Driver's license knowledge test
Iowa Permit Practice Test
233 free questions written from the official handbook, each with an explanation and the page it comes from.
- From the official Iowa handbook
- Every answer cites its page
- Checked November 4, 2026
The real test at a glance
- Permit fee
- 6 (4 years)source
- Minimum permit age
- 14source
- Where you take it
- both: DMV / county treasurer office, at home with parent proctor (age 14-17, application required), or at a participating school (Skip the Trip)source
Checked against official sources on November 4, 2026. Rules change: confirm with the Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division before your test.
About the real test
What to expect on test day
In Iowa you can get an instruction permit at 14; it costs $6 and lasts four years. Drivers under 18 can take the knowledge test at a driver's license or county treasurer's office, at a participating school, or at home with a parent or guardian who holds a valid Iowa license as the proctor. The at-home option opens within 30 days of the 14th birthday. Iowa DOT also has an official online practice test. Iowa does not say how many questions are on the real test, so there is no full-length mock exam here.
Every question here is written from the official Iowa Driver's License Manual (July 2026 edition) and shows the page it comes from. Practice by topic or in mixed sets, then review the questions you missed.
Practice by topic
Pick a topic to start
Start with a topic you're unsure of. Mixed sets work better once you've seen each topic.
- Your license and traffic stopsWho needs an Iowa license, carrying your license, insurance and registration, required screenings and tests, and what to do at a traffic stop.7 questions
- Alcohol, drugs and OWIOperating while intoxicated, implied consent and test refusal, the open container law, and rules for drivers under 21.11 questions
- Safe driver habitsBlind spots, seat belts and Iowa law, the hands-free law and texting, and defensive driving.20 questions
- Your vehicle and its technologyBrakes, lights, glass, tires, steering, exhaust, mirrors and seat position, and driver-assistance and warning technologies.16 questions
- Pavement markingsLane controls, directional arrows, shared left-turn lanes, bicycle lanes and boxes, and markings that show passing rules.13 questions
- Road signsSign colors and shapes, regulatory and warning signs, guide and route signs, railroad crossings and work-zone signs and devices.37 questions
- Traffic signals and beaconsTraffic signals and arrows, rectangular rapid flashing beacons and pedestrian hybrid beacons.12 questions
- Stopping and following distanceStopping distance, safe following distance, required stops, ABS, keeping pace with traffic and tailgating.16 questions
- Intersections, turns and roundaboutsControlled and uncontrolled intersections, turn signals, turns on red, turning maneuvers and U-turns, rural four-lane crossings, on-ramps and roundabouts.26 questions
- Move Over, lane changes and passingIowa's Move Over or Slow Down law, changing lanes, and when passing is illegal.15 questions
- ParkingParking rules and parking for persons with disabilities.8 questions
- Lights, weather and emergenciesHeadlights, hazard lights and horn, narrow bridges and hills, weather, wet roads, flooding, tornadoes, ice and snow, vehicle emergencies and crashes.31 questions
- Sharing the roadSchool buses, trucks and wide right turns, motorcycles, bicyclists and pedestrians.21 questions
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Try a few
Sample Iowa permit test questions
Open a question to see the answer, why, and the handbook page.
1.A 19-year-old driver is stopped and tests at 0.05% BAC. What is the shortest revocation this driver will face?
- A180 days
- B1 year
- C60 days
- D30 days
Show the answer
✓ C. 60 days
An underage driver at 0.02 or more loses driving privileges for at least 60 days. The 180-day minimum applies only at 0.08 or more.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 37
2.A regular passenger car is stopped on the shoulder with its hazard lights flashing. Does Iowa's Move Over law apply?
- AYes, it covers cars with hazard lights
- BOnly if a tow truck is there
- COnly on interstate highways
- DNo, only police cars count
Show the answer
✓ A. Yes, it covers cars with hazard lights
The Move Over or Slow Down Law also covers any stopped motor vehicle, including a passenger car, that shows its hazard lights.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 22
3.You are on a three-lane road with a center turn lane. A school bus coming toward you stops with its stop arm out. What must you do?
- ASlow down and pass with care
- BMove into the turn lane and pass
- CStop in front of the bus
- DKeep going, since it is on the other side
Show the answer
✓ C. Stop in front of the bus
On roads with three lanes or fewer, all vehicles must stop for a school bus with its stop arm out, including oncoming traffic.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 20
4.What is the most you can be fined for each unbuckled passenger under 18?
- A$100
- B$200
- C$25
- D$50
Show the answer
✓ A. $100
Iowa's seat belt fine is up to $50 per passenger and up to $100 for each passenger under 18.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 34
5.To check your following distance, you start counting when the car ahead passes a sign. What should be true when you reach three?
- AYou have just switched lanes
- BYour bumper is already past the sign
- CThe car ahead has stopped
- DYour bumper has not yet passed the sign
Show the answer
✓ D. Your bumper has not yet passed the sign
Count slowly once the car ahead passes a landmark. Your front bumper should not pass it before you have counted to three.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 41
6.A 16-year-old has finished an Iowa-approved driver's education course. Which licensing step may they skip?
- ANo step; all are still required
- BThe driving test
- CThe knowledge test
- DThe vision screening
Show the answer
✓ B. The driving test
The driving test is not required if you meet the driver's education course requirement. The vision screening and knowledge test are still required.
Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book) (back cover 'M M1170 07/23/2026'), page 5
FAQ
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the Iowa permit test?
The state doesn't publish the number of questions or the passing score on its official site, so check with the Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division before your test. Practice until you get at least 80% of new questions right.
How old do I have to be to get a permit?
14. (Source: official Iowa page, checked November 2, 2026.)
Are these the real test questions?
No. Nobody can legally offer the real questions. We write our own questions from the official Iowa Driver's License Manual (Complete Book), and each one shows the handbook page it's based on, so you learn the rules the real test is built from.