Is the Nebraska Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)
Nebraska ranks 19th of 51 on knowledge-test difficulty. The state has some of the most dangerous roads in the country and one of the country's highest shares of unbuckled occupant deaths.
Across the 51 jurisdictions, more lenient knowledge tests tend to pair with deadlier roads. Nebraska sits on the riskier side, near the bottom of the chart.
Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.
The test
The DMV asks 25 questions and requires 80% correct — at least 20 right answers. That leaves a margin of 5 wrong. That places Nebraska near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.
Nebraska lifts driving restrictions before most states
In Nebraska, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15, holds it for 6 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16, and earns a full unrestricted license at 17.
- Learner's permitAge 15held 6 months, 50 hours (10 at night)
- Probationary licenseAge 16night ban 12 AM - 6 AM
- Full licenseAge 17all restrictions lift
Full license earlier than the 18-year norm.
50 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.
Nebraska requires 50 supervised hours — above the national mean of 45.2, short of the IIHS-recommended 70.
On Nebraska's roads.
For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Nebraska, 13.7 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Nebraska ranks 21st lowest of 51.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.
Across all drivers, Nebraska's road network sees 1.04 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.
What Nebraska bans behind the wheel.
Nebraska 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. Nebraska'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 89%.
On two wheels.
Nebraska's motorcyclist fatality rate is 4.33 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — well below the 6.87 U.S. average. Nebraska is one of 19 jurisdictions with a universal helmet law: every rider, every passenger, no age exemptions.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.
DMV's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Completion of the Nebraska Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the DMV road test. All riders and passengers must wear a DOT-compliant helmet.
On bigger rigs.
The Nebraska CDL knowledge test is federally standardised — 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Nebraska is $10. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DMV.
Pass the DMV test before you take it.
Free Nebraska practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.
Free Nebraska practice testNearby in the index.
Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.