The Kansas road test
A plain-language guide, checked against the Kansas Department of Revenue (KS DOR): who the test is for, what to bring, how it is scored, and what a retake really costs.
The rule that decides your path
The Kansas road test, also called the behind-the-wheel or driving skills test, is the final exam the KS DOR gives before it issues a driver's license. New drivers can take the Kansas driving test at 15, after logging 50 hours of supervised driving.
Kansas sets a specific pre-license education step every new driver has to clear. If under 18, a parent signs off on the 50 hours; if under 17, a parent also signs the permission form.
Below you'll find the full Kansas road test requirements: who qualifies, what to bring, how examiners score the drive, and the retake rules if you don't pass the first time. On our Driving Index, Kansas's written knowledge test ranks 43rd-hardest of 51.
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Supervised hours before the Kansas road test
These are hours you spend driving with a licensed adult, usually a parent, before you can take the test. Keep a log as you go, on paper or in an app, because the state can ask to see it. Practice in a mix of conditions, day and night, highways and quiet streets, rain and clear weather, and get the night hours in early, since those are the ones most people leave to the last minute.
What to bring to the Kansas road test
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Documents
Your vehicle must have
Who comes with you. Not published. A parent's signature is only required if you are under 18.
If you fail the Kansas road test
Here's how a retake works in Kansas: Not published for the road test (the 4-month, then 6-month, waits apply to the knowledge test only). $1.50 for a re-exam within 6 months; $3 abandonment fee after 6 months
Beyond any fee, a retry usually means another day off work or school, another ride to the office, and another car to borrow, so failing costs far more than it looks on paper.
Passing on the first try is the cheapest way through. A first license runs $18 for a Class C license (ages 21 to 64).
How the Kansas road test is scored
An error and point-based system; the numeric passing threshold is not published.
Mistakes that end the test right away
Do any of these and the examiner stops the drive, no matter how well the rest went.
- If you do not use your safety belt.
- If you do not check your blind spots.
- If you receive a traffic citation for a moving violation, disobey signs or signals, speed, roll through stops, or ignore traffic laws.
- If you do not yield to pedestrians or other roadway users.
- If you are involved in an avoidable crash or if your vehicle has physical contact with other vehicles, objects, or pedestrians.
- If you commit any unsafe act or if another driver is forced to take evasive actions in order to prevent a crash.
- If you put the vehicle over sidewalks or curbs unnecessarily.
- If the examiner must take control of the vehicle.
Before the road test
Pass the Kansas written test on your first try
Nearby road-test guides.
Six more states, neighbours first, then the closest matches on test difficulty.
Test specifications, fees and laws change. This guide was last verified July 2026; always confirm current requirements with the KS DOR (www.ksrevenue.gov) before booking a test. DMV IQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with any state DMV, DPS, MVD, or BMV.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] and we'll get it corrected.
Sources for this guide (2 official KS DOR pages)
- Eligibility: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dlhb.pdf
- What to bring: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dlhb.pdf
- Test format: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dlhb.pdf
- Scoring: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dlhb.pdf
- Retakes: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dmvlicfees.pdf
- Fees: https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dmvlicfees.pdf
- Handbook (Revised February 2022): https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/dlhb.pdf
Current as of 2026-07-16. Official Kansas sources only; anything the state does not publish is left out rather than guessed.