The Louisiana permit test, explained

The short answer

The Louisiana knowledge test has 40 questions, and you need at least 80 percent, which is 32 right. You take it as part of a 38-hour driver education course, with the provider or with the Office of Motor Vehicles, and you can get a learner’s permit at 15. You also need 20/40 vision in at least one eye.

Source: Permits, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles

In Louisiana, driver education comes first. You get a temporary instructional permit to start the course, and the knowledge test is part of it.

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This text was written with AI help, checked against the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles’ pages and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

Checked against the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles · Report a mistake

Drivoku is not connected to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV). Every fact below links to the OMV page or leaflet it comes from, checked on November 4, 2026.

The Louisiana permit test at a glance

Louisiana learner’s permit and knowledge test
Minimum age15 (OMV)
Before the permitA 38-hour driver education course
Number of questions40 (OMV)
Passing scoreAt least 80 percent (32 of 40)
WhereWith your driver education provider or the OMV
Vision20/40 in at least one eye
Held forAt least 180 days before the intermediate license

How many questions are on the Louisiana permit test?

Forty. You need at least 80 percent, so 32 right; you can miss 8 (OMV permits page). The OMV says its knowledge and skills tests are given by the driver education provider, and its graduated licensing leaflet says you can pass the knowledge test with the OMV or a driving school.

How does driver’s ed work in Louisiana?

From the OMV’s graduated licensing leaflet:

  1. At 14, you can start the classroom part if you are at least in eighth grade and within 90 days of your 15th birthday. Driving lessons start at 15.
  2. Before the knowledge test and driving lessons, you show the provider a temporary instructional permit (TIP), and carry it when you drive with your instructor.
  3. When you finish the 38-hour course, you hand in the TIP to the OMV with your course certificate. Turning the TIP into a learner’s permit costs nothing extra.

What to bring

From the OMV’s permits page, if you are under 18:

  • A certified birth certificate.
  • Proof of your Social Security number and of your address. Photocopies are not accepted.
  • A custodial parent or legal guardian, with identification, to sign your application. A guardian also brings proof of guardianship.
  • The fee: the OMV lists a $32.25 basic license fee, and some offices add a service fee of up to $6.

Rules for teen drivers in Louisiana

Louisiana, like every state, uses graduated driver licensing. From the OMV’s leaflet:

  • With the permit: drive with a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed adult aged 21 or older, or a licensed brother or sister aged 18 or older. No phone use, not even hands-free. Log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them at night.
  • Intermediate license (from 16): after 180 days with the permit, the 50 hours and a road skills test, with a parent’s or guardian’s signed statement and no at-fault crashes or moving violations.
  • Nights: no driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless a licensed parent or guardian, licensed adult aged 21 or older, or licensed sibling aged 18 or older is with you.
  • Passengers: from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., at most one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family, unless a licensed adult aged 21 or older is with you.
  • Phones: drivers aged 17 and under may not talk or text on a phone, except in an emergency.

What Drivoku covers for Louisiana

Our free permit practice test and the questions below cover road rules and signs that apply in every state, with signs from the national sign manual. They do not cover Louisiana’s own laws; your driver education course covers those.

Practice five questions every state shares

Five shared road rules

Answer one question at a time. You see the answer and the reason after each one. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.

Question 1 of 5

  1. Right-of-way

    At a marked crosswalk with no traffic signals, a pedestrian is already crossing in your lane. You have enough distance to stop safely. Which action gives the pedestrian the right-of-way?

    • Continue because your road has no stop sign
    • Sound your horn and keep your current speed
    • Stop and let the pedestrian cross Right
    • Steer into the next lane to pass the pedestrian

    The right answer is C: Stop and let the pedestrian cross

    WhyDrivers must yield to pedestrians crossing in their path within an unsignalized crosswalk.

    Source: UVC § 11-502(a) Pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks (model law)

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  2. Sharing the road

    Red lights are flashing at a railroad crossing, but the gate is still raised and you cannot see a train. No officer is directing traffic. What should you do?

    • Stop before the tracks; wait until the lights stop and it is safe Right
    • Cross slowly while watching for a train in both directions
    • Continue across because the raised gate permits travel
    • Stop only if a train becomes visible near the crossing

    The right answer is A: Stop before the tracks; wait until the lights stop and it is safe

    WhyFlashing crossing lights mean stop before the tracks; a raised gate does not cancel them.

    Source: UVC § 11-701(a) Obedience to signal indicating approach of train (model law)

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  3. Night and bad weather

    You are using high beams on a dark two-way road. An oncoming vehicle is getting close enough that your high beams could dazzle its driver. What should you do?

    • Keep high beams on until the other driver flashes theirs
    • Switch to parking lights until the other vehicle passes
    • Keep high beams on and aim your car toward the shoulder
    • Switch to low beams Right

    The right answer is D: Switch to low beams

    WhyDim high beams to low beams to avoid blinding an oncoming driver.

    Source: California Driver Handbook (California DMV): Signals, Horns, and Headlights: Using Your Headlights, Texas Driver Handbook, Chapter 9: Some Special Driving Situations, Headlights, Florida Driver License Handbook (FLHSMV): Low Visibility; Night Driving

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  4. Distraction

    You drop something on the floor while driving. What should you do?

    • Wait to pick it up until you stop safely Right
    • Reach down quickly while watching the road
    • Look down and grab it in one quick move
    • Stop in the middle of the lane to get it

    The right answer is A: Wait to pick it up until you stop safely

    WhyWait to retrieve a dropped object until you can pull over and stop safely; reaching distracts you.

    Source: NHTSA: Distracted Driving, What Is Distracted Driving?

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  5. Intersections and turns

    You plan to turn onto a one-way street. Its permitted traffic direction runs from your left to your right. There are no other turn restrictions. Which turn follows that street's legal direction?

    • A left turn across the near side of the street
    • Either turn if the destination street is empty
    • A left turn followed by an immediate lane change
    • A right turn Right

    The right answer is D: A right turn

    WhyEnter a one-way street only in its designated direction of travel.

    Source: UVC § 11-308(b) One-way roadways and rotary traffic islands (model law)

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45 free questions on this website and 379 in the app, checked against the MUTCD, the Uniform Vehicle Code and Texas law, with the reason for every answer. About the app

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Keep going with the 25-question permit practice test and the road signs quiz. Other states: permit test by state.

Common questions

How many questions can you miss on the Louisiana permit test?

Eight. You need at least 80 percent of 40, which is 32 right.

Who gives the Louisiana permit test?

Your driver education provider, or the Office of Motor Vehicles.

Can you drive at 15 in Louisiana?

Yes, with a learner’s permit after a 38-hour driver education course, and always with a licensed parent or guardian, adult aged 21 or older, or sibling aged 18 or older.

How long do you have to hold a permit in Louisiana?

At least 180 days, with 50 hours of supervised driving, 15 of them at night, before the intermediate license.

Sources

(2)
  1. Permits, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
  2. Louisiana graduated driver’s license laws, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles