The American road test, state by state
The behind-the-wheel test is the last step to a license, and every state runs it differently. These are the road test requirements by state, minimum age, permit period, supervised hours, parallel parking, and what happens if you fail, each figure from an official state source.
Supervised hours, coast to coast
Each state shaded by the supervised-driving hours a new driver must log before the test. Tap any state for its full guide.
Compare every state’s road test, side by side
Minimum age, permit period, supervised hours, whether parallel parking is scored, and how long you wait to retake, for all 51 jurisdictions. Sorted by popularity, with your state pinned to the top. Open any state for the full guide.
| California | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | No | 14 days (for drivers under 18) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 16 | 6 months | 30 hrs | Yes | You can retry while your application is active; it stays open for 90 days. |
| Florida | 16 | 12 months, or until you turn 18, whichever comes first | 50 hrs | No | Not published |
| New York | 16 | 6 months | 50 hrs | Varies | At least 14 days |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 6 months | 65 hrs | Yes | For drivers under 18: 7 days. For drivers 18 or older: none specified. |
| Illinois | 16 | At least 9 months for an under-18 permit | 50 hrs | No | Not published |
| Ohio | 16 | At least 6 months (for drivers under 18) | 50 hrs | No | For drivers under 21: 2 days. Drivers 21 or older must take Abbreviated Adult Driver Training before a second attempt, unless they completed driver's ed within the prior year. |
| Georgia | 16 | At least 12 months and 1 day on the Learner's Permit | 40 hrs | Yes | 1 day after the first failure, 7 days after the second, and 30 days if there was an accident or violation during the test |
| North Carolina | 16 | Hold the Level One permit at least 9 months | 60 hrs | Varies | 7 calendar days |
| Michigan | 16 | Under 18: hold Level 1 at least 6 months. 18 and older: hold the Temporary Instruction Permit at least 30 days, which may be waived. | 50 hrs | Yes | 24 hours, one attempt per 24 hours, unless the vehicle or paperwork was the problem. |
| New Jersey | 17 | Under 21: 6 months supervised. 21 and older: 3 months. | 50 hrs | Yes | At least 14 days |
| Virginia | 16 | At least 9 months for drivers under 18 (before January 1, 2027). At 18 or older, at least 60 days, or completion of driver's ed instead. | 45 hrs | Varies | After 1 or 2 failures: 2 days. You can test once per business day. |
| Washington | 16 | At least 6 months (for drivers under 18) | 50 hrs | Yes | Not published |
| Arizona | 16 | 6 months, or until you turn 18 | 30 hrs | Varies | 7 days |
| Tennessee | 16 | 180 days | 50 hrs | Varies | No same-day retest. Based on errors: 7 to 9 errors is a 1-day wait; 10 to 12 is 7 days; 13 to 15 is 14 days; 16 or more is 30 days. |
| State | Age | Hrs | Parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 16 | 50 | No |
| Texas | 16 | 30 | Yes |
| Florida | 16 | 50 | No |
| New York | 16 | 50 | Varies |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 65 | Yes |
| Illinois | 16 | 50 | No |
| Ohio | 16 | 50 | No |
| Georgia | 16 | 40 | Yes |
| North Carolina | 16 | 60 | Varies |
| Michigan | 16 | 50 | Yes |
| New Jersey | 17 | 50 | Yes |
| Virginia | 16 | 45 | Varies |
| Washington | 16 | 50 | Yes |
| Arizona | 16 | 30 | Varies |
| Tennessee | 16 | 50 | Varies |
Common questions
There is no single official ranking. Difficulty depends on what is scored (parallel parking, freeway driving), how strict the examiner is, and local pass rates, which most states do not publish. This hub gives you each state's actual requirements so you can compare them directly.
No. Mississippi does not administer a behind-the-wheel road test for a regular license. A few other states waive the road test when you complete an approved driver-education course. Each state page explains its own rule.
It varies a lot by state, from around 40 hours to 60 or more, and usually a set number of those must be at night. The map above shades every state by its requirement, and each state page breaks the hours down.
It depends on the state. The table shows Yes, No, or Varies for each one. Some states scrapped parallel parking years ago; others still score it, so check your state's guide before test day.
Most states make you wait a set number of days and pay a retake fee before trying again. A few publish no fixed wait. Your state page lists the exact wait, the fee, and any limit on attempts.
In most states, drivers under 18 must complete driver's ed before they can be licensed; adults often can skip it. Each state page states its rule for both minors and adults.
Every value comes from the state licensing agency's own handbook or website, with the source linked on each state page. Where a state does not publish a fact, we mark it 'not published' rather than guess.
How we built this.
Every number on these pages comes straight from the people who run the test: each state’s DMV, DPS, MVD, or BMV, using their current driver handbook and license pages. We read the source, write it in plain English, and link it on the state’s guide so you can check it yourself.
We do not fill in blanks. When a state does not publish something, a retake wait, a fee, an exact hours figure, we say “not published” instead of guessing. The map shades each state by the supervised-driving hours its learner (under-18) track requires; where that is not published, the state shows gray, never a made-up number.
Rules change. We checked every state in July 2026, but a handbook can update any time, so confirm the details with your state before you book. Spot something off? Email [email protected].
Sources & data notes
Each state’s figures are sourced from that state’s own licensing agency and current driver handbook, with the exact links listed on its guide page (for example, the California guide).
- Only official government sources are used. No third-party or commercial driving-test sites.
- Supervised-hours shading uses each state’s learner (GDL) requirement, with qualifiers stripped to a single primary figure.
- Where an agency is silent on a fact, it is marked “not published” and never inferred.
- Difficulty rank on each state page is pulled live from the DMV IQ Driving Index, not entered by hand.