The Rhode Island road test
A plain-language guide, checked against the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV): 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 Rhode Island road test, also called the behind-the-wheel or driving skills test, is the final exam the RI DMV gives before it issues a driver's license. New drivers can take the Rhode Island driving test at 16, after logging 50 hours of supervised driving. The drive includes parallel parking.
Rhode Island sets a specific pre-license education step every new driver has to clear. There is a night driving restriction from 1am to 5am. Use the LI-1 application, notarized if you are under 18 and your parent is absent or has a different name. Drivers 18 or older hold the permit at least 1 month.
Below you'll find the full Rhode Island 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, Rhode Island's written knowledge test ranks 44th-hardest of 51.
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Supervised hours before the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island road test
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Documents
Your vehicle must have
Who comes with you. You may bring one additional person. For drivers under 18, the supervising driver must come along and stay in the front seat during the closed-course test, but cannot give directions (coaching is an automatic fail). No passengers other than the examiner and an interpreter.
If you fail the Rhode Island road test
Here's how a retake works in Rhode Island: After the first failure: 30 days; after the second: 90 days; after the third or later: 180 days. The retest fee is $28.50 (road test fee per appointment).
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 $44.50.
How the Rhode Island road test is scored
Point-based. More than 15 points fails, and the listed violations are an immediate failure.
Mistakes that end the test right away
Do any of these and the examiner stops the drive, no matter how well the rest went.
- A seat belt violation by the driver or a passenger
- A stop sign violation
- Running over a curb or cone with one or more wheels
- Intervention by a passenger, spoken or physical
- A collision with a barrier
- Any dangerous action
Before the road test
Pass the Rhode Island 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 RI DMV (dmv.ri.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 (5 official RI DMV pages)
- Eligibility: https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/permits-tests/new-license-permits
- What to bring: https://dmv.ri.gov/media/436/download?language=en
- Test format: https://dmv.ri.gov/media/436/download?language=en
- Scoring: https://dmv.ri.gov/media/436/download?language=en
- Retakes: https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/permits-tests/road-tests
- Fees: https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/drivers-licenses/license-fees
- Handbook (April 2024): https://dmv.ri.gov/media/966/download?language=en
Current as of 2026-07-16. Official Rhode Island sources only; anything the state does not publish is left out rather than guessed.