Skip to content

Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State)

The Michigan permit test that teens don't take

If you searched for the Michigan permit test, here's the surprise: teens don't take one at the Secretary of State. Michigan, the first state to require driver ed for under-18s (in 1955), uses the Segment 1 driver education exam instead. Pass it with 70%, and you can apply for a Level 1 Learner's License. Which path applies to you depends on your age.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · What Every Driver Must Know (SOS-133), October 2025

Under 18

Segment 1 → Level 1

Your “permit test” is the Segment 1 state exam, given through your driver ed program. The minimum score is 70%. Then you visit an SOS office with a parent or guardian.

See the teen path

18 and older, or not in GDL

SOS knowledge test → TIP

Pass a knowledge test and vision screening at an SOS office, pay the fee, and get a temporary instruction permit good for 180 days.

See the adult path

The teen path, step by step

  1. 1

    Segment 1 (from 14 yrs 8 mos)

    At least 24 hours of classroom, 6 behind the wheel and 4 of observation, with parent permission. It ends with the state exam, where you need 70%.
  2. 2

    Level 1 Learner's License (from 14 yrs 9 mos)

    Go to SOS with a parent or guardian. Bring the Segment 1 certificate, proof of SSN, citizenship or legal presence, identity and Michigan residency (form SOS-428 can help), and meet the vision and health standards. Drive only with a licensed parent or guardian, or a designated licensed adult 21+, in the front seat.
  3. 3

    Segment 2 (after 3 months on Level 1)

    Bring a log of at least 30 hours, 2 at night. It includes at least 6 classroom hours and ends with another state exam at 70%.
  4. 4

    Skills test (age 15+)

    After Segment 2, 50 logged hours (10 at night) and six months on Level 1. You test at an SOS-approved driver testing business.
  5. 5

    Level 2 Intermediate (age 16+)

    After 6 months on Level 1 and 90 days with a clean record. No driving 10 p.m.–5 a.m., and no more than one passenger under 21, unless an exception applies (a parent or designated adult 21+ along, family, or work or an authorized activity).

Kelsey's Law: on Level 1 and Level 2, no cell phone use while driving, except for emergencies.

The adult path: the SOS knowledge test

Applicants outside the GDL system take the SOS knowledge test and vision screening. Arrive at least an hour before the office closes. The handbook says the test is offered in many languages, and foreign-language interpreters are allowed on every written test except CDL tests. Once you pass and pay, you get a TIP valid for 180 days. Practice at least 30 days before the skills test.

What the handbook doesn't tell us: how many questions the adult test has, its pass score, the language list, any fees (it says only that they vary by license type), and the office appointment policy. We don't guess at any of these.

Michigan SOS and Segment 1 rules review

Neither the Segment 1 exam nor the adult SOS test has a published question count, so this is a 25-question review drawn from What Every Driver Must Know, scored at the Segment 1 minimum of 70%. It covers both the licensing path and the road rules.

Free quiz · no sign-up

Michigan SOS rules practice test

Questions
25
To pass
70%
About
17 min

Instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.

Preview the 25 free questions

  1. Under 18, which exam takes the place of an SOS permit test?

    • The Segment 1 state exam
    • A road sign test
    • Segment 2
    • None

  2. What is the minimum score on the Segment 1 exam?

    • 60%
    • 70%
    • 75%
    • 80%

  3. What is the earliest age to begin Segment 1?

    • 14
    • 14 years 8 months
    • 15
    • 15½

  4. What is the earliest age for a Level 1 Learner's License?

    • 14 years 6 months
    • 14 years 9 months
    • 15
    • 16

  5. How many classroom hours does Segment 1 include at minimum?

    • 18
    • 24
    • 30
    • 36

  6. A designated adult supervising a Level 1 driver must be at least:

    • 18
    • 19
    • 21
    • 25

  7. How many logged hours do you need to start Segment 2?

    • 10
    • 20
    • 30
    • 50

  8. How many logged hours do you need before the skills test?

    • 30
    • 40
    • 50
    • 60

  9. How long must you hold Level 1 before the skills test?

    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 9 months
    • 12 months

  10. When may a Level 2 driver not drive, unless an exception applies?

    • 9 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • 10 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • 11 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • Midnight–5 a.m.

  11. How many passengers under 21 may a Level 2 driver carry when no exception applies?

    • 0
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

  12. Which law bans Level 1 and Level 2 drivers from using phones?

    • Joshua's Law
    • Kelsey's Law
    • Scott's Law
    • Paul's Law

  13. How many days with a clean record do you need before Level 2?

    • 30
    • 60
    • 90
    • 180

  14. How long is an adult temporary instruction permit (TIP) valid?

    • 30 days
    • 90 days
    • 180 days
    • 1 year

  15. What is the fine for a first hand-held device offense?

    • $50
    • $100
    • $250
    • $500

  16. What is the limit in platted subdivisions and condo complexes?

    • 15 mph
    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph
    • 30 mph

  17. What is the default limit on non-freeway streets and highways?

    • 45 mph
    • 50 mph
    • 55 mph
    • 65 mph

  18. What is the freeway minimum speed?

    • 40 mph
    • 45 mph
    • 55 mph
    • None

  19. What is the limit in a posted work zone?

    • 35 mph
    • 45 mph
    • 55 mph
    • 25 mph

  20. You pass a stopped emergency vehicle and can't change lanes. Slow to at least:

    • 5 mph below the limit
    • 10 mph below the limit
    • 15 mph below
    • 20 mph below

  21. How far back must you stay behind a moving emergency vehicle using lights and siren?

    • 200 feet
    • 300 feet
    • 500 feet
    • 1,000 feet

  22. How far from a school bus with flashing red lights must you stop?

    • 10 feet
    • 15 feet
    • 20 feet
    • 30 feet

  23. A school bus with flashing reds is on the far side of a grass median. You:

    • Stop
    • Don't have to stop
    • Stop if there are 4 lanes
    • Honk

  24. How many points does a driver under 21 get for any bodily alcohol content?

    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 6

  25. Two cars arrive at a four-way stop at the same time. Who yields?

    • The car on the right
    • The car on the left
    • The larger vehicle
    • The car going straight

Driving like a Michigander

The Michigan Left

On many divided roads you can't turn left at the intersection. Instead, you go straight or turn right, then make a U-turn at a median crossover and come back. The handbook calls these indirect left turns (Chapter 6). Expect them on the road test and in real life.

Speed limits

  • Platted subdivisions and condo complexes: 25 mph
  • Other streets and highways, unless posted: 55 mph
  • Freeways: 70 max, 55 min. Trucks and school buses: 65, or 55 where the freeway limit is below 70.
  • Posted work zones: 45 mph

Emergency vehicles and buses

For a stopped emergency vehicle, move over a lane if you can and slow to at least 10 mph below the limit. For a moving one with lights and siren, stay at least 500 feet back. Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with flashing reds, unless it's across a barrier or median. Fines are doubled there.

Phones and points

Under MCL 257.602b, no driver may hold or use a phone or tablet: no calls, texts or reading. Fines are $100 for a first offense and $250 after that. On points: any bodily alcohol content under 21 is 4 points, 16+ mph over the limit is 4, and failing to stop for a school bus is 3. Under-21 licenses expire on your 21st birthday.

Right of way

At a four-way stop, the first to stop goes first. If two cars arrive together, the one on the left yields. A dark or malfunctioning signal works like a four-way stop.

We didn't confirm the handbook's exact wording on the adult BAC limit or the statutory under-21 BAC level, so we cite only the 4-point rule above.

Compare the Great Lakes neighbors

Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin all use a traditional permit test. Michigan is the outlier. For the general idea, see our driver's permit practice test.

Michigan permit and Segment 1 FAQ

Is there a permit test in Michigan?

Not for teens at the Secretary of State. Under 18, you pass the Segment 1 driver education state exam with at least 70%, then apply for a Level 1 Learner's License at an SOS office. Adults outside the graduated system take an SOS knowledge test for a temporary instruction permit.

How old do you have to be for a Michigan learner's license?

14 years 9 months for Level 1. You can start Segment 1 at 14 years 8 months with parent permission.

How many questions are on the Michigan SOS knowledge test?

The October 2025 handbook doesn't give the adult test's question count or pass score, and we couldn't confirm them.

What is Kelsey's Law?

It bans Level 1 and Level 2 drivers from using a cell phone while driving, except in an emergency.

Who can supervise a Level 1 driver?

A licensed parent or guardian, or a licensed adult 21+ the parent designates in writing, in the front seat.

Where do I take the Michigan road test?

At an SOS-approved driver testing business, not at an SOS office. You need to be 15, have finished Segment 2, logged 50 hours (10 at night) and held Level 1 for six months.

Keep studying

Sources: What Every Driver Must Know (PDF); SOS handbook page; Michigan Department of State. Not affiliated with the Michigan Department of State.