The Missouri driver’s license written test is a 25-question multiple-choice exam covering traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices, and you must answer at least 20 correctly — 80 percent — to pass.1Missouri State Highway Patrol. Driver Examination FAQs The Missouri State Highway Patrol runs the exam at its driver examination stations; the Department of Revenue issues the actual permit or license once you pass.2Missouri State Highway Patrol. Driver Examination Every question comes from the official Missouri Driver Guide.
What the Test Covers
Missouri statute requires applicants to demonstrate knowledge of highway signs and a practical understanding of the state’s traffic laws.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 302.130 – Examination of Applicants The 25 questions fall into a few broad areas.
Traffic Laws and Right-of-Way
Expect questions on who goes first at intersections, when to yield, and speed limits under different road conditions. You’ll see the rule that you must signal at least 100 feet before turning.4Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Guide – Chapter 4 Safe following distance comes up often. Missouri teaches the three-second rule: pick a fixed object ahead and count at least three seconds between when the car in front passes it and when you reach it.
Road Signs
Three sign types show up. Regulatory signs like stop and yield signs carry legal force, and disobeying them is a traffic violation. Warning signs flag hazards ahead, such as sharp curves or merging lanes. Guide signs give directions and point out services or exits. The test checks whether you can identify each type by shape and color, not just by reading the words on them. Sign questions are close to free points once you’ve memorized the shapes and colors, so give this chapter of the Driver Guide extra time.
The Move Over Law
This one is a frequent test topic because many drivers get it wrong. On a road with at least four lanes, you must change lanes away from any stopped emergency vehicle, tow truck, or highway maintenance vehicle displaying flashing lights. If you can’t move over safely, slow down and pass with caution.5Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.022 – Emergency and Stationary Vehicles The law covers amber-light vehicles, not just police and fire.
How to Study
The Missouri Driver Guide is the single best resource, because everything on the test comes from it. Download the PDF from the Department of Revenue or pick up a printed copy at any license office.6Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Guide Use the current version. Missouri updates the guide when laws change, and older editions can miss material that’s on the current exam.
If you’re under 18, read the graduated license chapter carefully — the rules that apply to you personally are fair game on the test. Otherwise, weight your time toward signs and right-of-way, which produce the most questions.
Who Can Take It
Missouri’s graduated driver license law sets 15 as the earliest age you can apply for a Class F instruction permit.7Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Graduated Driver License Law Between 15 and 17 you’re in the graduated system, which requires holding the permit for at least 182 days before you move up to an intermediate license. At 18 or older, you can apply directly for a full Class F operator license, though you still take the written test and a driving skills exam.
What to Bring
Section 302.171 requires proof of your full legal name and date of birth, such as a certified birth certificate or valid U.S. passport.8Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 302.171 – Application for License You’ll also need your Social Security number (the card, or a W-2 or pay stub that shows it) and two documents proving your Missouri residential address, like a utility bill and a bank statement. If your name has changed since your birth certificate was issued, bring certified documentation, such as a marriage certificate or court order.
You’ll fill out an application listing your current address and any medical conditions that could affect safe driving.
Vision Screening
Before the written test, you take a vision screening. Missouri requires it for every new permit or license applicant.9Missouri Department of Revenue. 12 CSR 10-24.090 – Missouri Driver License or Permit Vision Test Guidelines Vision of 20/40 or better in either eye passes without restrictions. Below 20/40 you may still qualify with corrective lenses or other conditions noted on your license. A reading of 20/161 or worse means the state will deny the permit or license. Bring your glasses or contacts if you wear them; if you need them to reach 20/40, your license will carry a restriction requiring you to wear them while driving. The screening takes about a minute.
Test Day
The written test happens at a Missouri State Highway Patrol examination station, not a Department of Revenue license office. Testing is walk-in and depends on staff availability and how many applicants are ahead of you, so get there early.2Missouri State Highway Patrol. Driver Examination
You’ll check in, confirm eligibility, and wait for an open computer terminal. Most stations use a touchscreen where you tap your answer for each question. There’s no fee to take the test at the patrol station; you pay the permit fee later at the license office. Partitioned desks keep things private. Proctors are nearby if the computer glitches, but they can’t help with the questions. When you finish, the system prints your results.
Languages and Accommodations
Missouri offers the written test in roughly 20 languages beyond English, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and French. An American Sign Language video version is available. If you want to test in a language other than English, call your local examination station first to confirm availability.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, testing entities must provide reasonable accommodations so the exam measures your knowledge of traffic laws rather than penalizing a disability.10ADA.gov. Testing Accommodations Options include extended time, a screen reader, a wheelchair-accessible station, or having the test read aloud. Contact the examination station in advance. Bring documentation such as an IEP or Section 504 plan if you have one; accommodations you received in school generally qualify you for the same on the driver’s test.
If You Don’t Pass
You need 20 out of 25 correct to pass, so you can miss up to five questions. The computer shows your score right after you finish, and the station prints a results sheet.
If you miss the cut, you can retake the test. There’s no separate retest fee since the written exam is free at the patrol station. Individual stations set their own rules on how soon you can try again, so ask at the desk. Look at which topics tripped you up and reread those sections of the Driver Guide before you come back.
After You Pass
Take your printed results to a Department of Revenue license office to get your instruction permit. The Class F instruction permit costs $10.11Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver License and Nondriver ID – Section: Permit/Driver License/Nondriver ID Fees Hold onto that results sheet between the patrol station and the license office. Without it, staff can’t issue your permit.
If you’re under 16, you can only drive with a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, qualified driving instructor, or someone at least 25 years old who has been licensed for at least three years and has written permission from your parent or guardian, seated in the front passenger seat. At 16, any licensed driver 21 or older can supervise you.7Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Graduated Driver License Law