Michigan permit test: Segment 1 and Level 1

Drivoku is not connected to the Michigan Department of State, whose Secretary of State offices handle driver licensing. Every fact below links to the Department of State page it comes from, checked on November 4, 2026.

Michigan’s first license at a glance

Michigan Segment 1 and Level 1 learner’s license
Start Segment 1	From 14 years and 8 months, with a parent’s or guardian’s permission (Department of State)
Segment 1	At least 24 hours in class and 6 hours behind the wheel, plus 4 hours watching from the car (curriculum guide)
The knowledge test	The Segment 1 state exam: 80 questions, at least 70 percent to pass (curriculum guide)
Level 1 learner’s license	From 14 years and 9 months, applied for at a Secretary of State branch
Held for	At least six months before Level 2

Is there a permit test in Michigan?

Not at the office for most teens. The knowledge test is part of driver education: to pass Segment 1 you need at least 70 percent on the Segment 1 state exam (new drivers under 18). The certificate you get is not a permit to drive. With it, you and a parent or guardian go to a Secretary of State branch to apply for the Level 1 learner’s license.

The Segment 1 exam has 80 questions, and at least 70 percent is required, so you need 56 right (driver education curriculum guide). One exception: a teen with a driver education certificate from another state takes Michigan’s 40-question original operator license test (drivers under 18 FAQ).

What is Segment 1?

The first part of Michigan’s two-part driver education. The Department of State’s driver education curriculum guide sets the minimum: it takes at least 24 hours of classroom teaching, at most 2 hours a day and over at least three weeks, 6 hours of driving with an instructor, and 4 hours of watching from the training car. You must be 14 years and 8 months old and have a parent’s or guardian’s permission to start.

What to bring

Your Segment 1 certificate.
A parent or guardian, who signs the application at the branch office.
The identity documents the Department of State asks for. We have not checked its document list, so read it on the new drivers page before you go.

Rules for teen drivers in Michigan

Michigan, like every state, uses graduated driver licensing. From the Department of State’s new drivers page:

Level 1: drive only with a licensed parent or guardian, or a licensed driver aged 21 or older whom your parent or guardian names in a signed letter.
Before Level 2: hold Level 1 for at least six months and log at least 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night, with no violations or at-fault crashes in the 90 days before you apply.
Level 2 nights: no driving from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., except to or from work or an authorized activity, or with a parent, guardian or designated licensed driver aged 21 or older.
Level 2 passengers: at most one passenger under 21, except immediate family, trips for work or an authorized activity, or with a qualifying adult.
Phones: under Kelsey’s Law, a Level 1 or Level 2 driver may not use a cell phone while driving, except in an emergency.

What Drivoku covers for Michigan

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 replace Segment 1 or cover Michigan’s own laws. The Department of State’s driver’s manual, What Every Driver Must Know, has 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

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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Seat belts and child safety

Where does NHTSA recommend children under 13 ride, when a back seat is available?
- In the back seat Right
- In the front seat with a belt
- In the front seat with an air bag
- On an adult's lap
The right answer is A: In the back seat

WhyNHTSA recommends children under 13 ride in the back seat, away from front air bags.

Source: NHTSA: Air Bags, The Topic — Protection

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Traffic signals

A steady green arrow points left while the circular light is red. A pedestrian is still crossing directly in your intended turning path. What must you do?
- Turn left now; the arrow gives you the right-of-way
- Turn left and stop inside the crosswalk
- Go straight instead, since the arrow is on
- Yield to the pedestrian, then turn when safe and permitted Right
The right answer is D: Yield to the pedestrian, then turn when safe and permitted

WhyA green arrow allows the left turn, but you must still yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Source: MUTCD Section 4A.03 Meanings of Steady Vehicular Signal Indications

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Sharing the road

A motorcycle is traveling ahead in your lane. There appears to be enough room for your car beside it. How should you treat the motorcycle's lane space?
- Share its lane whenever your car can fit beside it
- Allow the motorcycle full use of its lane Right
- Move beside it after sounding a brief horn warning
- Use its unused lane space when traffic is moving slowly
The right answer is B: Allow the motorcycle full use of its lane

WhyA motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane; a car must not crowd into that space.

Source: UVC § 11-1303(a) Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic (model law)

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Passing

You want to pass a slow truck on a two-lane road, but you are nearing a hill crest where you cannot see oncoming traffic. What should you do?
- Wait until you can see far enough to pass Right
- Pass quickly before you reach the crest
- Pass on the right shoulder instead
- Follow close behind and pass at the crest
The right answer is A: Wait until you can see far enough to pass

WhyDo not pass where your view is blocked, such as near a hill crest, curve, intersection, or crossing.

Source: UVC § 11-306(a)(1) Further limitations on driving on left of center of roadway (model law)

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Your topics

SignsKnow it
Learner and provisional licensesOn the way
Right-of-wayStamped

Each topic's level is free in the app. Pro lets you practice every topic as much as you want.

In the app, questions you miss come back until you get them right. 5 questions a day are free.

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

Out now on iPhone and Android.

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

Common questions

Do you take a permit test at the Secretary of State in Michigan?

Not if you are a teen with Michigan driver education. You pass the Segment 1 state exam with at least 70 percent, then apply for the Level 1 learner’s license at a branch.

How old do you have to be for a learner’s license in Michigan?

14 years and 9 months, after finishing Segment 1. You can start Segment 1 at 14 years and 8 months.

How many hours of driving do you need in Michigan?

At least 50 hours, 10 of them at night, before the driving skills test for Level 2.

Who can drive with a Level 1 driver in Michigan?

A licensed parent or guardian, or a licensed driver aged 21 or older whom the parent or guardian names in a signed letter.

Sources

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The Michigan permit test, explained