Washington permit test cheat sheet

Washington-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
40 questions
Passing score
32 of 40 correct (80%)
Permit and test fees
$35 total
Minimum age for a permit
15 years
Supervised driving
50 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
6 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • If you are enrolling in an approved driver training course, you can apply for your instruction permit as early as age 15. p. 25
  • Without a driver training course, you can take the knowledge exam once you turn 15½, and you get your permit after you pass. p. 25
  • Teens who skip driver training can still hold a permit and practice, but they must wait until they are 18 to take the skills exam and get a license. p. 25
  • Teens must hold the instruction permit for at least 6 months before getting a license. p. 26
  • Teens need at least 40 hours of day driving and 10 hours of night driving, 50 hours in all, and a parent or guardian must attest to it. p. 26
  • Washington's approved traffic safety course standard is 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. p. 26
  • Adults who learn on a permit must practice with a licensed driver who has 5 or more years of experience. p. 28
  • For the first 6 months, an intermediate license holder may not carry passengers under age 20 unless they are immediate family. p. 28
  • From 6 months until age 18 or one year of safe driving, an intermediate driver may carry no more than 3 passengers under 20 who are not immediate family. p. 28
  • Intermediate license holders may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless they are with a licensed driver who is at least 25 (or a parent or guardian). source
  • Intermediate penalties step up: a first violation keeps restrictions in place until 18, a second brings a 6-month suspension (or until 18, if sooner), and a third suspends the license until 18. p. 29

Alcohol & drugs

  • A BAC of 0.08% or more is a DUI for drivers 21 and older. p. 37
  • Drivers under 21 face DUI consequences at a BAC of just 0.02%. p. 37
  • For adults 21 and older, an active THC level of 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood or more is a DUI. p. 38
  • For drivers under 21, any active THC above 0 nanograms per milliliter of blood brings DUI consequences. p. 37
  • Under Washington's implied consent law, a first refusal within seven years means your license is revoked or denied for one year. source
  • Washington's DUI law covers being in physical control of a vehicle, even a parked one. p. 37
  • Open alcohol and cannabis products may be carried only in the trunk or a truck bed. p. 39
  • Cannabis use is legal at 21, but driving after consuming any cannabis is illegal for all ages. p. 73