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Texas Department of Public Safety · Driver License Division

Texas permit test 70% passes, and you may take it in class

Texas calls the permit a learner license, and many teens never take the knowledge exam at a DPS office. Driver ed is required for everyone under 25, and some courses include the test. If you do test at DPS, you need 70%. This page covers both routes, the numbers that show up on the exam, and a 25-question practice test.

Last reviewed October 30, 2026 · Texas Driver Handbook DL-7, revised January 2026

Where will you take the test?

Route A

Through your driver ed course

Under the Less Tears More Years Act, applicants under 25 must take driver ed. DL-7 says completing certain courses waives the in-office Class C knowledge exam. You still do the vision exam at DPS.

Route B

At a DPS driver license office

Make an appointment, apply in person, pay first ($16), get photographed and fingerprinted, then take the vision and knowledge exams. You need 70% to pass.

DL-7 doesn't list which courses qualify, the question count, test languages or whether walk-ins are accepted. We haven't verified those.

Texas DPS practice test

25 questions scored at the real 70% pass mark. Texas loves exact distances, so expect a lot of numbers.

Free quiz · no sign-up

Texas permit practice test

Questions
25
To pass
70%
About
17 min

Instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.

Preview the 25 free questions

  1. What is the minimum age for a Texas learner license?

    • 14
    • 15
    • 15½
    • 16

  2. What score passes a Texas knowledge exam?

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

  3. How old must a learner's supervising driver be?

    • 18
    • 19
    • 21
    • 25

  4. How long must a teen hold a learner license before a provisional?

    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 9 months
    • 1 year

  5. When may provisional drivers not drive (with exceptions)?

    • 11 p.m.–5 a.m.
    • Midnight–5 a.m.
    • 10 p.m.–6 a.m.
    • 1–5 a.m.

  6. How many non-family passengers under 21 may a provisional driver carry?

    • 0
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3

  7. When may a 17-year-old use a hands-free phone while driving?

    • Always
    • Only on highways
    • Only in an emergency
    • With a parent present

  8. A driver under 21 breaks Texas law with:

    • 0.08 BAC
    • 0.04 BAC
    • 0.02 BAC
    • Any detectable alcohol

  9. What is the default speed limit in a Texas urban district?

    • 25 mph
    • 30 mph
    • 35 mph
    • 40 mph

  10. What is the speed limit in an alley?

    • 10 mph
    • 15 mph
    • 20 mph
    • 25 mph

  11. What is the limit on a numbered highway outside an urban district, unless posted?

    • 60 mph
    • 65 mph
    • 70 mph
    • 75 mph

  12. You can't change lanes away from a stopped TxDOT truck with lights on. You must slow to:

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

  13. How far back must you stay when following a fire truck answering an alarm?

    • 200 ft
    • 300 ft
    • 500 ft
    • 1,000 ft

  14. On a road with three or more lanes, two cars merge into the same lane from opposite sides. Who yields?

    • The car from the left
    • The car from the right
    • The slower car
    • The larger vehicle

  15. When a railroad signal is active, where do you stop?

    • 5–15 ft from the rail
    • 10–30 ft
    • 15–50 ft
    • 50–100 ft

  16. What following distance does Texas recommend above 30 mph?

    • 2 seconds
    • 3 seconds
    • 4 seconds
    • 6 seconds

  17. How far before a turn must you signal continuously?

    • 50 ft
    • 100 ft
    • 150 ft
    • 200 ft

  18. How close to a fire hydrant may you park?

    • 10 ft
    • 15 ft
    • 20 ft
    • 30 ft

  19. How close to the nearest rail of a crossing may you park?

    • 15 ft
    • 30 ft
    • 50 ft
    • 100 ft

  20. What does a learner license cost, including the admin fee?

    • $6
    • $16
    • $25
    • $33

  21. Below what age is driver education required?

    • 18
    • 21
    • 25
    • 30

  22. Which course must every applicant complete before the driving exam?

    • Defensive driving
    • Impact Texas Drivers
    • Alive at 25
    • Teen Safe

  23. After you first fail an exam, how long is your application held?

    • 30 days
    • 60 days
    • 90 days
    • 1 year

  24. What is Texas's minimum liability coverage for injury to one person?

    • $15,000
    • $25,000
    • $30,000
    • $50,000

  25. A school bus with red lights is stopped on a separate roadway across a controlled-access highway. You:

    • Must stop
    • Need not stop
    • Stop only if children are visible
    • Slow to 20 mph

What to bring

  • Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, plus identity documents
  • Your Social Security number (verified electronically with the SSA)
  • Proof of Texas residential address
  • Evidence of financial responsibility, or a statement that you don't own a vehicle, plus Texas registration for any vehicle you own
  • Under 18: a Verification of Enrollment and Attendance (VOE) form dated within 30 days (90 in summer), and an application signed under oath by a parent or guardian
  • Proof you finished the classroom part of driver ed

If you fail, your application stays open for 90 days. Once 90 days pass, or you fail three times, you start over with a new application and fee.

The numbers Texas tests

Speed (unless posted)

Alley15 mph
Urban district30 mph
Non-numbered highway, rural60 mph
Numbered highway, rural70 mph
Some limited-access highways75–85 mph

No parking within…

Fire hydrant15 ft
Crosswalk at an intersection20 ft
Stop sign or signal30 ft
Nearest rail of a crossing50 ft

Distances while driving

  • Signal continuously 100 ft before turning
  • Stay 500 ft behind a fire truck answering an alarm
  • Stop 15–50 ft from the rail when crossing signals are active (fine $50–$200)
  • Following distance: 2 s at 30 mph or less, 4 s above

Slow Down or Move Over

For stopped police, fire, EMS, tow, utility and TxDOT vehicles with lights on, leave the nearest lane or slow to 20 mph below the limit (to 5 mph if the limit is under 25).

After the learner license

Phase One: hold the learner license at least six months, driving only with a licensed driver who is 21+ with a year of experience, in the front seat, sober and awake. Phase Two is the provisional license (16–18): no more than one non-family passenger under 21, and no driving from midnight to 5 a.m. except for work, school activities or medical emergencies.

Under 18, you may not use any wireless device, even hands-free, except in an emergency. Texting while driving is illegal for everyone, and school zones with signs ban all handheld use. Before the road test, every applicant completes Impact Texas Drivers. A hardship license (form DL-77) is available from 15.

Also know: 0.08 BAC is intoxicated at 21+, and under 21 any detectable alcohol is illegal. Minimum insurance is 30/60/25. A school bus with flashing red lights stops traffic in both directions, unless the bus is on a separate roadway of a controlled-access highway.

Unverified: supervised practice hours. DL-7 doesn't state them, and we didn't rely on commonly quoted figures.

Neighbors

New Mexico · Oklahoma · Arkansas · Louisiana

Texas permit test FAQ

What score do you need to pass the Texas permit test?

70% or better, according to the Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, January 2026).

How many questions are on the Texas permit test?

The handbook doesn't say, and we couldn't confirm a count from an official DPS source. Our practice set has 25 questions scored at the real 70% mark.

Do I have to take the knowledge test at a DPS office?

Not always. Applicants under 25 must take driver education, and DL-7 says completing certain courses waives the in-office Class C knowledge exam. Ask your driver ed provider whether its course includes the exam.

How much is a Texas learner license?

$16: a $15 fee plus a $1 administrative fee, paid before your exams. It expires on your 18th birthday.

What happens if I fail the Texas permit test?

Your application stays open for 90 days. After 90 days, or after three failed exams, you need a new application and a new fee.

How many supervised hours does Texas require?

The DL-7 handbook doesn't list a practice-hour requirement, and we couldn't confirm one from an official page. Ask your driver ed program, which sets the behind-the-wheel requirements.

Keep studying

Sources: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7); Texas DPS Driver License Division. Not affiliated with Texas DPS.