Is the Arkansas Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The DFA asks 25 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 20 right answers. That leaves a margin of 5 wrong. That places Arkansas near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

Arkansas hands out permits earlier than most

Arkansas permits driving instruction as early as 14 - earlier than the 16-year-old norm most states use. The intermediate license follows at 16, with a full unrestricted license at 18.

On Arkansas's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Arkansas, 14.9 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Arkansas ranks 26th lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, Arkansas's road network sees 1.51 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What Arkansas bans behind the wheel.

Arkansas scores 4.0 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 27th of 51). The state prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Arkansas's seat-belt law is primary enforcement - an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 92%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Arkansas, the average driver pays about $1,051 a year, less 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 12.1% of Arkansas 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 $25,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Arkansas lands 30th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: Arkansas law makes insurers give a discount for finishing an approved defensive-driving course (for drivers 55+), good for 3 years. The same course can also knock points off your record or help dismiss a ticket.

On two wheels.

Arkansas's motorcyclist fatality rate is 9.25 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well above the 6.87 U.S. average. Arkansas's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

DFA's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the DFA road test is not something we have verified for Arkansas, so check with DFA before you count on it. Required for riders under 21.

On bigger rigs.

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