New York permit test
Test requirements, handbook sources, and practice for New York.
Test and permit facts
Read the scope and exceptions alongside each fact. Requirements still awaiting review are omitted; their absence does not mean the agency has no rule.
| Fact | New York | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agency | New York State Department of Motor Vehicles | Official source · PDF page 1 |
| Test name | written test | |
| Test format details | Permit-test study material is in Chapters 4–11 and the road-sign chart. Part 1 covers licensing and vehicle-owner information and is excluded from the written permit test. | |
| Test format scope | The manual describes the ordinary Class D written test and paper or touchscreen delivery: 20 total items, with four road-sign items included in that total. The sign minimum applies in addition to the overall minimum. The separately advertised online option for applicants under 18 has no confirmed count or scoring rule in this record; do not assume it uses the office-test format. | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Section passing rules | Both requirements apply: at least 14 answers across the 20-question test, including at least two correct answers among four road-sign items. | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Questions | 20 | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Correct answers to pass | 14 | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Online testing | Applicants younger than 18 can choose an online permit test through DMV’s document pre-screening process. After passing, allow three business days for DMV review before completing the office transaction; an earlier office visit requires passing an office test again. Separately, the manual describes school-monitored OKTA tests for participating high-school students from age 15 years 11 months, in English or Spanish; the permit itself requires age 16. | |
| Road signs: questions | 4 | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Road signs: correct to pass | 2 | Official source 1 · PDF page 10 |
| Minimum permit age | 16 | |
| Permit fee | The first permit/license fee depends on age and home location. For Class D or DJ at ages 16–16½, the table shows $80, or $90 with the MCTD charge; an Enhanced document adds $30. Other age bands have different totals. | |
| Permit validity | A new-driver permit can last longer than one year. A REAL ID permit issued to someone with temporary lawful status expires by the end of that lawful-status document; this is not a fixed statewide permit term. | Official source · PDF page 4 |
| Driver’s education | After obtaining the permit, new drivers complete the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course before the road test and license application, unless they finish a 48-hour high-school or college Driver Education Program. | |
| Retest rules | For school OKTA written tests, repeat attempts are limited by the school’s policy. Separately, a failed non-commercial road test has a minimum 14-day wait before another attempt, with more fees after two failures. The road-test wait does not establish an office or home written-test retry rule. | |
| Test languages | English, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Chinese, French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Yiddish | |
| Handbook | New York State Driver's Manual | |
| Handbook edition | MV-21 (5/23), as labelled by the agency’s HTML manual | |
| Online testing requirements | For the online Class D or M test, the parent or legal guardian certifies observing the applicant finish without outside help or reference materials. Both the applicant and adult sign MV-263 with a DMV representative present. | Official source · PDF page 1 |
| Requirements for applicants under 18 | Applicants age 16 or 17 need parental consent, except at 17 with an MV-285 driver-education completion certificate. After getting a junior Class DJ/MJ permit, complete at least 50 supervised hours, including 15 after sunset, and bring a parent/guardian-signed MV-262 to the road test. Applicants under 18 must hold the permit in valid status for six months before booking a road test. These practice and waiting requirements belong to the road-test stage, not the written-test appointment. | |
| Application documents | Bring the completed MV-44 permit application, payment, and evidence of identity, age and New York residence. Use DMV’s pre-screening document guide or ID-44 to choose the proofs for Standard, REAL ID or Enhanced permits. When MV-45 is required, the parent or guardian must attend the office visit. | |
| Documents to bring | Bring the completed MV-44 permit application, payment, and evidence of identity, age and New York residence., Use DMV’s pre-screening document guide or ID-44 to choose the proofs for Standard, REAL ID or Enhanced permits., When MV-45 is required, the parent or guardian must attend the office visit. | |
| Agency offices and appointments | Find a DMV office by city or ZIP code, then open its details to check services and appointment availability. DMV strongly recommends reservations; at offices with long waits, entry can be limited to people who reserved. Appointments are not available at every location. |
Start with the handbook
Study the federal road-sign catalog.
Free permit practice
Try 20 independently checked questions with explanations and handbook citations. This practice set does not reproduce the official exam format.
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