The Alabama driver license written test is a 30-question multiple-choice knowledge exam drawn from the Alabama Driver Manual, administered on a computer at any Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) driver license office. You need 24 correct answers (80%) to pass, and the fee is $5 per attempt.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 – Section 32-6-21 – Examination Fee The test is required for anyone 15 or older applying for their first Alabama license and for anyone whose Alabama license has been expired for more than three years.
Who Has To Take the Written Test
Three groups must sit for the knowledge exam: teenagers applying for a first learner’s permit at 15 or older, adults who have never been licensed in any state, and Alabama residents whose license has lapsed for more than three years.
If you are moving to Alabama with a valid, unexpired license from another state, you do not take the written test. ALEA waives the knowledge exam for license transfers and requires only a vision screening.
Documents To Bring to the Office
The most common reason people leave an ALEA office without testing is a missing document, not a failed exam. At a minimum, bring one primary identification document (a certified birth certificate or valid U.S. passport) and one secondary document such as a Social Security card. All documents must be originals or certified copies.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees
Applicants under 18 must also bring a completed Form DL-1/93 verifying current school enrollment. ALEA will not administer the test to a minor without this form.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees
If you want a Star ID (Alabama’s REAL ID-compliant credential, required for boarding domestic flights and entering federal buildings), bring additional paperwork: a certified birth certificate or passport, your Social Security card or a document showing your full Social Security number, and two documents proving your Alabama residential address. Acceptable address proof includes a voter registration card, vehicle registration, a utility bill no older than 90 days, or a recent tax return.
Check that the name on your birth certificate matches your Social Security card. Name changes from marriage or court order need supporting documents (a certified marriage certificate or court order) to bridge the gap.
Non-U.S. Citizens
Non-citizens need a valid foreign passport with an acceptable visa or a resident alien card, plus Social Security number verification or a letter from the Social Security Administration confirming ineligibility for a number. You also need at least one secondary document authorizing your presence in the United States for more than 30 days, such as an employment authorization document with a valid Social Security card, a valid I-94, or an original I-797 showing approval of a change of status or extension of stay.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees ALEA verifies status through the federal SAVE system during your visit, and processing time can vary.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE
What the Test Covers
Every question comes from the Alabama Driver Manual, so that single document is the only study resource you need. ALEA publishes it online and keeps copies at exam offices.4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Driver Manual The core subject areas:
- Road signs: regulatory (speed limits, stop, yield), warning (curves, school zones, merging traffic), and informational (highway markers, service signs).
- Pavement markings: solid yellow center lines, dashed white lane lines, and shared turn lanes.
- Right-of-way rules at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and merges.
- Safe driving practices: following distance, turn signals, adverse weather, and sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists.
- Alabama-specific laws, including the Move Over Act and school zone speed limits.
- Impaired driving: legal blood alcohol limits, implied consent, and DUI penalties.
The Move Over Act trips up a surprising number of test-takers. When you approach a stopped law enforcement or emergency vehicle on a multi-lane highway, you must move to a lane that is not next to the vehicle. If changing lanes is unsafe, you must slow to at least 15 mph below the posted speed limit.5Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Move Over Act
Format, Scoring, and Language Options
You take the exam on a computer terminal at the ALEA office. The 30 questions are randomized, so two applicants testing side by side will see different questions in a different order. The system scores your test immediately after your last answer, so you know whether you passed before leaving the terminal.
ALEA does not publish a time limit, and most people finish in 20 to 30 minutes. The test is offered in English and 11 other languages: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese. You choose your language when you start the exam.
If you cannot read or comprehend the written test, ALEA offers an oral version administered through the same automated equipment.4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Driver Manual Call your local office before your visit to confirm availability.
Vision Screening
Before or after the written test (the order depends on the office’s workflow), you must pass a basic vision screening. Alabama’s standard is at least 20/60 visual acuity.6Alabama Administrative Code. Rule 760-X-20-.21 – Licensing Requirements for Bioptic Lens Users If you meet the standard only with glasses or contacts, your license will carry a corrective-lens restriction. Applicants who cannot meet the threshold even with correction may be referred to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for further evaluation.
Fees and Retaking the Test
The written exam costs $5 per attempt. ALEA offices accept cash, credit cards, and money orders. They do not accept personal checks.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees The statute requires the $5 fee before each attempt, so you pay again every time you retake. Qualified students taking the exam for the first time are exempt from the fee.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 – Section 32-6-21 – Examination Fee
If you fail, most ALEA offices require you to wait until the next business day before retesting. There is no published statutory limit on the number of attempts. Spending an extra day with the driver manual is almost always a better use of time than rushing back the same week.
What Happens After You Pass
Once you pass the written exam and vision screening, you can purchase a learner license at the same visit. The fee is $36.25 for a standard four-year learner’s permit, separate from the $5 exam fee.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees
A Stage I learner’s license lets you drive on public roads only under supervision. You must always be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a licensed driver at least 21 years old, and that supervising driver must sit in the front passenger seat.7Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Graduated Driver License
Applicants under 18 must hold the learner license for at least six months before applying for a Stage II restricted license and taking the road skills test.8Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 32 – Section 32-6-7.2 – Restrictions on Issuance to Persons Under 18
Scheduling Your Visit
ALEA offers online appointment scheduling through its website. Walk-ins are generally accepted, but appointment holders typically move through faster. You can find your nearest office and book through the ALEA driver license appointment portal.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Schedule a Driver License Appointment
A Note on the Motorcycle Test
The standard driver license written test does not qualify you to ride a motorcycle. Riding requires a Class M endorsement, which has its own written exam based on the Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual and covers protective gear, lane positioning, quick stops, swerving, passengers, and group riding.10Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual The same $5 testing fee applies.