Arkansas · Handbook chapter 1 · 6 min read

The Arkansas knowledge exam and its pass mark, the instruction permit at 14, the learner's, intermediate and Class D licenses, vision rules, the documents to bring and the $5 exam fee.

Why this chapter matters

Every Arkansas driver starts with the same exam, given by the Arkansas State Police, and the graduated license rules that follow it are short, exact and full of ages and time limits. Knowing them tells you what you can do at each step, and they are easy points on the test.

The knowledge exam

• The exam is taken on a computer kiosk at an Arkansas State Police driver testing site. Book an appointment through the State Police online scheduler.
• The State Police testing instructions say you pass with 20 correct answers. You may skip up to two questions; skipped questions move to the end and do not count against you, and if you reach 20 correct before they return, you do not see them again.
• No official source gives the total number of questions or a time limit. Road signs are part of the same exam, not a separate test.
• Each written exam costs $5 (Act 1289 of 2015). The fee is added to the cost of your license and collected by the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).
• Applicants with a diagnosed learning difference can book an oral test (not every location offers it): the kiosk reads the questions and answers through headphones, and the examiner can explain words you do not understand. Bring your IEP, 504 plan or other professional evaluation.

Our practice tests use 25 questions with 20 correct to pass. The 25 is our own practice size, because the real total is not published.

The graduated license steps

Arkansas has used a graduated license system since July 1, 2001. Each step needs a valid instruction permit showing you passed the knowledge exam, the vision test and, for a license, the skills test.

The instruction permit

• It is issued for two years from the day you pass the knowledge exam, and it cannot be renewed or extended, even because of bad weather.
• You must pass the skills test and buy your license before it expires, or you start the whole exam process again.

The learner's and intermediate licenses

• You get these at any Arkansas Revenue Office after passing the skills test.
• A learner's license applicant must have had no crash or serious traffic violation conviction in the six months before applying.
• An intermediate license is restricted for six months from the date the permit was issued or until your 16th birthday. While restricted, a licensed driver 21 or older must ride with you.
• The guide keeps intermediate drivers off the road from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., except when a licensed driver aged 21 or older is along and the trip is to or from a job, a school or church activity, or an emergency.
• The Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) says you qualify for an intermediate license only with no serious traffic violations or at-fault crashes in the previous six months. At 18 you can move to a regular, unrestricted license if your record has been clean for the previous year.
• A learner's license expires one month after your 16th birthday, an intermediate license one month after your 18th, and a Class D issued between 18 and 21 one month after your 21st. DFA lists the fees for these licenses as prorated and does not print a dollar amount.
• At 16 or 17 you can get an unrestricted Class D early, with six months of driving experience, if you are legally emancipated (17 and older), have a high school diploma or GED, are married, or have enlisted in the U.S. military.

Phones by age

• Under 18: no cell phone use at all while driving, not even hands-free, except in an emergency.
• 18 to 20: a hands-free device is allowed; a hand-held phone only in an emergency.
• Every age: texting while driving is illegal.

Vision

• 20/40 without glasses for an unrestricted license, or 20/70 with glasses or contacts for a restricted one (you must wear them to drive, shown as restriction B).
• A field of vision of 140 degrees with two functional eyes, or 105 degrees with one.
• A vision test and a vision referral form (ASP-90) are valid for one year. The form must be completed by an Arkansas optometrist; out-of-state and online optometrists are not accepted.

What to bring

Under 18:

• An original or certified U.S. birth certificate. Hospital certificates, photocopies, scans and laminated copies are refused, and a U.S.-citizen minor cannot use a U.S. passport as the primary document.
• A parent or legal guardian, who signs in person with a state license or ID, or a notarized ASP-33 Financial Responsibility Acceptance Form, handed to the examiner within 30 days. A stepparent needs proof of adoption.

18 and older: two primary documents, or one primary and one secondary. Primary documents include a U.S. birth certificate and a U.S. passport; secondary documents include a state ID, an Arkansas school ID or a certified school transcript.

Applicants from Manitoba, Germany, France, Taiwan and South Korea may be exempt from testing under reciprocal agreements and are referred to DFA.