License tests, renewal and losing your license

Key points

1. You need vision of at least 20/40 in 1 eye at the driver license station.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “Vision must be at least 20/40 in one eye when screened at the Driver License Station.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 13

2. Instead of the station screening, you can bring an eye exam form completed in the last 90 days by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “present a Driver Licensing eye examination form completed in the last 90 days by a licensed Ophthalmologist or Optometrist”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 13

3. The knowledge test has 25 questions on traffic laws and on identifying signs by shape, color or symbol.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “You will be required to answer 25 questions about traffic laws and identify certain signs by their shape, color, or the symbol appearing on them.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 13

4. The knowledge exam can be taken at the driver's license office or online.

   Source: Handbook p. 13

   “The knowledge exam may be taken at the driver's license office or online”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 13

5. If you fail, you may retest the next working day after paying a $1.50 re-exam fee.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “you may take again the next working day after paying a $1.50 re-exam fee”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

6. You get 4 chances at each test, and after the 4th failure you must wait at least 6 months to retest.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “You have four chances to pass the written test and four chances to pass the driving test. After the fourth failure of either test, you must wait a minimum of six (6) months from the most recent failed exam before retesting.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

7. The Division of Vehicles sends a renewal notice at least 30 days before your license expires.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “At least 30 days prior to the expiration of your license, the Division of Vehicles will send a notice of expiration or renewal application.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

8. An expired license costs an extra $1.00 penalty, and after more than 1 year expired you must take the full vision, written and driving tests.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “An additional $1.00 will be charged as a penalty to anyone whose license has expired. If the driver license has been expired for more than 1-year full testing will be required.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

9. Three moving violation convictions within 12 months can get your license suspended.

   Source: Handbook p. 14

   “Conviction of three (3) moving violations within a twelve-month period.”
   Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

10. Failing to keep continuous liability insurance on your vehicle brings a mandatory indefinite suspension.

    Source: Handbook p. 14

    “Failing to maintain continuous liability insurance on your vehicle is a mandatory indefinite suspension.”
    Kansas Driving Handbook, Handbook p. 14

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Kansas practice test

1. 1. How many questions does the Kansas knowledge test require an applicant to answer?

   1. 25 questions
   2. 20 questions
   3. 30 questions
   4. 40 questions
   Show answer

   25 questions. The Kansas knowledge test requires an applicant to answer 25 questions about traffic laws and identify certain signs. The 20-question choice understates the number, while 30 and 40 overstate it. This test is not limited to signs or to one narrow subject: the handbook says it covers Kansas traffic laws and road signs. A practical memory cue is to pair 25 with the knowledge test and remember that the applicant must also recognize signs by shape, color, or symbol. That detail distinguishes this exam from the separate driving test on a designated route.

2. 2. How can a qualifying Kansas applicant avoid taking the noncommercial knowledge exam in the office?

   1. Complete the exam online and bring the passing results
   2. Have a parent sign an exam waiver
   3. Submit a driving-school attendance letter
   4. Pay an extra fee for automatic credit
   Show answer

   Complete the exam online and bring the passing results. Kansas offers a noncommercial online knowledge exam. An applicant who qualifies can complete it online, bring the passing results to the licensing process, and eliminate the in-office knowledge exam. The parent waiver choice is not mentioned as an alternative to testing. A driving-school attendance letter does not replace the passing exam result, and an extra payment does not create automatic credit. The key cue is the sequence: take the approved online knowledge exam, preserve the passing result, then bring that result in. The option is an alternate testing location, not a waiver from demonstrating knowledge.

3. 3. What type of suspension follows a failure to maintain continuous liability insurance in Kansas?

   1. A warning with no license action
   2. A suspension lasting exactly 30 days
   3. A mandatory indefinite suspension
   4. A suspension only after three moving violations
   Show answer

   A mandatory indefinite suspension. The handbook lists failure to maintain continuous liability insurance as a mandatory indefinite suspension. Indefinite means the listed consequence has no fixed end date in the statement, so a 30-day period is too specific and unsupported. A warning alone ignores the licensing action, while the moving-violation condition belongs to a separate suspension ground. Keep insurance compliance separate from ordinary traffic penalties: the manual treats an insurance lapse as its own direct trigger. Drivers should preserve continuous coverage and respond promptly to any proof-of-insurance issue.

Source: the Kansas Driving Handbook, Section 1: The Driver's License. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.