NY DMV Permit Test PDF: 20 Questions & Sign Rule (2026)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
The New York test has a catch
New York's written permit test is short: 20 multiple-choice questions, and you need 14 correct (70%). But there is a second rule that catches people out. Four of the 20 questions are about road signs, and you must answer at least 2 of those 4 correctly - even if you get all 16 other questions right, failing the road-sign part fails the test.
The questions come from the New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), and the New York DMV also offers an online knowledge test option.
New York knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- 20
- To pass
- 14 of 20 correct (70%), including at least 2 of the 4 Road Signs questions
- Permit
- Junior Learner Permit (Class DJ) for under 18; Learner Permit (Class D) for 18+
- Minimum age
- 16 years old
- Online test
- Yes - an online knowledge test option is available.
You can miss up to 6 of the 20 questions (14 correct, 70%), but your correct answers must include at least 2 of the 4 Road Signs questions.
Official source: New York DMV driver handbook · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 New York-specific questions from the PDF
Under New York's Zero Tolerance law, a driver under 21 commits a violation with a BAC of:
- A. 0.02 to 0.07
- B. 0.08 or higher only
- C. 0.05 to 0.10
- D. 0.10 or higher only
Show answer
A. 0.02 to 0.07 - New York's Zero Tolerance law makes any measurable BAC of 0.02 to 0.07 a violation for drivers under 21, leading to a six-month license suspension.
Source: New York handbook, Ch. 9, Zero Tolerance for Drivers Under Age 21, p. 58
A New York junior (Class DJ) license holder may not drive with more than:
- A. One passenger under 21, unless they are immediate family
- B. Two passengers under 21
- C. Three passengers
- D. Four passengers
Show answer
A. One passenger under 21, unless they are immediate family - New York junior license holders may not drive with more than one passenger under 21 unless the passengers are members of the immediate family.
Source: New York handbook, Ch. 1, Junior Operator Restrictions - Driving with a Junior License, p. 16
A New York junior driver convicted of a texting or cell phone violation has their license suspended for:
- A. 120 days
- B. 30 days
- C. 60 days
- D. 1 year
Show answer
A. 120 days - A texting or cell phone conviction suspends a New York junior permit or license for 120 days.
Source: New York handbook, Ch. 2, Special Rules for Drivers with Junior Permits and Licenses
With a New York junior permit, the only passenger allowed in the front seat is:
- A. Your supervising driver
- B. Any adult
- C. A sibling
- D. A friend
Show answer
A. Your supervising driver - If you hold a New York junior permit, the only person allowed in the front seat is your supervising driver.
Source: New York handbook, Ch. 1, General Rules for All Drivers with Learner Permits, p. 14
A New York driver under 21 found in violation of the Zero Tolerance law faces a license suspension of:
- A. 6 months
- B. 30 days
- C. 90 days
- D. 1 year
Show answer
A. 6 months - A Zero Tolerance violation in New York results in a six-month driver license suspension.
Source: New York handbook, Ch. 9, Zero Tolerance for Drivers Under Age 21, p. 58
Why road signs deserve their own study session
Because four questions decide a separate pass/fail condition, road signs matter more on the New York test than their share of the question count suggests. Learn signs by shape and colour first (an octagon is always stop, a triangle always yield, a pentagon always a school zone), then by symbol. Our road signs practice test and the complete road signs guide cover every shape.
New York rules that show up on the test
The New York questions above are built from the manual's own rules:
- Zero Tolerance - a driver under 21 commits a violation at a BAC of just 0.02, and the license suspension that follows.
- Junior license limits - how many passengers under 21 a Class DJ driver may carry, and who may sit in the front seat with a junior permit.
- Phone violations - the suspension a junior driver faces for texting or phone use.
Before you go for the permit
- Minimum age: 16. Under 18 you get a Junior Learner Permit (Class DJ); at 18 or older, a Class D learner permit.
- Fee: the permit fee also covers your later license, and it varies by age and by whether you live in the MCTD region (around New York City).
- Practice driving: 50 hours, including 15 after sunset, certified on form MV-262 before the road test, and you must hold the permit for 6 months (under 18) before booking the road test.
Work through the PDF once on paper, then switch to the New York online practice tests, which enforce the same 2-of-4 road-sign rule so a lucky score on the other 16 cannot hide a road-sign weakness.
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