Arizona · Handbook chapter 1 · 5 min read

Arizona's permit test (30 questions, 80% to pass), Permit Test @ Home, the graduated instruction permit from 15 1/2, practice-hour options, Class G restrictions and penalties, license classes, fees and insurance.

Why this chapter matters

Every Arizona driver's path starts with the permit test, and the graduated license rules come with numbers you are expected to know: ages, hours, months and fines. Getting them right also keeps your first months of driving free of suspensions.

The permit (knowledge) test

• The test has 30 multiple-choice questions and you need 80% or higher to pass, which is 24 correct.
• Anyone who has never held a US driver license, at any age, must pass it before scheduling a road test.
• In an office it is taken on a computer touch screen, with an audio version available, at any MVD location from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday, with no appointment. Offices do not test on state holidays or the second Wednesday of each month.
• Permit Test @ Home is for Arizona teens under 18. A parent or legal guardian runs it through their AZ MVD Now account, verifies identity, enters the teen's details, pays the $7 application fee and supervises. Some professional driving schools also offer it.
• After passing, visit an office with your completed application and original documents. A parent or guardian signs approval there (or you bring a notarized application), and you take a vision test and have your photo taken.

The graduated instruction permit

• Minimum age: 15 years and 6 months. For an operator (Class D) permit you must be 18.
• A licensed Class A, B, C or D driver aged 21 or older must sit in the seat beside you.
• The permit is valid for 12 months. A motorcycle permit lasts 7 months, and its holder may not carry passengers or ride on freeways or interstates between sunset and sunrise.
• Arizona credits time you held a permit in another state.

Earning the graduated (Class G) license

You must be at least 16 and have held the permit for 6 months, or until you turn 18. The six months start when the permit is issued in an office. Then choose one route:

Class G restrictions for the first 6 months

• No driving from midnight to 5 a.m. unless a parent or legal guardian with a valid license sits in the front passenger seat, or you are driving directly to or from a sanctioned school activity, work, a sanctioned religious activity or a family emergency.
• No more than one passenger under 18, unless they are your siblings or a licensed parent or guardian sits beside you.
• No phones or wireless devices while driving, except in an emergency or for an audible navigation system that you do not program while moving.

Breaking these rules costs a fine of up to $75 and 30 more days of restrictions the first time, up to $100 and 60 more days the second time, and up to $100 and a 30-day suspension the third time.

Traffic convictions under 18

For a graduated driver under 18, a first traffic conviction means Traffic Survival School, a second means a 3-month suspension and a third a 6-month suspension. Each goes on your record.

Parent or guardian signatures

If you are under 18, at least one responsible adult signs your application and becomes responsible for your negligence or willful misconduct while driving. Signatures are witnessed by an MVD agent or a notary, and the person who signed can later ask MVD to cancel the license.

License classes

• Class G: graduated license, ages 16 to 18. You may keep it after 18 or switch to Class D.
• Class D: operator license, age 18 and up.
• Class M: motorcycle, from age 16, or an endorsement on another license.
• Classes A, B and C: commercial licenses.

Fees

Insurance and other duties

• Every vehicle must carry Arizona liability insurance of at least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more, and $15,000 for property damage. Keep proof in the vehicle.
• Tell MVD within 10 days of a change of name or address.
• If you work in Arizona, enroll children at resident rates or stay seven months or more in a year, you are a resident and need an Arizona license and registration.