Is the Utah Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)
Utah ranks T-26th of 51 on knowledge-test difficulty. The state has 4th-lowest of 51 traffic-fatality rate per mile and roads that are safer than most.
Across the 51 jurisdictions, stricter knowledge tests tend to pair with safer roads. Utah sits on the safer side, near the top of the chart.
Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.
The test
The DLD asks 50 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 40 right answers. That leaves a margin of 10 wrong. That places Utah near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.
Utah lifts driving restrictions before most states
In Utah, 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, 40 hours (10 at night)
- Probationary licenseAge 16night ban 12 AM - 5 AM
- Full licenseAge 17all restrictions lift
Full license earlier than the 18-year norm.
40 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.
Utah requires only 40 supervised hours before the road test - below the 45.2-hour national mean and well short of the IIHS-recommended 70.
On Utah's roads.
For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Utah, 8.9 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Utah ranks 12th lowest of 51.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.
The same pattern holds across all drivers. Utah's road network sees 0.77 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled - one of the country's lowest rates. The U.S. average is 1.25.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.
What Utah bans behind the wheel.
Utah 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. Utah's seat-belt law is primary enforcement - an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 96%.
What it costs to insure a car here.
Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Utah, the average driver pays about $1,169 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 6.2% of Utah drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $30,000 for injuries to one person, $65,000 total for injuries per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Utah lands 39th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.
One way to trim the bill: Utah 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.
Utah's motorcyclist fatality rate is 1.64 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - well below the 6.87 U.S. average. Utah's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.
Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.
DLD's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the DLD road test is not something we have verified for Utah, so check with DLD before you count on it. Required for riders under 21.
On bigger rigs.
The Utah CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Utah is $6. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DLD.
Pass the DLD test before you take it.
Free Utah practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.
Free Utah practice testNearby in the index.
Six more state pages - neighbors first, then the closest matches on road safety.