NJ Permit Test Questions and Answers PDF (2026 MVC Manual)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
What the New Jersey knowledge test looks like
New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) gives a 50-question knowledge test with an 80% pass mark, so you need 40 correct answers. The questions come from the New Jersey Driver Manual, which the MVC updated in 2026. The test is taken in person at an MVC agency; there is no online version.
If you fail, New Jersey makes you wait 7 days before you can retake the knowledge test - one of the few states that publishes a fixed waiting period. A week lost to a careless fail is a good reason to practise until you are comfortably above 40 out of 50.
New Jersey knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- 50
- To pass
- 40 of 50 correct (80%)
- Permit
- Examination Permit (auto); a Student Learner's Permit (also called Special Learner Permit) is available at 16 through a licensed behind-the-wheel driving course
- Minimum age
- 17 years old
- If you fail
- 7 days before retaking a failed knowledge test (14 days for a failed road test)
- Online test
- No - the knowledge test must be taken in person.
You can miss up to 10 of the 50 questions and still pass. The minimum is 40 correct answers (80%).
Official source: New Jersey MVC driver handbook (edition checked: 2026) · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 New Jersey-specific questions from the PDF
Under New Jersey's Kyleigh's Law, GDL permit and probationary drivers must display:
- A. A red decal on the front and rear license plates
- B. A green sticker on the windshield
- C. A learner sign in the rear window
- D. Nothing special
Show answer
A. A red decal on the front and rear license plates - New Jersey requires GDL drivers to display reflective red decals on the upper-left corner of both the front and rear license plates.
Source: New Jersey handbook, Ch. 1, GDL Decal, p. 19
New Jersey GDL permit and probationary drivers may not drive between:
- A. 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
- B. 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- C. Midnight and 4:00 a.m.
- D. 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Show answer
A. 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. - New Jersey prohibits GDL permit and probationary drivers from driving between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Source: New Jersey handbook, Ch. 1, Permit / Probationary License Restrictions, p. 18
While driving, a New Jersey GDL/probationary driver may use a wireless phone:
- A. Not at all - even hands-free is prohibited
- B. Hands-free only
- C. For calls but not texts
- D. Anytime
Show answer
A. Not at all - even hands-free is prohibited - New Jersey bans GDL drivers from using any hand-held OR hands-free wireless communication device while driving.
Source: New Jersey handbook, Ch. 1, Probationary Driver License Restrictions, p. 18
Aside from dependents, a New Jersey probationary driver may carry how many additional passengers (unless a parent or guardian is present)?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. No limit
Show answer
A. One - New Jersey probationary drivers may carry only one additional passenger beyond dependents, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Source: New Jersey handbook, Ch. 1, Probationary Driver License Restrictions, p. 18
Failing to display the required GDL decals in New Jersey carries a fine of:
- A. $100
- B. $25
- C. $250
- D. $500
Show answer
A. $100 - A New Jersey GDL driver who fails to display the decals - or violates any GDL restriction - faces a $100 fine.
Source: New Jersey handbook, Ch. 1, Graduated Driver License (GDL), p. 14
Which permit are you applying for?
New Jersey has two routes into its Graduated Driver License (GDL) programme, and the questions assume you know the difference:
- Examination Permit - the standard route, available from age 17.
- Student Learner's Permit (also called the Special Learner Permit) - available at 16, but only through a licensed behind-the-wheel driving school course.
Both cost $10. Once you move on to a probationary license, the GDL restrictions in the state questions above apply: the night-driving curfew, the passenger limit, the ban on any phone use, and the red GDL decals required under Kyleigh's Law.
Topics that decide the NJ test
New Jersey candidates tend to lose points on the numbers that are unique to the state:
- Under-21 alcohol limit - New Jersey sets it at 0.01, stricter than the 0.02 used by most states.
- GDL decal rules - who must display them and the fine for not doing so.
- Supervised practice - drivers under 21 need at least 50 hours, including 10 in darkness, certified on MVC form BA-CSD. Permit holders under 21 must also practise for 6 months before the road test (3 months if you are 21 or older).
How to use the PDF
Print it, take the questions cold, then check the answer key and read the explanation for every answer. Anything you missed, look up in the NJ Driver Manual (linked in the facts box above) and read the whole section it comes from. Then move to the online New Jersey practice tests, which shuffle the answer order and show your weakest topics, and keep going until you are scoring 45 or more out of 50.