The Louisiana permit test is a 40-question knowledge test, and you need a score of at least 80% to pass. It is run under the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), and most teens take it through their driving school as part of the required 38-hour driver education course, not at an OMV office.
Louisiana permit test at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Agency | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), expresslane.org |
| Minimum age | 15 for a learner's permit. A Temporary Instructional Permit (TIP) for driver education is available from 14 |
| Questions | 40 |
| Pass mark | 80%, so at least 32 correct |
| Where | Your driver education provider gives the test. OMV gives it only in some cases |
| Online test | No at-home option is listed by OMV |
| Fee | OMV's learner's permit handout lists a $32.25 basic fee, plus up to $6 service fee at some field offices |
| Languages | Not published by OMV. Ask your driving school |
How many questions are on the Louisiana permit test?
There are 40 questions, and you need a score of at least 80%. OMV's Class E handouts for teens and adults both list "a 40-question test with a minimum score of 80%", so you can miss no more than eight. The same 40-question standard applies whether you are 15 or an adult getting a first license.
What's on the Louisiana permit test
The questions come from OMV's Class D and E Driver's Guide, which you can download free from expresslane.org. Expect traffic laws, road signs and safe driving, plus Louisiana's graduated licensing rules.
The 38-hour course comes first
Louisiana is different from most states because the course comes before the test. Teens from 14 years 9 months to 17 must complete 30 hours of classroom and 8 hours of behind-the-wheel training, 38 hours in total, at an OMV-licensed driving school or a participating high school. You need a Temporary Instructional Permit (TIP) before the knowledge test, and your driving school usually gives the test. Adults 18 and older take a 6-hour pre-licensing class plus 8 hours of driving instead, or may choose the 38-hour course.
OMV's graduated licensing rules are fair game on the test:
- With a learner's permit you must drive with a licensed parent, guardian or adult 21 or older, or a licensed sibling 18 or older.
- Permit holders need at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them at night.
- On a learner's permit you may not use a cell phone at all, even hands-free.
- You hold the permit at least 180 days before an intermediate license.
- Intermediate license holders may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless a licensed parent, guardian, adult 21 or older or sibling 18 or older is with them.
- From 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., an intermediate driver without a licensed adult 21 or older may carry only one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family.
- You need 20/40 vision in at least one eye.
The no-phone rule for permit holders includes hands-free calls. Drivers who already use Bluetooth in a parent's car often miss this one.
How to study for the Louisiana permit test
- Download the Class D and E Driver's Guide from expresslane.org and read one chapter a day.
- Learn road signs by shape and color first, then by meaning.
- Write every number on one page: ages, hours, curfew times, passenger limits and distances.
- Take Louisiana permit test practice quizzes and note every question you miss.
- Ask your driving school when the test is scheduled and retest your weak topics the week before.
What to bring and how to book
Your driving school handles the knowledge test, so ask it for the date. To get the learner's permit itself, you visit OMV. You can book an OMV visit from the Book Appointment link on expresslane.org. OMV's handout for teens lists:
- A certified birth certificate. OMV does not accept photocopies of any document.
- Proof of your Social Security number.
- Your driver education certificate of completion. It stays valid for five years.
- Your Temporary Instructional Permit (TIP).
- A custodial parent or legal guardian, with their own ID, to sign the application. Guardians also bring guardianship papers.
- The fee: $32.25 plus any service fee. OMV takes cash, checks and cards.
Fees and documents change, so check expresslane.org or call OMV at (225) 925-6146 before you go.
Can you take the Louisiana permit test online?
No home online test is listed by OMV. The knowledge test is given by your driver education provider or by OMV, so plan on taking it in person through one of them.
What happens if you fail the Louisiana permit test?
OMV does not publish a waiting period or a limit on attempts for the knowledge test. Because your driving school usually gives it, ask the school how retakes work and whether there is a fee. Then go back to the guide and focus on the questions you missed.
Louisiana permit test FAQ
How many questions are on the Louisiana permit test?
40 questions. You need a score of at least 80%, which means 32 correct answers.
How many questions can you miss on the Louisiana permit test?
No more than eight of the 40 questions.
Who gives the Louisiana permit test?
Usually your OMV-licensed driving school, as part of driver education. OMV gives it in some cases.
Can you take the Louisiana permit test online?
OMV lists no at-home online test. The test is given by your driver education provider or by OMV.
