US DMV permit tests · Learn · 2 November 2026 · 6 min read
States with a separate road signs test: counts and pass marks
States that test road signs separately on the permit test: Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, plus New York's rule.
In most states, road sign questions are simply mixed into the one permit test. But in a handful of states the signs are tested on their own, with their own pass mark, and you must pass that part as well as the rules part. Among the 42 states we cover, seven test signs separately: Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. New York uses one test but sets a minimum score on its sign questions.
If your state is on this list, a strong score on traffic laws will not rescue a weak score on signs. This guide shows how each state does it, from its official pages and handbook.
The states at a glance
| State | How signs are tested | Signs pass mark | Rules or knowledge part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Separate Road Signs test | 15 of 20 | Road Rules test, 15 of 20 |
| Indiana | Signs part of a two-part exam | 80% | Traffic laws part, 80% |
| Michigan | Signs segment of the knowledge test | Not published; must be passed | Operator section, not published; must be passed |
| Missouri | Separate road sign test | Not published | Written test, 20 of 25 |
| North Carolina | Separate road sign test | Identify 9 of 12 signs (Class C) | Knowledge test, 80% |
| Virginia | Sign part taken first | 10 of 10 | General knowledge, 24 of 30 |
| Wisconsin | Separate highway signs test | 12 of 15 | Knowledge test, 40 of 50 |
| New York | Sign questions inside one test | At least 2 of the 4 sign questions | 14 of 20 overall |
State by state
Georgia
Georgia's knowledge exam is two tests: a 20-question Road Rules test on driver responsibility, traffic laws and safe driving, and a 20-question Road Signs test where you identify standard highway signs, signals and markers. You need 15 of 20 on each. If you fail, you retake only the part you failed: the next day after a first fail, or after 7 days after a second or later fail. The manual says the Road Signs test is given in English only, while the Road Rules test is offered in some other languages.
Practice: Georgia road rules test 1 and Georgia road signs test 1.
Indiana
Indiana's BMV divides its computer-based exam into two sections, one on traffic signs and one on traffic laws and safe driving. You need 80 percent or higher on each part separately. The BMV does not publish the number of questions in either part, so our road signs sets use 10 picture questions and our traffic laws sets use 20, both scored at 80 percent.
Practice: Indiana traffic laws test 1 and Indiana road signs test 1.
Michigan
Michigan's written knowledge test includes a road sign test, and the Secretary of State says you must pass both portions, the Operator section and the Signs segment, before a Temporary Instruction Permit is issued. Michigan does not publish the passing score or question counts. A failing score ends the testing session, and you come back on a different day. For the online test, the state estimates about 45 minutes for the Operator section and about 15 for the Signs segment.
Practice: Michigan Operator test 1 and Michigan Signs test 1.
Missouri
Missouri's driver examination has four parts: written, vision, road sign and driving tests. The written test is 25 multiple-choice questions with 20 needed to pass. The road sign test checks that you can recognize and understand traffic signs, and the Driver Guide notes it is also taken at every license renewal. The guide does not say how many signs it has or how many you must get right.
Practice: Missouri written test 1 and Missouri road sign test 1.
North Carolina
North Carolina's rules describe a separate road sign examination. For a regular Class C license you must identify 9 of 12 road signs; Class A or B applicants must identify all of them. NCDMV says you identify each sign by its color and shape and explain it, and the signs covered are regulatory and warning signs. The knowledge test itself needs 80 percent of its questions right, and each test must be passed separately.
Practice: North Carolina knowledge test 1 and North Carolina road signs test 1.
Virginia
Virginia sets the strictest signs rule in our set. The exam has 10 traffic sign questions and 30 general knowledge questions, and you must pass the sign part before you can take the general knowledge part. The sign part needs all 10 correct. The general knowledge part needs 24 of 30, which the manual words as at least 80 percent.
Practice: Virginia general knowledge test 1 and Virginia traffic signs test 1.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin gives two tests: a 15-question highway signs test covering signs that regulate, warn and direct traffic, and a 50-question knowledge test on Wisconsin traffic laws. You need 12 of 15 and 40 of 50, 80 percent on each, and both must be passed with a vision screening before an instruction permit is issued. For the online version, the rules sheet allows 30 minutes for the signs test and 90 minutes for the knowledge test.
Practice: Wisconsin knowledge test 1 and Wisconsin highway signs test 1.
New York: one test, with a signs condition
New York has a single 20-question test and you need 14 correct. But at least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions must also be correct. A candidate who gets 14 right but misses three sign questions does not pass.
Practice: New York practice test 1.
What about Delaware?
Delaware's manual lists a Highway Sign and Signal Test and a Rules of the Road Test among the parts of the driver examination. But neither the manual nor the DMV's pages give a separate question count or pass mark for the signs questions; the only published rule is 26 of 32 for the whole Class D knowledge test. We treat signs there as part of one test.
Why separate signs tests are tricky
- No averaging. A perfect rules score cannot make up for a weak signs score.
- Small tests are unforgiving. On Virginia's 10 sign questions, one mistake is a fail. On North Carolina's 12, four mistakes is a fail.
- They test recognition, not reasoning. You must know shape, color and meaning by sight. North Carolina even asks you to explain each sign.
How to use this
- Check your state's row above, then open your state page for the sources.
- Learn signs as a system first. Shapes and colors are set nationally by the MUTCD, so start with our road signs practice tests and our guide to the hardest road signs on the permit test.
- Then take your state's own signs sets (tests 7 to 12 on the Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin pages) until you are scoring at least one question above the bar.
- Do not neglect the rules part. Alternate a signs set and a rules set each day.
- See every state's figures in DMV permit test pass marks by state.
Sources: Georgia DDS Drivers Manual (2023-2024); Indiana BMV Knowledge Exam page; Michigan Department of State, New drivers (18 and older); Missouri Driver Guide (revised August 2026); North Carolina Administrative Code 19A NCAC 03B .0201 and NCDMV Driver License Tests page; Virginia DMV, The Knowledge Exam; Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook (2026) and Wisconsin DMV online knowledge test rules; New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21); Delaware Driver Manual (July 2026); checked 1 November 2026.