Washington State Department of Licensing

Free Washington permit practice tests

Starting 1 November 2026, Washington will require every first-time driver license applicant under 25 to pass a free online work zone and first responder safety course before getting a license, a rule most other states have not adopted.

Questions
40
Correct to pass
32
32 of 40 (80%)
Questions here
263
all free, all cited

Format verified against Washington State Department of Licensing on 2026-08-27. Check the official page before you book, because states do change their rules.

Every Washington test

Work through them in order.

The essentials

Start here. Five distinct sets drawn from across the whole bank, plus a marathon that keeps going until you have seen everything.

Signs, signals and right of way

The two areas that fail the most people. Work through the sign tests until every shape and color is automatic, then handle the intersection scenarios.

The rules that get you fined

Speed, alcohol, phones, seat belts and the state specific limits that carry real penalties. These questions cite the statute so you learn the rule, not just the answer.

The exam simulator

The real thing: your state's exact question count and pass mark, scored the way the licensing agency scores it.

Your missed questions

Every question you get wrong anywhere on this site saves to a review deck on your own device. It comes back after a day, then three days, then a week, and retires once you have answered it correctly three times running. Open any test above and the review button appears as soon as the deck has something in it.

Getting licensed in Washington

What the process looks like

  • Washington allows the instruction permit at 15 for applicants enrolled in an approved driver training course, or 15 and a half without one, but the driver license itself cannot be issued before 18 without finishing that training.
  • Permit holders must hold the instruction permit at least 6 months and complete 40 hours of daylight driving plus 10 hours at night with someone who has held a license for at least 3 years.
  • New drivers under 18, whether on a permit or an intermediate license, cannot use any wireless device while driving, hands-free devices included, and may only use one to report an emergency.
  • An intermediate license bars passengers under 20 who are not immediate family for the first 6 months, allows up to 3 of them for the next 6 months, and bars driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver 25 or older is in the car.

If you do not pass, there may be a waiting period before you can retest, and you pay the test fee again. The fee is set by the testing location, so it varies.

The knowledge test is written from the Washington Rules of the Road. 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.

How the Washington written test is scored and what happens at the Washington road test.

Frequently asked

Washington permit test questions, answered

How many questions are on the Washington DOL knowledge test?

The test has 40 questions. Verified against the Washington State Department of Licensing on 27 August 2026.

What's the passing score on Washington's knowledge test?

You need 32 of 40 correct, which is 80%, and a passing score stays valid for 2 years if you don't use it right away.

What happens if you fail the Washington knowledge test?

The DOL notes there may be a waiting period before you can retest, though the length varies, and you will need to pay the test fee again, which itself varies by testing location.

How old do you have to be to get a Washington instruction permit?

You can apply at 15 if you're enrolled in an approved driver training course, or 15 and a half if you're not.