Maryland Permit Test: 25 Questions, 22 to Pass
Maryland's Rookie Driver program starts with a learner permit at age 15 years 9 months and uses age-specific waiting periods before the provisional license. The Class C knowledge exam has 25 questions, a 20-minute limit and an 88% passing score. Every first-time driver also completes certified driver education, while supervised-practice hours and permit-hold time change substantially by age.
Independent guide. Road to Permit is not affiliated with or endorsed by a DMV, DPS or other government agency. Use the official state links below when a rule, fee or procedure matters.
Maryland does not use one permit clock for every first-time driver. The hold is nine months for many applicants under 18, three months for age 18 with a diploma/equivalent and ages 19–24, and 45 days at age 25+. Practice hours also drop from 60/10 to 14/3 at age 25+. Compare Maryland age paths →
- 15y 9mminimum permit age
- 25 / 88%questions / passing score
- 30 + 6driver-ed classroom / BTW hours
Maryland learner-permit knowledge-test format
The Maryland Class C knowledge test has 25 questions and requires 88% — 22 correct answers — within 20 minutes. After a first failure, the applicant may retest the next business day if an appointment is available; after two or more failures, the wait becomes at least seven calendar days. The learner permit Type I fee is currently $65 and includes conversion to the full license.
| questions | 25 |
|---|---|
| time limit | 20 min |
| passing score | 88% |
Expect signs, rules and safe-driving topics
MVA describes roadway signage, rules of the road, impaired-driving dangers/penalties, bicyclist sharing and hands-free law among the tested areas.
Use timed and untimed official practice
Take untimed sets to learn, then use the timed 20-minute mode for test-day pacing.
The steps to a Maryland driver license
The first Rookie Driver step begins at 15 years 9 months. Apply at a full-service MVA office after studying, pre-applying and gathering the document package.
- Step 1. Study the current Maryland Driver's Manual and official MVA tutorial.
- Step 2. Complete the pre-application and schedule a full-service MVA appointment.
- Step 3. Bring the required identity, Social Security and Maryland-residency documents.
- Step 4. Pass the vision screening and Class C knowledge test.
- Step 5. Complete the driver-education and supervised-practice requirements for your age.
- Step 6. Pass the behind-the-wheel skills test and receive the provisional license.
Before you go: requirements and documents
Maryland learner-permit requirements
Maryland learner permit: age 15 years 9 months, a full-service MVA appointment, ID, SSN and residency documents, vision and a 25-question test.
Open the requirements guide →Documents for a Maryland learner's permit
Maryland permit documents: proof of age and identity, Social Security number, two Maryland residency proofs, and a parent or co-signer if under 18.
Open the document checklist →Bring proof of age and identity
Use the myMVA Online Document Guide for the complete accepted list, such as qualifying birth, passport, permanent-resident or citizenship documents.
Provide Social Security documentation or the applicable MVA route
Follow the live document guide for your status rather than relying on an old checklist.
Fees
A Maryland learner permit costs $65 for someone with no previous license (Type I, which includes the later conversion to the full license) and $45 for a Type II permit; a corrected permit is $30.
| Type I / no previous license | $65 |
|---|---|
| Type II | $45 |
| corrected permit | $30 |
See the full Maryland fee guide →
Maryland teen learner-permit and provisional-license path
Maryland's teen timeline combines a relatively late permit age with a long experience period. A typical 16–18 applicant without a high-school diploma/equivalent holds the permit nine months before the provisional-license road test.
Step 1: learner permit at 15 years 9 months
Pass the document, vision and 25-question knowledge-test process at a full-service MVA office.
Step 2: complete 30+6 driver education
Finish at least 30 classroom hours and 6 behind-the-wheel instructional hours at an MVA-approved school.
Step 3: complete 60/10 supervised practice
Log 60 hours, including at least 10 at night, with a qualified supervising driver.
First Maryland driver's license for adults
Maryland still requires new adult drivers to complete approved driver education. What changes with age is the permit hold and supervised-practice requirement.
Step 1: obtain the learner permit
Pass document review, vision and the Class C knowledge test, then practice only under the learner-permit supervision rules.
Step 2: complete the same 30+6 approved driver education
Maryland requires this course for new drivers even when they are adults.
Age 18 with diploma/equivalent and ages 19–24
Hold the permit at least 3 months and complete 60 supervised hours including at least 10 at night before the provisional road-test stage.
Appointments and office visits
Book through myMVA: the learner permit (documents, vision and knowledge test) needs an appointment at a full-service MVA office, and so does every behind-the-wheel test.
Schedule the learner-permit appointment
Use myMVA to pre-apply and reserve a full-service office appointment for documents, vision and knowledge testing.
Knowledge retests also require scheduling
After a failure, use the branch or myMVA process to book the next eligible attempt.
All behind-the-wheel tests require appointments
Choose the full-service branch, date and time only after meeting the age-based permit, driver-ed and practice requirements.
Maryland permit and road-test locations
Not every MVA service point performs original testing. The learner-permit page directs applicants to full-service MVA offices, and road skills testing is scheduled at participating full-service branches.
Find the right office
Use a Maryland full-service MVA office for the learner-permit appointment and behind-the-wheel test. Verify the branch's testing services before traveling.
Open office locations →Check the service first
Office types, appointment rules and testing availability can differ by location. Confirm the exact service before you travel.
Check appointment rules →After the permit: prepare for the road test
Maryland will not let a new driver skip the Rookie Driver experience requirements. Finish the permit hold, approved driver education and supervised-practice log before scheduling the behind-the-wheel test.
Meet your age-based eligibility before scheduling
Permit hold and practice-hour requirements vary by age, but driver education and a qualifying clean record apply to new drivers.
Schedule through myMVA
All noncommercial behind-the-wheel tests require an appointment.
Bring the permit, signed practice log and certification page
MVA requires the completed skills-practice record when applicable and confirms driver education electronically.
Open the full road-test guide →
Practice for the Maryland knowledge test
Maryland missions are not live in Road to Permit yet. Use Maryland MVA's current Rookie Driver pages because the permit hold and practice requirements change by age. Focus on 25 questions / 22 correct / 20 minutes, 30+6 certified driver education, the correct age-based permit clock, supervised-practice log and the 18-month clean provisional period before full licensing.
Maryland road signs for the permit test
Signs are explicitly included in Maryland's permit test. Learn fast visual recognition and the legal action each sign requires, then combine that study with the rules-of-the-road material.
Study road signs →How to study the Maryland Driver's Manual
Maryland's real learner-permit test uses 25 questions. The official online tutorial mirrors the question count and includes a timed 20-minute version, so use it after studying the manual rather than instead of the manual.
Open the handbook study guide →What to study
Use the official handbook as the source of truth, then practice the same subjects in short sessions. These are the major study areas covered across the official guide and Road to Permit resources.
- Study Maryland road rules and safe-driving law
- Give signs and signals dedicated review
- Learn Rookie Driver rules too
- Finish with the official timed tutorial
- Study Maryland's Rookie Driver stages with the test material
- Use the current MVA manual as the source of truth
- What to study first
- Recognize shapes before wording
- Learn sign families by color
Maryland permit test: questions and answers
What is the Maryland knowledge-test format?
Maryland's Class C knowledge test has 25 multiple-choice questions, a 20-minute limit and an 88% pass mark, so you need 22 correct. After a first failure you can retest the next business day; after two or more, wait at least seven calendar days.
What do I need before I apply in Maryland?
The first Rookie Driver step begins at 15 years 9 months. Apply at a full-service MVA office after studying, pre-applying and gathering the document package.
Which documents should I prepare?
For a Maryland permit, bring original proof of age and identity, Social Security documentation and two proofs of Maryland residency, using MVA's Online Document Guide; copies and scans are refused. Under 18 needs a parent or co-signer, and under 16 also a school-attendance verification.
How much does the permit or first license cost?
A Maryland learner permit costs $65 for someone with no previous license (Type I, which includes the later conversion to the full license) and $45 for a Type II permit; a corrected permit is $30.
Where do I make an appointment?
Book through myMVA: the learner permit (documents, vision and knowledge test) needs an appointment at a full-service MVA office, and so does every behind-the-wheel test.
How old do I have to be for a Maryland learner permit?
At least 15 years and 9 months old.
How many questions are on Maryland's Class C knowledge test?
25 questions.
What score do I need?
88%, which means 22 correct answers out of 25.
How much time do I get?
20 minutes.
How soon can I retest after failing?
After the first failure, the next business day if an appointment is available; after two or more failures, wait at least seven calendar days.
How much is a first-time noncommercial learner permit?
$65 for the current Type I GLS permit, which includes conversion to the full license.
What driver education is required?
30 classroom hours plus six hours behind the wheel in a certified course.
How long does a typical under-18 applicant hold the permit?
Nine months before the provisional-license step.
How many supervised hours does a driver under 25 generally need?
60 hours, including 10 at night.
What changes at age 25?
The minimum permit hold becomes 45 days and the practice requirement becomes 14 hours including three at night.
Who can supervise a Maryland permit holder?
A qualified driver age 21+ who has held a license for at least three years and sits in the front passenger seat.
How long must the provisional license stay clean before full licensing?
18 months; qualifying convictions or PBJ can restart the period.
News for new drivers
Complete Maryland driver guide
Open the exact part of the licensing process you need. Every page below is backed by official state sources.
How to study the Maryland Driver's Manual
Use the official Maryland Driver's Manual and MVA tutorial to prepare for the 25-question Class C knowledge test with a 20-minute limit and 88% passing score.
Open guide →Maryland learner-permit requirements
Maryland learner permit: age 15 years 9 months, a full-service MVA appointment, ID, SSN and residency documents, vision and a 25-question test.
Open guide →Documents for a Maryland learner's permit
Maryland permit documents: proof of age and identity, Social Security number, two Maryland residency proofs, and a parent or co-signer if under 18.
Open guide →Maryland learner-permit and road-test appointments
Maryland books permit visits and all driving tests by appointment. Pre-apply and schedule in myMVA, then visit a full-service branch.
Open guide →Maryland Class C behind-the-wheel test
Maryland road test: finish driver ed and your permit and practice time, book in myMVA, bring the signed log and a safe, registered, insured car.
Open guide →Maryland road signs for the permit test
Maryland's permit test includes road signs. Learn each sign by shape, color, meaning and required action, then try MVA's 25-question tutorial.
Open guide →Maryland learner-permit and license fees
Maryland fees: $65 for a Type I learner permit if you never held a license, $45 for a Type II permit if you are or were licensed.
Open guide →Maryland learner-permit knowledge-test format
Maryland's Class C learner-permit knowledge test uses 25 questions, a 20-minute time limit and an 88% passing score.
Open guide →Maryland teen learner-permit and provisional-license path
Maryland Rookie Drivers: permit at 15 years 9 months, 9 months for most teens, 30+6 driver ed, 60 hours with 10 at night, then provisional limits.
Open guide →First Maryland driver's license for adults
Maryland adults: driver ed required. At 18 with a diploma and at 19–24, three months and 60/10 hours; from 25, 45 days and 14/3 hours.
Open guide →Maryland permit and road-test locations
Use a Maryland full-service MVA office for the learner-permit appointment and behind-the-wheel test. Verify the branch's testing services before traveling.
Open guide →Official sources
Last updated . Procedures and fees can change, so check the official page before you apply.
- Maryland MVA — Learner's Permit
- Maryland MVA — Provisional Driver's License
- Maryland MVA — Knowledge Tests
- Maryland MVA — Online Driver Test Tutorial
- Maryland MVA — Driver's Education
- Maryland MVA — Behind-the-Wheel Tests
- Maryland MVA — License & ID Fees
- Maryland MVA — Driver's Manual
- Maryland MVA — Full Driver's License
- Maryland — Maryland Driver's Manual
- Maryland MVA — Get a Maryland Driver's License or ID Card
- Maryland MVA — Locations
- Maryland MVA — Appointments
- Maryland MVA — Moore-Miller Administration Announces Updated Curriculum for New Drivers
- Maryland MVA — Updates to Maryland Rookie Driver: A Practice Guide for Coaches & Drivers