New York Permit Test: 20 Questions, 14 Correct (What the NY DMV Says)

In New York, your first step toward a Class D (car) license is a learner permit. To get one, you pass a vision test and a written knowledge test at the DMV.

People mostly want to know two things: how many questions are on the New York permit test, and how many you can get wrong. Unlike some states, New York publishes both numbers. This guide sticks to what the New York State DMV says on dmv.ny.gov and in the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), and links every source.

Short answers

From Chapter 1 of the New York State Driver's Manual:

• The written test has 20 questions.
• You must answer at least 14 correctly to pass.
• Of those, you must answer 2 of the 4 road sign questions correctly.
• The vision test requires 20/40 vision in at least one eye, with or without corrective lenses.

So you can miss up to 6 questions overall, but the road sign rule is separate. If you miss 3 or 4 of the road sign questions, you fail even if your total is 14 or higher. That's the detail many people skim past.

What the test covers

The manual says the written test for a Class D, M, DJ, MJ or E license "examines knowledge of the rules of the road, safe driving techniques, road signs and the laws about alcohol and drug use while driving."

The DMV's manual page is specific about which chapters matter. Chapters 4 through 11 "include material you must know to pass the DMV written test for a Class D, DJ or E learner permit." Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 3, about licenses, keeping your license and owning a vehicle) is useful, but the DMV says it "is not covered on the permit written test."

The tested chapters are:

• Chapter 4: Traffic Control
• Chapter 5: Intersections and Turns
• Chapter 6: Passing
• Chapter 7: Parallel Parking
• Chapter 8: Defensive Driving
• Chapter 9: Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Chapter 10: Special Driving Conditions
• Chapter 11: Sharing the Road
• Road Signs You Must Know (the sign chart)

Give the sign chart real time. Four questions come from it, and you need at least two of them right no matter how well you do elsewhere.

Free official practice

The online version of the manual has an interactive quiz at the end of each tested chapter. The DMV says these quizzes use "actual test questions." There's also a Road Signs Quiz and an All Chapters Quiz. Printed copies of the manual are free at DMV offices.

A simple plan: read one chapter, take its quiz, and reread anything you missed. When every chapter quiz feels easy, take the Road Signs Quiz and then the All Chapters Quiz.

Languages

The DMV's permit test page says Class D permit tests are given in 20 languages: English, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Chinese, French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, and Yiddish. The manual adds that the test can be taken on a touch screen test station or on paper.

Taking the test online if you're under 18

The DMV says applicants under 18 have the option to take the permit test online. After you pass, you can book an appointment at a DMV office, but the DMV needs three business days to review your exam results and identity documents. If you go to an office within those first three business days, you'll have to retake and pass the test in the office.

Separately, the manual describes the Online Knowledge Test Application (OKTA) program at participating high schools. Students who are at least 15 years and 11 months old can take the written test there, in English or Spanish. Students who are at least 16 bring their receipt and completed forms to a motor vehicle office to apply for the permit. Students who fail the OKTA test "can take it again online as many times as the school allows."

What to bring

From the DMV's permit page and the manual:

• A completed Application for Permit, Driver License or Non-Driver ID Card (MV-44).
• Proofs of identity, age and residence. The DMV's document ID-44 lists what's accepted, and there's an online pre-screening tool that tells you which forms and documents you need.
• Your Social Security number.
• The permit fee. The DMV says the fee is based on your age and date of birth and depends on whether you get a Standard, Enhanced or REAL ID permit. Use the DMV fee chart for your number.

New York residents 16 and older can apply for a learner permit.

After you pass

Once you pass the vision and written tests and pay your fees, you get your learner permit and can start practicing. The manual says you must be supervised by a licensed driver who is at least 21, holds a license valid for the vehicle you're driving, and sits in the front seat with you. Drivers under 18 also have Junior Operator restrictions, covered in Chapter 1. Most drivers must also complete an approved 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course before the road test.

Study with a capsule

Once you've worked through the manual and the DMV's free quizzes, our New York driver license knowledge test capsule is a guided journey through the same material. It asks you questions, explains the answers in plain language, and stays with you as a study companion until test day. Use it alongside the official manual, not instead of it.

Sources

All checked on November 2, 2026:

• NY DMV, New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Driver Licenses: 20 questions, 14 correct, 2 of 4 road sign questions, vision, OKTA, supervision, 5-hour course.
• NY DMV, New York State Driver's Manual and Practice Tests: Chapters 4 to 11 tested, chapter quizzes, Road Signs Quiz, All Chapters Quiz.
• NY DMV, Prepare for and take your permit test: 20 languages, online test for under 18, three business days, MV-44, ID-44, fee chart.
• NY DMV, Get a learner permit: residents 16 and older.

Rules change. Check dmv.ny.gov before your test day.