Pennsylvania permit test cheat sheet

Pennsylvania-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format
18 questions
Passing score
15 of 18 correct (83%)
Permit and test fees
$45.50 total
Minimum age for a permit
16 years
Supervised driving
65 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
6 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • Pennsylvania does not accept a learner's permit application before your 16th birthday. p. 5
  • A permit holder under 18 must be supervised by a licensed driver who is at least 21, or by a licensed parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse who is at least 18. p. 7
  • Drivers under 18 may not carry more passengers than the vehicle has seat belts. p. 7
  • Pennsylvania requires at least 65 hours of behind-the-wheel skill-building before the road test if you are under 18. p. 6
  • The 65 hours must include no less than 10 hours of nighttime driving and 5 hours of bad-weather driving. p. 6
  • Young drivers must wait a mandatory six months from the permit issue date and have the 65 practice hours certified before the road test. p. 6
  • If you are under 18 and fail the road test, Pennsylvania law makes you wait seven days before retesting. p. 10
  • The Pennsylvania knowledge test has 18 multiple-choice questions and you must answer 15 correctly, so you can miss no more than three. p. 9
  • Junior drivers may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis or spouse 18 or older is with them. p. 7
  • For the first six months, a junior driver may carry no more than one passenger under 18 who is not an immediate family member unless a parent, guardian or spouse 18 or older is in the vehicle. p. 8
  • The increased limit of three passengers does not apply to a junior driver who has ever been partially or fully responsible for a crash or convicted of any driving violation. p. 8
  • A junior driver receives a mandatory 90-day suspension for building up six or more points or being convicted of driving 26 mph or more over the posted limit. p. 8
  • Pennsylvania lets a person with 20/40 or better combined vision drive without corrective lenses. source

Laws, points & insurance

  • The first time an adult's record reaches six or more points, PennDOT sends notice to take a written special point examination. p. 83
  • Three points are removed for every 12 consecutive months in which you are not suspended and commit no violation that brings points or a suspension. p. 83
  • After your driving privilege is restored, the record shows five points no matter how many it had before. p. 84
  • Pennsylvania requires liability insurance on a registered vehicle at all times. p. 84
  • Pennsylvania law requires you to notify PennDOT within 15 days of a name or address change, even if you are moving out of state. p. 93
  • Your vehicle must pass a safety inspection at an authorized station every 12 months, and the sticker shows when it is due. p. 96
  • Parking unlawfully in a disability space is a summary offense with a fine of $50 to $200, and the vehicle may be towed at the owner's cost. p. 96
  • It is illegal to drive around or through signs or devices that close a road for hazards like flooding. p. 97
  • Pennsylvania's minimum liability coverage is $15,000 for injury to one person, $30,000 for injury to two or more people, and $5,000 for damage to others' property in any one crash. source