Is the Arizona Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The MVD asks 30 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 24 right answers. That leaves a margin of 6 wrong. That places Arizona near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

Arizona's path from permit to full license

In Arizona, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15½, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16, and earns a full unrestricted license at 18.

On Arizona's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Arizona, 28.0 die in a crash each year - one of the highest rates in America (the U.S. average is 16.8). Only 4 jurisdictions fare worse.

Across all drivers, Arizona's road network sees 1.86 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - among the highest rates in America. The U.S. average is 1.25.

The country's strictest law on driving with a phone in your hand.

Arizona scores a full 6.0 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric - the only state to do so. The law bans handheld phones for all drivers, prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers, and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Arizona's seat-belt law is secondary enforcement - an officer cannot stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver unless another violation is present. Self-reported belt use is 95%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Arizona, the average driver pays about $1,344 a year, more than the $1,282 a typical American pays. Here is where that sits next to the national average and the cheapest and priciest states.

About 10.6% of Arizona drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $25,000 for injuries to one person, $50,000 total for injuries per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Arizona lands 20th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

Arizona lets insurers offer a discount for a defensive-driving course but does not require one, so it is worth asking your insurer. The same course can also knock points off your record or help dismiss a ticket.

On two wheels.

Arizona's motorcyclist fatality rate is 9.04 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well above the 6.87 U.S. average. Arizona's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

MVD's motorcycle knowledge test is 30 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the MVD road test is not something we have verified for Arizona, so check with MVD before you count on it. Required for riders under 18.

On bigger rigs.

The Arizona CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Arizona is $25. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the MVD.