Is the Washington Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The DOL asks 40 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 32 right answers. That leaves a margin of 8 wrong. Among the 51 jurisdictions, 6 are harder, 4 more are level with it, and 40 are easier.

Washington's path from permit to full license

In Washington, 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 18.

On Washington's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Washington, 15.9 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Washington ranks 29th lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, Washington's road network sees 1.34 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

The country's strictest law on driving with a phone in your hand.

Washington scores a full 6.0 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric - the only state to do so. The law bans handheld phones for all drivers, prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers, and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Washington's seat-belt law is primary enforcement - an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 97%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Washington, the average driver pays about $1,153 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 19.1% of Washington 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 $10,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Washington lands 22nd of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: Washington law makes insurers give a discount for finishing an approved defensive-driving course (for drivers 55+), good for 2 years.

On two wheels.

Washington's motorcyclist fatality rate is 7.09 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - near the 6.87 U.S. average. Washington is one of 20 jurisdictions with a universal helmet law: every rider, every passenger, no age exemptions.

DOL's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the DOL road test is not something we have verified for Washington, so check with DOL before you count on it. All riders and passengers must wear a DOT-compliant helmet.

On bigger rigs.

The Washington CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Washington is $35. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DOL.