Iowa Permit Practice Test

Free practice questions based on the Iowa Driver's License Manual. No sign-up: answer the questions, get your score, and see why each answer is right.

The Iowa knowledge test

Practice target
20 of 25 (80%)
Practice test
25 questions

Iowa DOT does not publish the length or pass mark of the real knowledge test. Our 25 questions and 80% target match Iowa DOT's own online practice test; they are not state rules.

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Sample Iowa practice questions

You are 19 and hold an instruction permit. Who may ride with you as your supervising driver?

  • A licensed coworker aged 30
  • A licensed friend aged 20
  • No one, since adults may drive alone
  • Any licensed passenger in the back seat
Show the answer

A licensed coworker aged 30

Permit holders 18 or older still need a licensed supervisor beside them: family 21 or older, a driver education instructor, or someone 25 or older.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.180, §321.180(1)(b)

How far from a fire station driveway must you park on the same side of the street?

  • At least 10 feet
  • At least 5 feet
  • At least 50 feet
  • At least 20 feet
Show the answer

At least 20 feet

Across the street, signs can extend the no-parking area to 75 feet.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.358, §321.358(9)

You must stop on a rural paved highway because you cannot pull off. How much pavement must stay clear?

  • At least 10 feet
  • At least 40 feet
  • At least 5 feet
  • At least 20 feet
Show the answer

At least 20 feet

Your vehicle should also be visible from 200 feet in each direction.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321.354, §321.354

What is the minimum jail time for a first OWI conviction in Iowa?

  • No jail time
  • 7 days
  • 48 hours
  • 24 hours
Show the answer

48 hours

A first offense also brings a $1,250 fine and a license revocation.

Source: Iowa Code 2026, §321J.2, §321J.2(2)-(3)

Besides passing the knowledge and vision tests, what does a 15-year-old need to get an instruction permit?

  • A signed letter from a school principal
  • Proof of a completed driving test
  • A certificate from a driving school
  • Written consent from a parent or guardian
Show the answer

Written consent from a parent or guardian

The consent can be given in person at the DMV or on the department's consent form.

Source: Iowa DOT, Instruction Permit for Under Age 18 page, How Do I Get an Instruction Permit?

Your brakes fail and pumping the pedal does not help. What should you do next?

  • Shift into reverse at once
  • Open the door and jump out
  • Apply the parking brake slowly
  • Turn off the engine right away
Show the answer

Apply the parking brake slowly

Downshifting to a lower gear is the next step, while you steer toward a safe spot off the road.

Source: Iowa Driver's License Manual (MM1170), Chapter 5, 5.14, Brake Failure, p. 62

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Iowa Driver's License Manual (Iowa Driver's License Manual, form MM1170 dated 07/23/2026 on the back page (68 PDF pages), downloaded 2026-11-10 from https://iowadot.gov/media/7308/download?inline, linked from the Iowa DOT Driver's Manual page (https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/driver-education/manuals-practice-tests/drivers-manual). Page numbers cited are the printed page numbers, which equal PDF pages. The manual does not cover the graduated license steps, insurance minimums or the exam format; those come from Iowa DOT pages (Instruction Permit for Under Age 18, Intermediate License, Passenger Restriction, Full License, Special Minor's Restricted License, Practice Test; read 2026-11-10), Iowa Code 2026 (chapters 321, 321A, 321J and section 805.8A on legis.iowa.gov; the Code 2026 text includes 2025 session laws; 2026 session laws were not reviewed in full) and Iowa Administrative Code 761, chapter 604 (as of IAB 10/1/25). Manual statements that differ from the current Iowa Code, and how they were handled: (1) Section 3.7 (p. 36) still describes the old texting-only rule and says drivers under 18 with a permit, intermediate license or special minor's restricted license may not talk on the phone; 2025 Iowa Acts ch. 14 (SF 22) replaced §321.276 with a hands-free rule for all drivers and struck the teen device bans in former §321.180B(6), §321.194(5)(d) and §321.178(2)(a)(2). The Iowa DOT permit, intermediate and SMRL pages also still list a device ban for teens. Questions follow §321.276 as amended; no teen-only phone question is included, and common-phone-0007 and common-phone-0009 are excluded. (2) Section 4.5 (p. 42) lists unposted limits of 60 mph on primary roads, urban interstates and secondary roads and 45 mph for a vehicle towing another; §321.285 sets 55 mph generally, 65 mph on fully controlled-access divided multilane highways and 70 mph on interstates, and no towing limit was found; questions use §321.285 only. (3) Implied consent (p. 37) is described as consent to a field sobriety test; §321J.6 deems consent to a chemical test of blood, breath or urine; questions follow the statute. (4) Test refusal (p. 37) is said to bring a minimum $1,250 fine; §321J.9 sets only a one-year revocation (two years after an earlier revocation), and $1,250 is the first-offense OWI fine in §321J.2(3)(c); the refusal fine is not tested. (5) Seat belt fines (p. 34: up to $50, $100 per passenger under 18) and the open container fine (p. 37: up to $200) differ from the scheduled fines in §805.8A(14)(c) and (e) ($70 belt, $135 child restraint, $260 open container); questions use §805.8A. (6) The move-over section (p. 22) says no speed is specified; §321.323A requires a speed below the posted limit when a lane change is not possible; questions follow the statute. (7) The 500-foot rule for following any emergency vehicle with lights and sirens (p. 19) is narrower in §321.367 (fire apparatus answering an alarm); questions use the statute wording. (8) The manual (p. 63) says a crash with injury or damage over $1,500 must be reported to police within 72 hours; §321.266 requires immediate notice of an injury crash to law enforcement and a written report to the DOT within 72 hours for injury, death or damage of $1,500 or more unless a law enforcement agency investigated; questions follow the statute. Also noted: the at-home knowledge test age differs between DOT pages (Skip the Trip page: within 30 days of the 14th birthday; permit page: at least 14), so no question tests it. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.