To get an Alabama driver’s license, you need to pass a vision screening, a 30-question written knowledge test scored at 80% or higher, and a behind-the-wheel road test given by an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) examiner. If you arrive with the right documents and a roadworthy car, all three can be done in one appointment. Expect to pay about $41 for the tests and license card, or a bit more if you also want a STAR ID.
Who Can Take the Test
Alabama uses a graduated system. At 15, you qualify for a Stage I learner’s permit, which costs $20 and lets you drive only with a parent, guardian, licensed driver 21 or older, or certified instructor beside you. The permit is valid for four years.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 Chapter 6 Section 32-6-8 – Temporary Instruction and Learner Licenses
At 16, you can take the written and road tests for a Stage II restricted license. After that restricted period passes without violations, you move to a Stage III unrestricted license.
Some applicants are ineligible regardless of age. Alabama will not issue a license to anyone whose driving privilege is currently suspended or revoked, anyone the state considers a habitual abuser of alcohol or drugs, or anyone with a physical or mental condition that would prevent safe vehicle control.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 Chapter 6 Section 32-6-7 – Persons to Whom License Not to Be Issued
Documents to Bring
Alabama’s document rules trip up more applicants than the driving itself. You need your original Social Security card plus additional proof of identity. If one of those additional documents carries your photo, you need one primary and one secondary document. If none have a photo, you need one primary and two secondary documents.3Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code Rule 760-X-1-.20 – Proof of Identity, Authorized Presence A certified birth certificate is the most common primary document.4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. License and ID Cards
You also need to prove Alabama residency. A utility bill for water, gas, or electric dated within 90 days works, as does a residential mortgage contract or a current lease or rental agreement.5Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Document List
Applicants Under 19
If you are under 19, bring Form DL-1/93, the enrollment/exclusion form. A school administrator fills out part of it to verify you are enrolled, have graduated, or have a GED. Without this form, the examiner cannot process your application.6Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Enrollment/Exclusion Form
Non-Citizen Applicants
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must present federal immigration documents showing lawful presence. Accepted documents include an I-551 stamp in a foreign passport, a valid Employment Authorization Document with a valid foreign passport, refugee or asylee documentation from DHS, or a U.S. military ID. Applicants in recognized nonimmigrant visa categories, including F, H, J, L, and O visas, may apply.7Legal Information Institute. Alabama Code r. 760-X-1-.20 – Authorized Presence
The Vision Screening
Before the written test, an examiner screens your vision. Alabama requires visual acuity of at least 20/60 in at least one eye and a horizontal field of vision of 110 degrees or more from center. Bring your glasses or contacts if you use them; passing with corrective lenses puts a restriction code on your license requiring you to wear them while driving.8Legal Information Institute. Alabama Code r. 760-X-20-.14 – Conditions Affecting Sensory Function
The Written Knowledge Test
The written test has 30 multiple-choice questions. You need 24 correct to pass, which is 80%. Every question comes from the Alabama Driver Manual, available free on the ALEA website, and it covers traffic laws, road signs, right-of-way rules, and safe driving practices. Studying the manual straight through is the single most effective way to prepare.
The written test fee is $5, cash only, and it applies each time you sit for the exam.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees
The Road Skills Test
After passing the written test, you move to the road test. An examiner rides along and scores you on roughly a dozen maneuvers on public roads:
- Backing about 50 feet in a straight line, slowly, while looking over your right shoulder.
- A three-point turn on a narrow street using only one backup movement, no driveway, no curb contact.
- Parking on an uphill grade with wheels turned correctly toward the curb, parking brake set, and the car in park (or reverse for a manual transmission).
- Starting from an uphill stop without rolling backward.
- Stopping quickly and safely from a low speed while checking the rearview mirror.
- Approaching stop signs and traffic lights in the correct lane, stopping before the crosswalk, and proceeding only when safe.
- Yielding correctly to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
The examiner also grades habits like keeping both hands on the wheel, signaling turns, and knowing your vehicle’s controls. Five actions cause an automatic failure: causing an accident, breaking a traffic law, driving recklessly, refusing to follow the examiner’s instructions, or making repeated errors that show insufficient practice.10Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Road Test Study Guide
The Car You Bring
You have to supply the vehicle, and the examiner inspects it before the test begins. Bring current registration and valid liability insurance, and keep copies in the car. Brake lights, turn signals, horn, windshield wipers, and rearview mirrors all have to work. A cracked windshield or a burned-out signal light can cancel the test before you leave the parking lot.11Madison County, AL. Madison County, AL – Road Test Information
Fees You’ll Pay
Total out-of-pocket cost for a first-time license is modest:
- Written test: $5 per attempt, cash only.
- Driver license card: $36.25.
- Learner’s permit (if you’re starting at Stage I): $20, valid four years.
Fees are paid at the office after you pass. Retaking the written test costs another $5 each time.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 Chapter 6 Section 32-6-8 – Temporary Instruction and Learner Licenses
Booking the Appointment and What Happens After
Driver license testing in Alabama is by appointment. Book through ALEA’s online appointment portal; walk-ins are generally not accepted for testing. Popular offices fill up fast, so it’s worth checking nearby locations if your first choice is booked out.12Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Schedule a Driver License Appointment
On test day, arrive on time with your documents organized. You’ll check in, fill out the application (full legal name, Social Security number, driving-related medical history, and any out-of-state license or violation history), and then move through the vision screening, written test, and road test in sequence. After you pass, a digital photo is taken and you leave with a temporary paper license valid for driving. The permanent plastic card arrives by mail, typically within 30 days.13Houston County, Alabama. Driver License – Probate – Houston County, Alabama
If You Fail
Failing the written test means paying another $5 and taking it again, either the same day if the office can fit you in or at a new appointment. For the road test, ALEA doesn’t publish a mandatory waiting period, but scheduling a new appointment will usually add days or weeks depending on office availability. Most road-test failures come down to weak observation at intersections or incorrect hill-parking technique, both of which respond well to practice in a quiet neighborhood before you try again.10Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Road Test Study Guide
Standard License or STAR ID
When you apply, you pick between a standard Alabama license and a STAR ID, which is the state’s REAL ID-compliant credential and shows a gold star. A standard license reads “Not for Federal Identification” across the top.14Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Star ID
The distinction matters at airports. As of February 1, 2026, boarding a domestic flight requires a REAL ID-compliant credential, a passport, or another federally approved ID. A temporary paper license is not accepted at TSA checkpoints.15Transportation Security Administration. Alabama Travelers Without REAL ID Will Have Option to Pay $45 Fee The STAR ID uses the same identity and residency documents listed above, so if you’re already gathering the paperwork, requesting it at the same appointment saves a return trip.