Washington DOL Practice Test PDF: 40 Questions & Answers (2026)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
The Washington knowledge test in one paragraph
Washington's knowledge test is 40 multiple-choice questions and you need 80% to pass, which leaves very little room: miss more than 8 and you retake it. Every question comes from the Washington Driver Guide published by the Department of Licensing (DOL). You take the test in person - Washington does not offer it online - at a DOL-approved testing location, usually a driver training school, and the test fee is set by the testing location rather than the DOL.
A passing score stays valid for two years, so there is no rush to apply for your instruction permit the same day - but the permit itself must be held for at least six months before an intermediate license.
Washington knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- 40
- To pass
- 32 of 40 correct (80%)
- Permit
- Instruction Permit
- Minimum age
- 15½ years old
- If you fail
- DOL states only that 'there may be a waiting period before you can retest'; no fixed period or attempts limit published. A passing score is valid for 2 years.
- Online test
- No - the knowledge test must be taken in person.
You can miss up to 8 of the 40 questions and still pass. The minimum is 32 correct answers (80%).
Official source: Washington DOL driver handbook (edition checked: 2025) · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 Washington-specific questions from the PDF
In Washington, a driver under 21 faces DUI consequences at a BAC of:
- A. 0.02
- B. 0.05
- C. 0.08
- D. 0.10
Show answer
A. 0.02 - Washington's limit is 0.08 for drivers 21 and over, but only 0.02 for drivers under 21.
Source: Washington handbook, PDF p.38, Alcohol and drug limits table
Washington's E-DUI law says that while driving you cannot:
- A. Hold any electronic device, such as a phone or tablet
- B. Use a hands-free system
- C. Listen to the radio
- D. Use a windshield phone mount
Show answer
A. Hold any electronic device, such as a phone or tablet - Washington prohibits all drivers from holding any electronic device while driving. Fully licensed drivers may use hands-free devices, but instruction permit and intermediate license holders may not use a phone at all, even hands-free, except to report an emergency.
Source: Washington handbook, PDF p.70 and p.85, Distracted driving
For the first 6 months with a Washington intermediate license, you may carry passengers under 20 who are:
- A. Immediate family members only
- B. Up to five friends
- C. Anyone
- D. Up to three friends
Show answer
A. Immediate family members only - During the first 6 months, Washington intermediate drivers may carry passengers under 20 only if they are immediate family.
Source: Washington handbook, PDF p.28, Intermediate Driver License restrictions table
A Washington intermediate license holder may not drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless:
- A. Accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older
- B. It is a weekend
- C. Driving directly to work
- D. The trip is under 30 minutes
Show answer
A. Accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older - Washington prohibits intermediate drivers from driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver age 25 or older is in the vehicle.
Source: Washington handbook, PDF p.28, Intermediate Driver License restrictions table
After the first 6 months, a Washington intermediate driver may carry at most how many non-family passengers under 20?
- A. Three
- B. One
- C. Five
- D. No limit
Show answer
A. Three - After 6 months, Washington intermediate drivers may have no more than three passengers under 20 who are not immediate family.
Source: Washington handbook, PDF p.28, Intermediate Driver License restrictions table
Why the 80% bar changes how you should study
At 80%, guessing is expensive. On a 70% test you can shrug off a few tricky questions; in Washington every ninth question you miss is a fail. That makes the answer key in the PDF more useful than the questions themselves: read the one-line explanation for every answer, including the ones you got right, so that a reworded version of the same rule on test day does not catch you out.
The areas Washington candidates most often underestimate are the ones with specific numbers:
- Intermediate license rules - the passenger limits for the first six months and the rest of the first year, and the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. night restriction. These are Washington-specific and show up in the state questions above.
- Alcohol limits - 0.08 for drivers 21 and over, but 0.02 for drivers under 21.
- Washington's E-DUI law - holding a phone while driving is illegal for every driver, not just teens.
A simple plan with the PDF
- Day 1: Print the PDF and answer every question on paper without looking at the key. Circle anything you guessed.
- Day 2: Mark your answers against the key. For every wrong or circled question, find the rule in the Washington Driver Guide and read that whole section, not just the sentence.
- Day 3 onward: Switch to the online Washington practice tests. They shuffle questions and answers, so you cannot pass from memory of letter positions, and they track your weakest topics.
- Before test day: Take the full 40-question simulator until you score 36 or more (90%) three times in a row. That margin covers nerves and unlucky question draws.
Washington permit facts to know before you book
- Minimum age: 15½ for an instruction permit, and driver training is required if you are under 18.
- Driving on the permit: your supervisor must be a licensed driver with at least 5 years of driving experience.
- Practice log: 50 hours (40 in daylight, 10 at night) with someone who has held their license for at least 3 years, required for the intermediate license.
- Holding period: 6 months before the intermediate license.
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