Oregon issues an instruction permit to teens as young as 15. Rules and fees change, so as of 2026 treat this guide as a starting point and confirm everything with the official agency, Oregon DMV at oregon.gov/odot/dmv. The Oregon Driver Manual is your main study source.
Age and the knowledge test
Teens aged 15, 16 and 17 can apply for the provisional instruction permit. A parent or legal guardian must sign. The knowledge test has 35 multiple-choice questions and costs $7 per attempt, according to the DMV's teen permit page.
- You can take it online at any time with a working keyboard, mouse and webcam, or at a DMV office.
- Online it is offered in English and Spanish. Offices offer more languages.
- A same-day retake may be possible depending on office resources.
- Cheating gets you banned from testing for 90 days.
Practice hours and supervision
The permit is valid for 2 years, but you must hold it for 6 months before applying for a provisional license.
- Your supervisor must hold a valid license, be at least 21 and sit beside you.
- To count toward the hours, the supervisor must have held a license for 3 or more years.
- You need 100 supervised hours, or 50 hours if you complete an approved driver education course.
- You cannot drive unaccompanied on a permit.
Driver education cuts the required practice hours in half, from 100 to 50. If your schedule is tight, that is a big reason to look at an approved course early.
Provisional license restrictions
Oregon spells out limits for the first and second six months, and test writers like numbers like these.
- Until age 18, no mobile device use while driving, including hands-free.
- First 6 months: no passengers under 20 except immediate family.
- Second 6 months: no more than 3 passengers under 20, again with immediate family excepted.
- A midnight to 5 a.m. curfew applies, with exceptions for work or school travel or when a licensed driver age 25 or older is with you.
- Restrictions end at 18 or after one year with the provisional license, whichever comes first.
How to prepare
Download the current Oregon Driver Manual (the DMV has published a 2026-2027 edition) and read one chapter at a time. Because Oregon prohibits even hands-free phone use for teens, do not rely on what you know from other states. Practice questions help you spot topics where you guess. Explain each wrong answer out loud and repeat the weak topics before test day.
What to bring
- A parent or legal guardian signature
- Proof of your physical address and identity
- Your Social Security number, or the electronic certification of non-possession
- Any extra documents needed for a REAL ID
Confirm fees and document lists with Oregon DMV before you go. DMVZone practice questions are for study only and are not the real test questions.