Is the Kentucky Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

KYTC / KSP asks 40 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 32 right answers. That leaves a margin of 8 wrong. That places Kentucky near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

Kentucky lifts driving restrictions before most states

In Kentucky, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 16, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16 + 6 months, and earns a full unrestricted license at 17.

On Kentucky's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Kentucky, 20.9 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Kentucky ranks 38th lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, Kentucky's road network sees 1.66 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - among the highest rates in America. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What Kentucky bans behind the wheel.

Kentucky 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. Kentucky'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 Kentucky, the average driver pays about $1,046 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 14.1% of Kentucky 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 Kentucky lands 28th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: Kentucky 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.

Kentucky's motorcyclist fatality rate is 9.15 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well above the 6.87 U.S. average. Kentucky's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

KYTC / KSP's motorcycle knowledge test is 30 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the KYTC / KSP road test is not something we have verified for Kentucky, so check with KYTC / KSP before you count on it. Required for riders under 21 and all permit holders.

On bigger rigs.

The Kentucky CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Kentucky is $11. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the KYTC / KSP.