50 states · 50 with sourced facts · Free
Everything about the DMV, in one place
Free practice tests with real sign images and audio for every state, plus sourced procedural facts on age, fees, and wait times where verified. No paywall, no locked questions.
How much is the permit test?
In many states the written test is not billed on its own. What you pay is the permit or license application fee, and the knowledge test is part of it. That is why the answer looks different depending on which state you are in.
The catch is that states describe this differently, so a single national number would be misleading. Some fold the test into a permit fee you pay once, some charge only if you fail and come back, and some charge only for the at-home option. Here is what each state's own source actually says.
| State | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $5 exam fee |
| Alaska | $15 instruction permit application fee, which covers the vision and written/knowledge tests; no separate standalone knowledge test fee |
| Arizona | $7 for the Permit Test at Home option; exact standard in-office fee not itemized in official pages found, confirm on MVD fee schedule |
| Arkansas | $5.00 fee for each written examination (Act 1289 of 2015); the fee is added to the cost of your driver's license and collected by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration |
| California | No separate fee; covered by the original driver license/permit application fee of $46 for a Class C license |
| Colorado | First attempt free at a state driver license office; each retest costs an $11.50 state fee |
| Connecticut | $40 combined testing fee covering vision, knowledge, and road test; no standalone knowledge-test-only fee |
| Delaware | No separate knowledge test fee; the Delaware Driver Manual states payment is due upon application and that after you pass the eye screening and knowledge exams and pay the required license fee, a learner's permit will be issued. |
| Florida | No separate test fee; covered by the $48 original Class E license/permit issuance fee. Retest costs $10. |
| Hawaii | Written/knowledge test fee is $2; separate instruction permit issuance fee is $5 |
| Idaho | Knowledge test costs $5; the instruction permit fee is $21.50 total |
| Illinois | No separate test fee found; the instruction permit application fee is $20 (Class D) |
| Iowa | No separate test fee listed; this is the Instruction Permit (Class C) application fee of $6, valid 4 years |
| Kansas | $3 for the first knowledge/written test attempt |
| Kentucky | No separate written/knowledge test fee is published on the official site; the instruction permit itself costs $15.00 ($18.00 for REAL ID) |
| Louisiana | No separate knowledge test fee; the Learner's Permit (Stage 1) fee is $32.25, which covers the knowledge and vision tests, plus up to $6.00 in service fees at some field offices |
| Maine | $35 (Class C/motorcycle permit examination fee) |
| Maryland | $0 MVA fee for the knowledge test; permit or license issuance fees still apply |
| Massachusetts | $30 combined permit application/testing fee, charged each time the test is taken, including retakes |
| Michigan | No fee at a Secretary of State office; online testing costs $6.50, which includes the convenience fee and credit card processing fee |
| Minnesota | $10 for the third and later written test after failing the first two |
| Mississippi | No separate knowledge test fee; the Learner's Permit application fee is $7.00, which includes the Computerized (knowledge) Exam |
| Missouri | No separate knowledge test fee found; total cost of the Class F instruction permit is $10.00, which is a permit/application fee not a distinct test fee |
| Nebraska | No separate test fee; the Learner's Permit application fee is $13 total ($8 permit + $5 security fee), covering the knowledge test |
| Nevada | $25 for initial knowledge and skills test (covers both written and drive tests); $10 per retest |
| New Hampshire | No separate knowledge test fee; license application fee is $50 (standard) or $60 (REAL ID) and covers testing |
| New Jersey | No separate knowledge test fee; permit fee is $10, initial license fee is $24 |
| New York | No separate test fee; a combined driver license application fee (about $76.75 to $120, varies by age, class, and MCTD residency) covers both the permit test and license |
| North Dakota | $5 per attempt for the written/knowledge test |
| Oklahoma | The written test itself is free online; a $4 fee applies per failed attempt, charged at permit issuance |
| Oregon | $7 each time you take the test |
| Pennsylvania | No separate knowledge test fee; the vision screening and knowledge test are given when you apply for the permit, and PennDOT's guide states the total fees are $45.50 for a Class C permit (includes the 4-year license). |
| Rhode Island | $13.50 limited permit fee for applicants under 18 |
| South Carolina | Knowledge test fee is $2.00; beginner's permit issuance fee is $2.50 |
| South Dakota | Not separately listed; official brochure states only a combined Instruction Permit application fee of $28.00 |
| Tennessee | No separate test fee; learner permit fee is $10.50 for applicants under 18 ($5.50 for 18+) |
| Texas | No separate test fee stated; learner license fee ($16 for under 18) covers application, knowledge test, and card |
| Utah | $19 learner permit fee; after three written test failures, a second fee is required |
| Vermont | $24 learner permit fee plus a separate $39 knowledge test fee (about $63 total) |
| Virginia | $3 learner permit fee plus the yearly cost of a driver license |
| Washington | Varies by testing location |
| West Virginia | $7.50 per attempt |
| Wisconsin | $10 online knowledge test fee, plus the $35 instruction permit application fee |
| Wyoming | No separate test fee found; Class C learner's permit application fee is $45 |
Each value above is quoted from that state's own official source, linked on the state page. 6 states are not listed because our dataset does not yet carry a sourced figure for them, and we do not fill those in from aggregator sites.
Choose a state
Sourced procedural facts and a dedicated practice test for each state.
Practice tests and driving resources
Real content already published on this site, grouped by what you actually need.
Practice tests
New and teen drivers
Tickets and after an accident
California-specific requirements
Common questions
Is this actually free, or is there a catch?
Free means free: no account, no credit card, no locked questions after a preview, no premium tier. This site is funded by our insurance work, not by test-prep subscriptions.
Is this the official DMV test?
No. This is an independent practice tool built and reviewed by a licensed California insurance producer, not affiliated with any state DMV. Use it to prepare, then confirm current rules on your state's official DMV site.
Does passing this guarantee I'll pass the real test?
No test-prep site can guarantee that, and we won't claim otherwise. The question bank is fact-checked against official handbooks, but the real exam can include questions we don't have, and passing standards vary by state.
Does this cover my state?
Yes. Every one of the 50 states has its own practice test on this site, plus sourced procedural facts (age, fees, wait times) for the states we've verified against an official source.
Passed? Don't forget insurance
New drivers in the household need to be added to the policy, and there are legitimate ways to keep the cost down. That is the actual work I do.