How to Get an Oregon Driving Permit: Eligibility, Tests, and Rules

To get an Oregon driving permit, you apply in person at a DMV field office starting at age 15, bring documents proving your identity and Oregon address, pass a vision screening and a 35-question knowledge test, and pay a $30 fee ($60 for the Real ID version). The permit is valid for two years and lets you practice on public roads with a licensed adult beside you.¹

Who Qualifies

The minimum age for a Class C instruction permit is 15.² There is no upper age limit.

If you’re under 18, Oregon adds a school requirement. You need a high school diploma, a GED, or a parent or guardian who certifies you’re currently enrolled. The state reads “enrolled” broadly, covering public and private schools, community college programs, and homeschooling that meets state attendance rules.³ If a teen’s driving privileges were previously suspended for withdrawing from school, going back to class isn’t enough on its own; the principal or a designee has to sign a DMV form confirming attendance has resumed.

Adults 18 and older skip the school rule but still need to show Oregon residency and prove their identity.

Documents to Bring

Every applicant provides a Social Security number (or certifies they don’t have one), proof of identity, and two documents from separate sources confirming an Oregon address.⁴ Utility bills, bank statements, and lease agreements all qualify for the address proof.

You can choose between a standard permit and a Real ID-compliant one. The Real ID version costs $60 instead of $30 and requires additional original documents proving your full legal name, date of birth, and lawful U.S. status.⁵ Since May 7, 2025, a Real ID or passport has been required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities.⁶

Applicants under 18 whose parent or guardian can’t come to the DMV in person need to bring Form 735-173DP, the parent/guardian certification, already signed.⁷ The main application (Form 735-173) asks about physical or mental conditions that affect safe driving. A “yes” answer means the DMV won’t issue a permit that day and will ask for medical documentation before going further.

The Knowledge Test

The test has 35 multiple-choice questions, and you need 28 correct to pass.⁸ Every question is drawn from the Oregon Driver Manual, which is free on the DMV website. Topics range from right-of-way rules to road sign shapes.

Fail once and you can retake the test the same day if the office has an opening. There’s no mandatory wait after a first failure. Cheating is different: it triggers a 90-day testing lockout.¹

The test is offered in 13 languages: Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.⁸

At the DMV Field Office

You have to go in person. Oregon’s DMV2U portal lets you book an appointment, and doing that ahead of time is the difference between a short visit and a long walk-in wait.⁹

Three steps happen in sequence at the counter: document verification, vision screening, and the knowledge test. The vision screening looks for at least 20/40 acuity for unrestricted driving. Vision between 20/40 and 20/70 may still qualify, but the permit will be restricted to daylight driving.¹⁰ Bring your glasses or contacts if you normally wear them; if you need them to pass, the permit will carry a corrective lenses restriction.

Once you clear both screenings, you pay the fee and walk out with a temporary paper permit that’s legally valid for driving. The permanent card arrives by mail, typically within about two weeks.

Driving Rules Once You Have the Permit

Every time you drive with an instruction permit, a licensed driver at least 21 years old has to be in the seat next to you.² That rule has no exceptions for parking lots, short trips, or empty roads. The permit also has to be on you while you drive.

Anyone under 18 faces a stricter mobile device rule. Oregon prohibits handheld use by all drivers, and the hands-free defense that adults can use does not apply to drivers under 18.¹¹ For a teen permit holder, that means no phone use at the wheel at all, even through Bluetooth or a dashboard mount.

What Comes After the Permit

The permit is a two-year window to practice. What you do inside it depends on age.

Under 18

To move up to a provisional driver license, you have to be at least 16 and have held the instruction permit for at least six months. You also certify one of two practice-hour totals: 100 hours of supervised driving, or 50 hours if you completed an ODOT-approved driver education course. At least 10 of those hours should be at night.¹² The supervising driver has to be at least 21 and have held a valid license for at least three years.¹³

Driver education does more than cut the practice requirement in half. Completing an ODOT-approved course also lets you skip the DMV drive test.¹⁴ Without it, you complete the full 100 hours and sit for the behind-the-wheel exam.

18 and Older

Adults don’t go through the provisional stage. When you’re ready, you schedule a drive test at the DMV and, if you pass, receive a full Class C license. There’s no minimum holding period and no set number of practice hours. The permit is good for two years; if it expires before you take the drive test, you reapply and pay the fee again.¹

1
Oregon Department of Transportation. Get an Instruction Permit – Over 18
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Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 807.280 – Instruction Driver Permit
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Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 807.066 – School Requirements for Persons Under 18 Years of Age
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Get an Instruction Permit – Under 18
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Driver Information
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Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon Driver Manual – Other Important Information
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon Driver Manual – Testing
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Oregon Department of Transportation. How to Make an Appointment
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Certificate of Vision
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Oregon Public Law. ORS 811.507 – Operating Motor Vehicle While Using Mobile Electronic Device
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Get a Driver License – Under 18
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Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 807.065 – Additional Eligibility Requirements for Persons Under 18 Years of Age
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Oregon Department of Transportation. Welcome to the World of Teen Driving