Driving news: Washington
Washington adds a safety course for new drivers under 25
Anyone under 25 who gets a first Washington driver license on or after November 1, 2026 must first finish a free online course on work zones and first responders. Here is who it covers and what stays the same.
- Nov. 1, 2026first licenses from this date
- Under 25first-time applicants
- Freeonline course
Who needs the course
Every first-time Washington driver-license applicant under 25. Teens moving from the instruction permit to their first license need it, and so do adults aged 18 to 24 who are licensed for the first time.
From which date
It applies to first licenses issued on or after November 1, 2026.
What the course is
A free online course from the Department of Licensing on driving safely through work zones and around first responders, such as police, fire and ambulance crews at the roadside. It is a step of its own: it does not replace the knowledge test or the drive test.
What stays the same
The knowledge test still has 40 questions, and you need 32 right. The drive test still needs at least 80 points out of 100. A license before 18 still takes approved driver training, six months with the instruction permit and 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night.
What to do now
If you are under 25 and expect your first license in November or later, finish the course before you go for your license. The Department of Licensing course page has the current steps, and the Washington Driver Guide is what the knowledge test is written from.
Related Road to Permit guides
- Washington permit requirements
- Washington knowledge-test format
- Washington appointments
- Washington handbook
Official sources
- Washington DOL — Work Zone and First Responder Course
- Washington DOL — Driver License Ages 16–17
- Washington DOL — Washington State Driver Guide
Independent study resource. Road to Permit is not affiliated with or endorsed by any DMV, DPS, FLHSMV or other government agency. Official state sources control if information changes.