Failed Your Permit Test? Retake Rules in Every State (2026)
Failing the permit test is common: across 36 states, only about 62% of knowledge tests were passed in 2020–2023 (USA Today analysis). California’s DMV found that fail rates “tend to either remain about the same or increase over multiple attempts” (CA DMV research), so the retake goes better when you study what you missed first. Pick your state for its official retake rules, your earliest retake date and a free check of your weak topics.
| State | Wait before retaking |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Not published |
| Alaska | Next day |
| Arizona | Next day |
| Arkansas | 5-day wait |
| California | Under 18: 7-day wait; 18 or older: not published |
| Colorado | Not published |
| Connecticut | 7-day wait |
| Delaware | Not published |
| Florida | Not published |
| Georgia | First failure: next day; Second failure or later: 7-day wait |
| Hawaii | 7-day wait |
| Idaho | 3-day wait |
| Illinois | Not published |
| Indiana | Next business day |
| Iowa | Not published |
| Kansas | 1st, 2nd or 3rd failure: next business day; 4th failure: 6 months |
| Kentucky | Next day |
| Louisiana | Not published |
| Maine | Not published |
| Maryland | First failure: next business day; Second failure or later: 7-day wait |
| Massachusetts | Not published |
| Michigan | Next day |
| Minnesota | Next day |
| Mississippi | Not published |
| Missouri | Same day |
| Montana | Next day |
| Nebraska | Fewer than six failed tests: next day; Six failed tests: 90 days |
| Nevada | Next day |
| New Hampshire | 10 days |
| New Jersey | 7 days |
| New Mexico | First or second failure: same day; Third failure: 6 months |
| New York | Not published |
| North Carolina | 7 days |
| North Dakota | Next day |
| Ohio | Next day |
| Oklahoma | Next day |
| Oregon | Same day |
| Pennsylvania | Next business day |
| Rhode Island | 8-day wait |
| South Carolina | Not published |
| South Dakota | Next business day |
| Tennessee | Next day |
| Texas | Not published |
| Utah | Same day |
| Vermont | Next day |
| Virginia | Under 18: 15-day wait; 18 or older: next day |
| Washington | Not published |
| West Virginia | Not published |
| Wisconsin | Next day |
| Wyoming | Missed 13 or more questions: 3-day wait; Missed 12 or fewer: not published |
From each state’s official sources; every state page quotes the exact wording. “Not published” means the official sources we checked don’t give a waiting period. Knowledge (written) test only; road-test rules are on each state page.