What to Bring to the PA Driver’s Test: Permit, Vehicle, and ID

For the Pennsylvania driver’s test, bring your valid learner’s permit, original identity and residency documents, your vehicle’s registration and current proof of insurance, and a qualified licensed driver to accompany you. Here is exactly what to bring to the PA driver’s test, down to which documents count and who can sign for you if you are under 18. Forget one item and the examiner will reschedule you, so treat the list below as your door check before you leave the house.

Your Learner’s Permit

Bring your valid, unexpired Pennsylvania learner’s permit. Without it, you cannot test. Everything else on this page assumes the permit is in your pocket.

Identity Documents

PennDOT wants originals. Photocopies are not accepted.¹

If you are a U.S. citizen, bring two identity documents. One has to be your original Social Security card. The second can be a birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, or Certificate of Naturalization.¹ Every document must show the same name. If your name has changed through marriage or divorce, bring the original marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order that links your prior name to your current one.

If you are not a U.S. citizen but are lawfully present, PennDOT accepts an unexpired Permanent Resident Card, an unexpired Employment Authorization Card from DHS, or an unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and I-94 form.²

Proof of Pennsylvania Residency

If you are 18 or older, bring two documents proving you live in Pennsylvania. PennDOT accepts tax records, lease agreements, mortgage documents, W-2 forms, current utility bills, and bank statements.¹

Nothing in your name? The person you live with can come to the Driver License Center with their photo ID and sign an affidavit confirming your residency on the spot.

Applicants under 18 do not need separate residency proof. The parental consent form covers it.

If You Are Under 18

A parent, legal guardian, person in loco parentis, or spouse has to provide written consent. Bring a signed Parent or Guardian Certification Form (DL-180C) or a Parent or Guardian Consent Form (DL-180TD).³ That adult must sign the form in front of either the driver’s license examiner at the center or a notary.⁴ If they cannot come with you, get the form notarized before test day.

The same form is where your parent or guardian certifies you have completed Pennsylvania’s required 65 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, including at least 10 hours at night and 5 hours in bad weather, and that at least six months have passed since your permit was issued.⁵ The examiner does not check a practice log, but the certification is part of the paperwork.

For the Vehicle

Bring the test vehicle’s valid registration card and current proof of insurance.³ The car must also display a valid Pennsylvania inspection sticker, plus an emissions sticker if your county requires one.¹

The car itself has to work. Before you leave the parking area, the examiner will ask you to operate the horn, parking lights, high and low beam headlights, turn signals, windshield wipers, four-way flashers, parking brake, and defroster. If any one of these does not work, you fail on the spot.¹ Check every control the night before, especially if the car is borrowed.

The examiner also inspects brakes, tires, mirrors, seats, and doors. Pennsylvania law prohibits sun screening on the windshield below the AS-1 line, the front side wings, and front side windows if it prevents someone from seeing inside.⁶ Aftermarket tint on those windows can get the car rejected. Use a vehicle with factory glass up front.

An Accompanying Driver

You cannot drive to the test center alone on a learner’s permit. The person who rides with you must hold a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license and be at least 21. The age drops to 18 if that person is your parent, guardian, or spouse.¹ The examiner checks their license, so remind them to bring it. They stay at the center while you test.

Glasses or Contacts, If You Wear Them

PennDOT screens your vision during the licensing process. The standard is 20/40 combined vision or better. If corrective lenses get you there, you will be licensed with a restriction requiring you to wear them while driving.⁷ Bring the glasses or contacts you rely on. If corrected vision falls between 20/40 and 20/60, you may qualify for a daylight-only restriction.

A Way to Pay

You likely already paid the combined permit-and-license fee when you got your permit: $45.50 for a four-year license, or $33.50 for a two-year license if you are 65 or older.⁸ There is no separate skills test fee at a Driver License Center. If you test with a PennDOT-certified third-party provider, expect an additional fee set by that business, often in the $75 to $150 range, sometimes including use of their vehicle.

Driver License Centers take debit cards, credit cards, checks, and money orders. They do not take cash. The one exception is the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, which takes cash along with the other methods.⁸

One Note on REAL ID

If you want your new license to be REAL ID-compliant, that is a separate document set: one proof of identity and lawful status, one proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of Pennsylvania residency.⁹ Much of it overlaps with what you are already bringing, but confirm your specific documents against PennDOT’s REAL ID checklist before you go so you do not have to return.

Door Check Before You Leave

Valid, unexpired learner’s permit
Original Social Security card plus one more identity document (birth certificate, passport, or citizenship certificate)
Two residency documents if you are 18 or older
Signed DL-180C or DL-180TD if you are under 18, with a parent or guardian present or the form already notarized
Vehicle registration card
Current proof of insurance
Valid inspection and emissions stickers on the car
Accompanying driver with a valid Pennsylvania license (21+, or 18+ if parent, guardian, or spouse)
Glasses or contacts if you need them to meet 20/40
Debit card, credit card, check, or money order for any fees

1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chapter 1 – Testing
2
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. REAL ID Info for Non-U.S. Citizens
3
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Get a Driver’s License
4
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Parent or Guardian Consent Form DL-180TD
5
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chapter 1 – Applying for a Learner’s Permit
6
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Title 75 – Section 4524
7
Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 67 Pa. Code 83.3 – Visual Standards
8
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees – Driver and Vehicle Services
9
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. REAL ID in Pennsylvania