What score do you need to pass the DC knowledge test?
DC DMV does not publish one anywhere we could find, and that is the honest answer rather than a hedge. The knowledge tests page, the driver manual page, the practice test page, the learner permit page, the virtual testing and permit prep announcements, and the licensing regulation record for 18 DCMR 104 all describe the exam and its rules without naming a passing score. We score 20 of 25 here because 80 percent is the common American standard, but study the whole manual instead of aiming at a number, and ask staff when you book.
How much does the DC permit test cost?
The knowledge test is $10 at a DC DMV service center, $39.95 at a test proctoring center, or $49.95 taken virtually. The learner permit is a separate $20 fee, and you pay the test fee whether you pass or fail.
What happens if I fail the DC DMV knowledge test?
You wait three full calendar days and come back on the fourth day, so a Tuesday failure means Saturday is your earliest retest. If you fail six times within a 12 month period, you cannot take a seventh test until 12 months after that first failed attempt. Getting caught with a phone, a smart watch, or notes adds a 60 day ban on top.
How long is a DC learner permit good for?
Two years, and it cannot be renewed. Once it expires you have to take and pass the knowledge test again to get a new one.
Can I take the DC knowledge test from home?
Yes, for the standard and GRAD car tests. DC DMV offers virtual testing and testing at a local test proctoring center, both by appointment, though motorcycle and commercial knowledge tests still have to be sat in person. Whichever way you test, you have 14 business days to reach a service center with your documents afterwards.
How many practice hours do you need before the DC road test, and what does it cost?
40 hours, certified on a DC DMV form, before a learner permit under 21 can move to a Provisional License, which itself costs $20; a further 10 certified hours are required later before that Provisional License converts to a Full License With Conditions. The learner permit must also be held at least 6 months. The road test itself costs $10, includes parallel parking, and DC DMV bars anyone who drives themselves to their own test without a licensed adult 21 or older along for 6 months.