District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles
District of Columbia road test: how the DC DMV scores it
How District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles scores the District of Columbia road test, the sourced facts that change how you prepare for it, and what ends an attempt on the spot.
- 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
What the District of Columbia road test weighs.
Each note below is specific to District of Columbia, read from District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles materials, so you know what its examiners weight and what its offices expect on the day.
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 2026-08-27Fail the road skills test and you wait 72 hours before retesting; fail it six times within a 12 month period and DC DMV blocks a seventh attempt until 12 months after the first failure, mirroring the knowledge test's own six-strikes rule.
District of Columbia Department of Motor VehiclesThe test includes parallel parking, and if you drive yourself to your own road test on a learner permit without a licensed driver 21 or older riding along, DC DMV bars you from testing for 6 months.
District of Columbia Department of Motor VehiclesCanceling less than two business days before a scheduled road test triggers a fee, collected the next time you complete a license-related transaction; DC DMV can also cancel the test itself for inclement weather or a vehicle that fails its equipment checks.
District of Columbia Department of Motor VehiclesWhat has to be done before the road test.
District of Columbia gates the road test behind these, each read from the agency's own page and dated.
Supervised practice logged first
District of Columbia makes you log 40 hours of supervised driving before the road test.
DC DMV, Certification of Eligibility for Provisional and Full Licenses With Conditions, verified 2026-08-28Permit held before the test
The permit has to be held for 6 months in District of Columbia before you can attempt the road test.
DC DMV, Certification of Eligibility for Provisional and Full Licenses With Conditions, verified 2026-08-28Automatic fails and test day.
See what can end a road test immediately before your appointment.