US DMV permit tests · Learn · 2 November 2026 · 7 min read
Online permit test at home: which states allow it and the rules
States whose official pages offer an online or at-home permit test, who may take it, webcam and proctor rules, fees, and what you still do at the DMV office.
Yes, in some states you can take the permit (knowledge) test online at home. Of the 42 states we cover, 16 have official pages or handbooks that describe an online or at-home option, but the rules are strict and often limited to teens or to adults. You will need a desktop or laptop with a webcam, a quiet room, and in most states an adult proctor if you are under 18. And passing online does not give you the permit: you still visit an office to have it issued.
This guide lists only states whose saved official pages say so. If your state is not listed, take the test at the office unless your state's own site says otherwise.
States with an online option
| State | Who can test online | Key rules from the official page |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Applicants for an instruction permit | Test from home on your own device; immediate pass or fail; fees may apply |
| Arizona | Teens under 18 (Permit Test @ Home) | Through a parent or guardian's AZ MVD Now account, with a $7 application fee and the parent supervising, or a participating driving school |
| Colorado | Permit applicants (@Home test) | Webcam with random photos; under 19 needs an adult over 19 as proxy; 60 minutes; $6.50 per attempt |
| Florida | Applicants under 18 | Through an approved third-party administrator; a notarized Parent Proctoring Form; random no-fee re-tests at an office are possible |
| Hawaii | Class 3 (car) permit applicants | Webcam computer, no phones or tablets; county fee plus $10; finish the permit at a center within 60 days |
| Iowa | Students under 18 | A parent or guardian applies to proctor; computer only; the emailed link expires after 72 hours |
| Kansas | Non-commercial applicants who qualify | Through KnowTo Drive; desktop or laptop with a front-facing camera |
| Massachusetts | Applicants who have submitted their application | Computer with a camera, random photos; alone in a quiet room, no manual or internet help |
| Michigan | Applicants 18 and older | $6.50 fee; keyboard, mouse and webcam, no touch screens; same test as in the office |
| Nevada | Permit and license applicants | Open 24/7, no appointment; front-facing camera; 60 minutes; results go to the DMV |
| New York | Applicants under 18 | The DMV says under-18 applicants can choose to take the test online |
| North Dakota | Permit applicants | Through KnowTo Drive; 60 minutes; $10 per attempt; still book an office visit |
| Oklahoma | Permit applicants (from 14 if under 18) | Camera and microphone; parent present for minors; two online attempts; no extra fee |
| Oregon | Permit applicants (DMV2U) | Webcam, photos during the test; under 18 needs an adult over 21 as proctor; $7 per attempt |
| West Virginia | Permit applicants | Through Know To Drive Online; the certificate is not permission to drive |
| Wisconsin | Ages 15 to 17 | Through KnowTo Drive in English or Spanish; parent monitors the whole test; $10 per attempt, two attempts |
What every online test asks of you
The details differ, but the official pages repeat the same conditions.
The right device
Plan on a desktop or laptop with a camera. Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin all ask for a webcam-equipped computer, and Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Oregon and Wisconsin say no phones or tablets. Michigan and Nevada rule out touch screens. Oklahoma also needs a microphone.
Being watched
Online tests are proctored. Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon say the webcam takes photos during the test. Massachusetts says you must be alone in a quiet room with no manual and no internet help. For teens, an adult usually supervises:
- Colorado: test takers under 19 need an adult older than 19 as a proxy.
- Oregon: under 18, an adult over 21 must proctor, and one proctor can supervise only two tests in 24 hours.
- Wisconsin: a parent or guardian must monitor the whole test.
- Oklahoma: a parent or guardian must be present to verify identity.
- Florida: a Parent Proctoring Form, notarized or signed in front of an examiner.
- Iowa: a parent or guardian with a valid Iowa license applies to proctor; allow 7 to 14 days.
Time limits
Online tests are more likely to be timed than office tests. Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota and Oklahoma each allow 60 minutes. Hawaii (Honolulu) allows one hour for its 30 questions. Wisconsin allows 30 minutes for the signs test and 90 minutes for the knowledge test. Oklahoma says that if you are disconnected, you can return within your time.
Fees and attempts
Some online tests cost extra; others do not. Michigan charges $6.50 online while the office test is free. Colorado's @Home test costs $6.50 per attempt. North Dakota charges $10 per online attempt (the office test is $5), and Wisconsin $10 per attempt, charged pass or fail. Oregon charges its $7 fee each time. Oklahoma adds no extra fee. Hawaii charges the county fee plus $10, which comes to $12 in Honolulu and $25 in Maui County.
Attempts are limited too. Oklahoma and Wisconsin allow two online attempts before you must test in person. Oregon allows two tries in 24 hours and four in all. North Dakota's online provider says that after five failures you wait a year to test online again.
You still go to the office
An online pass is a result, not a permit. Colorado, Iowa and North Dakota say you still visit an office to be issued the permit. Hawaii gives you 60 days to finish at a driver licensing center. Wisconsin emails a certificate to bring to a service center. Kansas says to bring your passing result to the license office, and West Virginia says the certificate is not permission to drive.
States where the official pages describe office testing only
Several states we checked describe the knowledge test only at an office, or say so outright: Maryland (the online tutorial is practice only), Mississippi (all knowledge exams in person), New Jersey, North Carolina, Indiana, Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington (in person at an approved testing location). Virginia has no at-home exam, but students at participating high schools can take it in class under a staff proctor. Delaware and Illinois do not mention an online test.
Rules change, so check your state's official site for the current position before you plan around an online test.
Is online better?
It can be more convenient, but it is the same test. Michigan says its online test is identical to the office test. Florida says anyone who passes through a third party may be picked at random for a no-fee re-test at an office. Prepare as you would for the office test.
How to use this
- Check your state's row, then open your state page for links to the official pages.
- Practice in the same conditions: at a desk, on a computer, in a quiet room, with a timer if your state's online test is timed. Our practice tests run in any browser.
- Take your state's first practice test, such as Oregon practice test 1 or Wisconsin knowledge test 1, and add the road signs practice tests.
- Know what is needed to pass from DMV permit test pass marks by state.
- Book the office visit for the permit itself once you pass.
Sources: the official DMV pages and driver handbooks of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii (City and County of Honolulu), Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and of the office-only states named above, as linked on each Fable Tests state page; checked 1 November 2026.