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Is the Kansas Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

Kansas ranks 43rd of 51 on knowledge-test difficulty — among the more forgiving. The state's road-safety, GDL and distracted-driving measures all land near the middle of the national distribution.

Across the 51 jurisdictions, more lenient knowledge tests tend to pair with deadlier roads. Kansas sits well to the left of the cloud — a more forgiving test than most — with a road-safety composite closer to the middle.

02550751000255075100Knowledge-test difficulty (0–100, higher is harder)Road-safety composite (0–100, higher is safer)Kansas41st in road safety43rd-hardest test

Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.

The test

The DOR asks 25 questions and requires 80% correct — at least 20 right answers. That leaves a margin of 5 wrong. Most other jurisdictions set a harder pass-fail line.

Kansas hands out permits earlier than most

Kansas 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 17.

  1. Learner's permit
    Age 14
    held 12 months, 50 hours (10 at night)

    Earlier than the 16-year-old norm.

  2. Probationary license
    Age 16
    night ban 9 PM - 5 AM
  3. Full license
    Age 17
    all restrictions lift

25 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.

Kansas requires only 25 supervised hours before the road test — below the 45.2-hour national mean and well short of the IIHS-recommended 70.

0 hr25 hr50 hr75 hrKansas25 hrNational mean45.2 hrIIHS recommended70 hr
Supervised-driving hours required before unrestricted licensure. Source: IIHS state-laws table, 2025.

On Kansas's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Kansas, 26.1 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Kansas ranks 46th lowest of 51.

U.S. avg 16.8Kansas26.1 deaths46th-lowest of 5101020304050← betterworse →Teen-driver deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers ≤19

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.

Across all drivers, Kansas's road network sees 1.22 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

U.S. avg 1.25Kansas1.22 deaths25th-lowest of 5100.511.52← betterworse →Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.

What Kansas bans behind the wheel.

Kansas 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. Kansas's seat-belt law is primary enforcement — an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 93%.

On two wheels.

Kansas's motorcyclist fatality rate is 4.44 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — well below the 6.87 U.S. average. Kansas's helmet law is partial — typically required only for younger riders.

U.S. avg 6.87Kansas4.44 deaths13th-lowest of 5105101520← betterworse →Motorcyclist deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.

DOR's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Completion of the Kansas Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the DOR road test. Required for riders under 18.

Source: IIHS — Motorcycle helmet use laws by state.

On bigger rigs.

The Kansas CDL knowledge test is federally standardised — 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Kansas is $13. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DOR.

Pass the DOR test before you take it.

Free Kansas practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.

Free Kansas practice test

Nearby in the index.

Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.

Is the Kansas Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics) | DMV IQ