If you don't pass
- First failure: retest as soon as the next business day, if there's an appointment.
- Second failure and after: wait at least seven calendar days between attempts.
- After you pass: the score is good for up to six months, and the permit arrives by mail.
Languages and interpreters
The MVA test page lists English, Spanish, ASL, Amharic, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese and Yoruba. You can bring a spoken-language interpreter at your own cost (the MVA pays for hearing-impaired applicants). Manual Section 2.H adds a rule: if your language is already offered, you must take the test in it at least five times before an interpreter is allowed.
Requirements by age
| Under 18 | 18–24 | 25+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver Education Program | Yes | Yes | No |
| Practice hours | 60 (10 night) | 60 (10 night) | 14 (3 night) |
| Permit held | 9 months, violation-free | 3 months (18 with a diploma or GED, or 19–24) | 45 days |
Permits start at 15 years 9 months. Under 18, a parent or guardian co-signs. Under 16, you also bring form DL-300 (School Attendance Certification). Your supervisor must be 21+, licensed at least three years for that class, and sitting beside you. For logging, “night” runs from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise.
Bring proof of age and identity, lawful status, SSN and Maryland residency. Vision screening can be done by the MVA or your eye doctor.
The provisional license (18 months)
Hold it 18 months without violations before your full license. If you're under 18: for the first 151 days, no passengers under 18 unless they're immediate family or you're supervised. No unsupervised driving from midnight to 5 a.m. except for a job, a volunteer program, a school activity or an athletic event. Permit and provisional drivers may not use any wireless device, even hands-free, except to call 911.
Manual details that become test questions
- Lane-use signals: a red X means never drive in that lane. A steady yellow X means move out of it safely.
- School buses: stop at least 20 feet away, front or back. On a multilane road, you don't stop if a physical barrier separates you from the bus.
- Move Over applies to any stopped vehicle with flashing lights. The penalty is $110 + 1 point, rising to $150 + 3 points for a crash and $750 + 3 points for death or serious injury.
- Alcohol: .08 is DUI. Under 21, drinking any alcohol is illegal. No open containers in the passenger area.
- Phones: handheld use and texting are illegal for everyone, and so are headsets or earplugs while driving.
- A slow-moving vehicle emblem means 25 mph or less. Leaving the scene of a fatal crash is a felony (up to 10 years or $10,000). Littering costs up to $1,500.
The permit issuance fee and statutory speed limits weren't confirmed from MVA sources we opened, so we don't list them.
Neighbors
Virginia (signs section first) · Washington, DC · Delaware · Pennsylvania · West Virginia