Washington Driver Knowledge Test: Rules, Costs, and Retakes

The Washington driver knowledge test is a 40-question multiple-choice exam administered by the Department of Licensing (DOL), and you need at least 32 correct answers (80 percent) to pass.¹ Passing it qualifies you for an instruction permit so you can start practicing behind the wheel. The DOL gives the test under RCW 46.20.120 and RCW 46.20.130, which direct the agency to verify that applicants understand traffic laws before letting them on the road.²

Who Can Take the Test

Your age at the time you apply matters, and so does whether you’re enrolled in driver education. If you’re at least 15 and enrolled in an approved driver training course through a public school traffic safety program or a DOL-licensed driving school, you can apply for the permit. Without driver education, you have to wait until you’re 15 and a half.³

One thing worth knowing before you study: if you’re enrolled in a qualifying driver training course when you apply, the DOL may waive the written exam entirely.³ The driving skills test is still required regardless, but the waiver can shorten the path through the knowledge portion.

What to Bring

You need a valid photo ID with your signature and date of birth. Acceptable documents under WAC 308-104-040 include a U.S. passport, a military ID card, a government-issued employee ID, or a state ID or driver’s license from another state.⁴ A minor who can’t produce any of these can have a parent or guardian vouch for them by affidavit, as long as the parent presents qualifying ID and proof of the relationship.

If you don’t have standard U.S. identification, the DOL also accepts a foreign passport paired with a valid I-94 immigration entry form, a tribal enrollment card from a federally recognized tribe with one supporting document, or a Bureau of Indian Affairs ID with one supporting document.⁴

You’ll also need a Washington Driver License number, which you generate by setting up a profile in the DOL’s License eXpress system before your appointment.⁵

What the Test Covers

Every question comes from the official Washington Driver Guide.⁶ Core topics include:

Traffic signs, signals, and pavement markings, including regulatory signs, signal phases, and lane markings.
Right-of-way rules at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and pedestrian crossings.
Safe driving practices such as following distance, lane changes, merging, and adjusting for weather.
Parking rules, including wheel positioning on hills, parallel parking, and restricted zones.
Impaired driving laws, including blood alcohol concentration limits and the consequences of driving under the influence under Washington’s DUI statute.⁷

Treat the Driver Guide as a textbook rather than a skim. Every question maps to something in it, and the people who fail usually underestimate the detail on signs and right-of-way.

Languages and Accommodations

The computerized test is available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog, and Ukrainian. Printed versions come in a smaller set of languages, and the Driver Guide itself is published in 14 languages.⁶

If you need disability accommodations, the DOL offers headphones or audio-assistive devices, a low-distraction testing environment, and print materials in alternate formats under the Americans with Disabilities Act.⁸ Request them before your appointment, not when you arrive.

Where to Take It and What It Costs

You can test at a DOL office or at a DOL-licensed driver training school. The DOL website lists both state offices and approved third-party sites.⁹ Private schools often have more flexible hours.

The knowledge test fee varies by location, so confirm the amount with your testing site before you go.¹⁰ That fee is separate from the instruction permit itself, which is $35 for one year as of January 2026.³

If You Don’t Pass

Failing isn’t permanent. You can retake the test, though there may be a waiting period before your next attempt, and you’ll pay the testing fee again each time.¹¹ The DOL doesn’t publicly specify a maximum number of attempts. If you keep falling short, go back to the Driver Guide and focus on the sections tied to the questions you missed.

After You Pass

A passing score is valid for two years.¹¹ You have that window to complete the driving skills test and get your license before the score expires and you’d have to retest. Skills tests have their own scheduling pressure, so book early.

Passing qualifies you for the instruction permit, which has firm rules. You must carry the permit at all times while driving, and a licensed driver with at least five years of driving experience must be in the passenger seat. Other passengers of any age are allowed. You cannot use a phone or other mobile device while driving on the permit except to call 911 in an emergency.¹² The permit is valid for one year.

1
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver Training School Knowledge Exam Score Calculator
2
Washington State Legislature. Revised Code of Washington Chapter 46.20 – Drivers’ Licenses – Identicards
3
Washington State Legislature. Revised Code of Washington 46.20.055
4
Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-104-040
5
Washington State Department of Licensing. License eXpress Registration
6
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver Guides
7
Washington State Legislature. Revised Code of Washington 46.61.502
8
Washington State Department of Licensing. Accessing Our Services
9
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver Training Schools and Testing Locations
10
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver Licensing Fees
11
Washington State Department of Licensing. Do I Need to Take a Test?
12
Washington State Department of Licensing. Get Your Learner Permit