MN Driver’s Permit: Eligibility, Testing, and Driving Rules

Minnesota’s driver’s permit rules set a minimum age of 15, require driver education for anyone under 18, and only let you drive with a qualified supervisor beside you until you pass the road test. The permit — officially a Class D instruction permit — is issued by the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division, costs $29.50, and stays valid for two years. What follows are the eligibility rules, the tests, the fee, and the restrictions that apply once the permit is in your pocket.

Who Qualifies for a Permit

You can apply starting at age 15. If you’re 15, 16, or 17, you have to be enrolled in an approved driver education program first. That program must include both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. The classroom portion can come from a traditional school, an approved home-school curriculum, a teleconference program, or an online program.¹

Applicants 18 and older skip the driver’s ed requirement. If you’re 18 and would qualify for a Class D license except that you haven’t had driving instruction, DVS will issue the permit once you pass the tests.¹

One disqualifier applies only to minors. The commissioner will not issue a permit to anyone under 18 who has a conviction for driving while impaired, refusing a chemical test, or a crash-related moving violation.¹

What To Bring to the Exam Station

Every applicant has to prove identity, date of birth, Social Security number, and Minnesota residency. For a REAL ID-compliant permit, that means one document proving identity and date of birth (a certified U.S. birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport works), your Social Security number, and two documents proving your current Minnesota address.² A standard, non-REAL ID permit uses the same categories but different acceptable documents. DVS runs an online document guide at dps.mn.gov.³

REAL ID enforcement for boarding domestic flights and entering certain federal facilities began May 7, 2025, so if you plan to use the permit as ID in those situations, the REAL ID version is the one to ask for.³

Applicants under 18 need two more things. The first is a “Blue Card,” the certificate of enrollment issued by your driver education program; without it, DVS won’t let you take the knowledge test. The second is a signature from a parent or guardian on the application. The statute lays out an order: both parents if they live in the same household, otherwise the custodial parent or their spouse, then a guardian, foster parent, or transitional living program director. If none of those fit, an adult spouse, close family member, or employer can sign.¹

The Vision Screening and Knowledge Test

Two evaluations happen at the DVS exam station. The vision screening checks for visual acuity of at least 20/40 and a horizontal visual field of at least 105 degrees, with or without corrective lenses. If you only meet the standard with glasses or contacts, your permit will carry a corrective-lens restriction.⁴

The knowledge test covers Minnesota traffic laws and road signs. It has 40 multiple-choice questions, and passing takes 32 correct answers — 80 percent. It’s offered in English, Hmong, Karen, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language.

Fail once and you can try again the next day. After two consecutive failures, each additional attempt costs $10. There’s no cap on total retakes, but you’re limited to one attempt per day.

Fee, Validity, and Getting the Card

A Class D instruction permit costs $29.50 for a first application and $24.50 for a renewal.⁵ Once you pass both tests, you submit the completed application and pay at the DVS counter. Staff take your photograph and hand you a temporary paper permit. That paper is legal proof of your driving privileges until the plastic card arrives in the mail.

The permit is valid for two years from the issue date. If it expires before you get your license, you renew at the $24.50 rate.⁵

Driving Rules for Permit Holders Under 18

Every time a minor drives on a permit, three things have to be true. The permit has to be on the driver. A supervising driver has to sit in the seat beside them. And that supervisor has to be a certified driver education instructor, a parent or guardian, or another licensed driver at least 21 years old.¹

Cell phone use is fully banned. Not just handheld: a permit holder under 18 cannot use a phone at all while driving, including hands-free calls. The only exception is calling for emergency help when you reasonably believe someone’s life or safety is at risk. A violation is a petty misdemeanor.¹

Under-18 permit holders also have to keep a spotless driving record. Any conviction for a moving violation, impaired driving, or refusing a chemical test gives the commissioner authority to suspend, cancel, or revoke the permit.¹

Driving Rules for Permit Holders 18 and Older

Adult permit holders can’t drive alone either. A licensed adult driver has to be in the seat beside you at all times. The statute doesn’t set a specific age for the supervisor beyond “adult with a license.”¹

Minnesota’s general hands-free law still applies. No driver may hold a wireless device while driving. Voice-activated calling and GPS navigation are allowed as long as you’re not holding the phone or typing while the vehicle is moving.⁶

Everyone in the vehicle, supervisor included, has to wear a seat belt.⁷

How Long You Hold the Permit Before the Road Test

Minimum holding periods apply before you’re eligible to take the road test:

Under 18: at least six months with a clean driving record.
19 and older: at least three months.

Time you spent holding an instruction permit in another state counts toward the Minnesota holding period.¹

Drivers under 18 also have to log supervised driving hours before qualifying for a provisional license. The count depends on whether the supervising parent or guardian completed a supplemental parent class through an approved driver education program:

With the supplemental parent class: at least 40 hours of supervised driving, including 15 nighttime hours.
Without it: at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 nighttime hours.

On top of that total, the applicant has to complete an additional 10 hours. In practice, that’s 50 or 60 total hours depending on the parent class.⁸ You keep the hours in a supervised driving log in a format approved by the commissioner, recording dates and lengths of each trip, and the primary driving supervisor signs the log to attest to the hours.⁹

What a Violation Costs You

Minnesota does not use a point system. Tickets go directly on your driving record, and consequences build up based on how many violations you accumulate within a 12-month period. Three violations in 12 months can lead to a 30-day suspension, four can result in a 90-day suspension, and five can mean losing driving privileges for a full year.

For permit holders under 18, the stakes run higher. The clean-record rule during the holding period means one moving violation can reset the six-month clock, because you need six consecutive violation-free months before you qualify for the next stage.⁸ A serious offense such as impaired driving can trigger an immediate permit revocation at any age.¹

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.05 – Instruction Permit
2
Department of Public Safety. REAL ID Document Requirements
3
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. REAL ID Driver’s License and ID Card
4
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rules 7410.2400 – Vision
5
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Driver’s License and ID Card Fees
6
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 169.475
7
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 169.686 – Seat Belt Use Required; Penalty
8
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 171.055 – Provisional License
9
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Supervised Driving Log