Get your first driver's license in Arkansas

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A first-time Arkansas driver passes the State Police knowledge and vision test, practices on a permit with a licensed driver 21 or older, passes the State Police skills test, then buys the license at a DFA revenue office.

Your situation

How old are you?
Online or in person
No, in person (tests are booked online) · State Police testing and a revenue officeYou book every driver license test online with the Arkansas State Police; the tests themselves are taken in person. DFA also offers "Pre-register for DL or State ID" (you get a case number to bring in), but the page does not say whether it covers a first license. The knowledge and skills tests are given by the Arkansas State Police; book an appointment to guarantee your exam date and time. You then buy the license at a DFA revenue office, where appointments are available but walk-ins are still accepted.
Cost
$40 Class D (ages 21+); prorated (ages 18-21)DFA: Class D for ages 21 and older is $40.00 for 8 years; for ages 18-21 the fee is "Prorated" (no amount given). No permit or test fee is published on the pages checked.
You leave with
Permit, then Class D license

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Show accepted documents (bring 2)
      • U.S. original or certified birth certificate (Primary)
      • U.S. passport or passport card (Primary)
      • Permanent Resident Card, Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate (Primary)
      • Foreign passport with U.S. visa and I-94 (Primary)
      • Arkansas State ID or valid out-of-state ID (Secondary)
      • Certified school transcript or current Arkansas school ID card (Secondary)
      • IRS tax return from the last 2 years (not a W-2) (Secondary)
      • Military photo ID or discharge papers (DD214) (Secondary)
    • Show accepted documents
      • Your original permit (Not photocopied or laminated)
      • A licensed driver 21 or older with a hard-copy license (Valid, not expired, suspended or revoked; rides in the front passenger seat)
      • Current proof of insurance (Paper or electronic card)
      • Current vehicle registration

  2. Study the driver license study guide

    The Arkansas State Police publish the Driver License Study Guide and an official online practice test.

    Driver License Study Guide (PDF) ↗

  3. Take a free practice test

    Before the knowledge test, try our Arkansas Permit Practice Test: 25 questions like the real exam, based on the official handbook, with every answer explained.

    Start the Arkansas practice test

  4. Book and pass the knowledge and vision test

    From age 14, pass the knowledge exam and vision test to get an instruction permit. Schedule your test with the Arkansas State Police online. Tests are given in all Arkansas counties. Bring the documents on the 1-2-3 checklist for your age.

    Driver Examination (State Police) ↗

  5. Practice on your permit

    The instruction permit lets you practice with a licensed driver who is 21 or older in the seat beside you, and all passengers must wear seat belts. It is valid for 2 years from the passed knowledge exam and cannot be renewed or extended.

  6. Book and pass the skills test

    Schedule the driving test online. Bring your original permit, a licensed driver 21 or older, current proof of insurance and current registration. The vehicle must be clean and in good mechanical condition.

    Skills test checklist (PDF) ↗

  7. Buy your license at a revenue office

    Bring proof of legal presence, proof of identity and your Social Security card, your permit and, for minors, the financial responsibility form. Be ready for a vision exam and a photo. Under 16 you get a learner's license, at 16 or 17 an intermediate license, at 18 or older a Class D license. The skills test must be passed and the license bought before the permit's 2-year expiration.

    Do You Have What You Need? (DFA) ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

  • The permit is valid for 2 years and cannot be renewed or extended. If you don't pass the skills test and buy the license in time, you retake every phase of the exam.
  • Minors are turned away without an original or certified U.S. birth certificate: hospital certificates, photocopies, scans, laminated copies and U.S. passports are not accepted as the primary document.
  • At the skills test you need your original permit, a licensed driver 21 or older with a hard-copy license, and current insurance and registration for the vehicle.
  • Vehicles are denied for windshield damage in the driver's view, front window tint darker than 25% or rear tint darker than 10%, or any tint on the front windshield.
  • A serious accident or traffic violation in the previous 6 months can delay the intermediate license; one in the previous 12 months can delay the unrestricted license. The State Police driver examination page words it differently: 6 months for a learner's license and 12 months for an intermediate license.
  • Vision referral forms from out-of-state or online optometrists are not accepted.

Offices for permits, tests and first licenses

The Arkansas State Police give the knowledge and skills tests, which you book online; tests are given in every county, but not every testing site gives both tests, so check the site's schedule. DFA says REAL ID is available at any State Revenue Office, where you then buy the license. Agency source.

206 offices where you can apply for a permit or first licenseSee them on a map, search by county or show the ones open now

Largest cities with them: Little Rock (5) · Fort Smith (3) · Hot Springs (3) · Conway (2) · Fordyce (2) · Forrest City (2) · Harrison (2) · Hope (2)

9 more offices where you may be able to apply for a permit or first license

Neither the office's service list nor the agency says these offices issue first driver's license. Call the office before you go.

Results show offices where you can apply for a permit or first license or may be able to, nearest first, each labelled.

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Sources · checked November 4, 2026

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMV Decoded is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.