Class D skills test
Idaho's Class D skills test is given by third-party Skills Test Examiners, not county DMV staff. It takes about 30 minutes: a vehicle knowledge and inspection check (arm signals included), then a drive over a set route with city, residential, interstate, intersection, turn and parking sections. You pass with 12 or fewer errors and no critical driving error; five errors on the same skill count as a critical driving error.
Checked October 4, 2026 against official Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles sources. Tap a numbered chip to read the exact wording.
Applicants must be at least 15. Drivers under 17 must complete approved driver training and a 6-month supervised instruction period (SIP) with 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night; skills test eligibility dates are strictly enforced. Instruction permit holders 17 and older, new drivers, and some others must also take the skills test. The ITD guide says to pass the knowledge test first unless you are under 17 on an SIP; the handbook says the tests may be taken in either order. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Applicants must be 15 years of age or older to take the knowledge and skills tests.”“Accumulate at least 50 hours of supervised driving time, ten hours of which must be at night.”“Once you have successfully met the requirements of the GDL, you will be required to take and pass a knowledge and skills test before being issued a driver's license.”“it is beneficial for the applicant to pass the knowledge test prior to taking the skills test. However, tests may be taken in either order. Skills tests may only be scheduled during daylight hours and during acceptable weather conditions.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026Official source 2itd.idaho.gov“Completed an approved driver's training course and the SIP (under 17). Skills test eligibility dates are strictly enforced.”“You must pass the Class D knowledge test before taking the Class D skills test except for those under 17 years of age that are on a supervised instruction permit (SIP).”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
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The examiner checks your car before you drive. If it fails, you usually can’t take the test that day.
Errors are counted on scored skills. You pass with 12 or fewer errors and no critical driving error (CDE). A CDE is an automatic fail and the test ends at once; making the same error 5 times is itself a CDE (habitual violation). Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“You must be able to demonstrate the essential driving skills to safely operate a motor vehicle while abiding by Idaho traffic laws. Twelve or fewer errors is a passing score.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026Official source 2itd.idaho.gov“To pass the test, you must not have more than 12 errors or commit a critical driving error. Five errors of the same skill is considered a critical driving error.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Any one of these ends or fails a Idaho road test, no matter how well the rest goes.
Steps and scoring come from Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles’s own materials, in their words where possible. Where a state publishes no steps, we say so rather than guess.
You must locate or demonstrate the listed vehicle items and all three arm signals. Missing any starred safety item ends the test; otherwise you can miss 3 or fewer and go on to the drive.
Not officially described by DMV.
Parking (stall and curb) is a scored item; the route includes a parking lot.
Not officially described by DMV.
Curb parking is scored. Street parking more than 18 inches from the curb while impeding traffic is a critical driving error.
Not officially described by DMV.
Turns are part of the route; signaling, traffic checks, lane position and right-of-way are scored.
Not officially described by DMV.
Turns are part of the route; signaling, traffic checks, lane position and right-of-way are scored.
Not officially described by DMV.
Listed among the turns on the route.
Not officially described by DMV.
Complete stops, gap or stop line, right-of-way and traffic checks are scored; disobeying a traffic sign or signal is a critical driving error.
Not officially described by DMV.
Signal, traffic checks and spacing are scored.
Not officially described by DMV.
Speed control, spacing, lane position and traffic checks are scored.
Not officially described by DMV.
Smooth speeding up and slowing down. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Paying attention to the road and traffic. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Stop fully, at the right place; unnecessary stops are also scored. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Keep the vehicle in the proper lane position. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Yield when required. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Signal turns, lane changes and pulling to the curb. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Keep a safe following distance and space around the car. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Drive at a legal, safe speed; more than 10 mph over or unsafe speed is a critical error. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Smooth, controlled steering. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Check mirrors and blind spots and scan for traffic. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Acceleration/deceleration, attentiveness, stopping (complete/ unnecessary), lane position, right-of-way, signaling, spacing, speed control, steering control, unnecessary stops, parking (stall & curb), traffic checks, etc.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Wait 3 days before retesting with the same or a different examiner. You pay both fees again: the county DMV fee (for a new skills test receipt) and the examiner's fee. The total skills test fee is $35 ($6.50 to the county DMV and up to $28.50 to the examiner). No attempt limit is published. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“IF YOU FAIL A SKILLS TEST, YOU MUST WAIT THREE (3) DAYS TO RETEST. YOU WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO PAY BOTH TEST FEES AGAIN (COUNTY AND SKILLS TEST EXAMINER).”“Skills Test ($6.50 paid to county DMV and up to $28.50 to Skills Test Examiner)”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026Official source 2itd.idaho.gov“Wait three days to schedule another skills test with the same or a different examiner. Pay the county DMV fee and obtain another skills test receipt.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Didn’t pass? What to do next, including the Idaho permit (knowledge) test retake rules.
Third-party contractors (Skills Test Examiners) give every Class D skills test; you choose and call an examiner from ITD's regional lists. A skills test isn't required for most valid out-of-state license transfers (expired less than 25 months). Drivers from Germany don't take the skills test, and drivers from Korea or Taiwan skip it if they surrender their license. Official source 1itd.idaho.gov“Idaho has third party contractors who administer all Class D skills tests.”“you will be required to pass a Class D knowledge test (and skills test if your license has been expired for 25 months or more).”“If drivers from Korea or Taiwan choose not to surrender their foreign driver's license, they must take the skills test. Drivers from Germany do not have to surrender their license or take the skills test.”Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↗Checked October 4, 2026
Idaho's Class D skills test is given by third-party Skills Test Examiners, not county DMV staff. It takes about 30 minutes: a vehicle knowledge and inspection check (arm signals included), then a drive over a set route with city, residential, interstate, intersection, turn and parking sections. You pass with 12 or fewer errors and no critical driving error; five errors on the same skill count as a critical driving error. Maneuvers covered by official sources: Applicant vehicle knowledge and inspection, Stall parking (parking lot), Curb (street) parking, Left turns, Right turns, U-turn, Intersections (controlled, uncontrolled, railroad, roundabout), Lane changes, Interstate (freeway) driving.
Errors are counted on scored skills. You pass with 12 or fewer errors and no critical driving error (CDE). A CDE is an automatic fail and the test ends at once; making the same error 5 times is itself a CDE (habitual violation).
Official Idaho sources list these as automatic failures: Dangerous action; Disobeying an emergency or safety vehicle; Disobeying police or safety personnel; Disobeying a traffic sign or signal; Driving up onto the curb or sidewalk; Examiner has to intervene, or you disobey the examiner; Habitual violation: 5 or more errors on the same scored skill; Lane violation; Passenger interference; Speeding (more than 10 mph over, or unsafe speed); Street parking more than 18 inches from the curb and impeding traffic; and Striking an object.
Photo ID: state-issued photo ID or driver's license, instruction permit, supervised instruction permit, passport, school ID or yearbook; Written or in-person permission from the vehicle owner if you don't own the car (permission by phone is not accepted); Valid, unexpired proof of insurance in the vehicle, paper or digital (an SR22 doesn't count); Valid, unexpired vehicle registration in the vehicle: the original, not a photocopy, signed by the registrant; Skills test receipt from the county DMV, needed for identity only if you have no state-issued credential; Skills Test Evaluation Form, only for a medical caution or recurring skills test requirement; and A licensed driver to drive you to the test if you don't have a valid license.
Examiner checks passenger door, passenger seatbelt, rear-view or both side mirrors, windshield (no cracks or obstructions); Tires with at least 2/32 inch of tread; no studded tires May 1 to September 30; No critical dashboard warning lights or gauges lit; No dealer plates unless you are a dealer or full-time salesperson with a state-issued dealer ID; No rental car if you are unlicensed or under 25; You must show working: driver door, driver seatbelt, brake lights, turn signals, headlights, wipers, hazard lights, driver window, horn (missing any of these ends the test); You must also locate the emergency/parking brake and defroster/defogger and demonstrate all three arm signals; you can miss 3 or fewer items and continue; and Only a parent or legal guardian (for a minor), translator, missionary companion or law enforcement officer may ride along, and they must sign a liability waiver.
Applicants must be at least 15. Drivers under 17 must complete approved driver training and a 6-month supervised instruction period (SIP) with 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night; skills test eligibility dates are strictly enforced. Instruction permit holders 17 and older, new drivers, and some others must also take the skills test. The ITD guide says to pass the knowledge test first unless you are under 17 on an SIP; the handbook says the tests may be taken in either order.
Wait 3 days before retesting with the same or a different examiner. You pay both fees again: the county DMV fee (for a new skills test receipt) and the examiner's fee. The total skills test fee is $35 ($6.50 to the county DMV and up to $28.50 to the examiner). No attempt limit is published.
Third-party contractors (Skills Test Examiners) give every Class D skills test; you choose and call an examiner from ITD's regional lists. A skills test isn't required for most valid out-of-state license transfers (expired less than 25 months). Drivers from Germany don't take the skills test, and drivers from Korea or Taiwan skip it if they surrender their license.
ITD does not publish the Class D examiner score sheet. The scored skills and critical driving errors come from the ITD 'Taking the Driver's Test' page and the handbook (rev. 2026). An older ITD 'Class D Skills Test Guide' (04-10) in the Idaho State Library archive gives a 15-error limit and a 1/32-inch tread minimum; both are superseded by the current 12-error limit and 2/32-inch rule. Conflict: the handbook says the knowledge and skills tests may be taken in either order, but the ITD web guide says to pass the knowledge test first unless you are under 17 on an SIP. No official steps are published for individual maneuvers. Results: if you pass, the examiner gives you a sealed envelope to take to the county DMV; if it has been opened, the result is held for ITD verification.
Every fact above links to one of these official pages. Checked October 4, 2026.
This guide summarizes official Idaho sources for study. It is not the test itself, and only a DMV examiner (or a tester the state licenses) can pass or fail you. Rules change; confirm with Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles before test day.