Driving Tests

Alabama Permit Test: What Is on the Knowledge Test and 11 Language Options

informational·how to guide·Published September 25, 2026

What is on the Alabama permit test, and can I take it in another language?

The Alabama knowledge test (permit test) has questions on Alabama traffic laws, road signs and rules of safe driving, taken from the Alabama Driver Manual. It costs $5.00 for each test, and ALEA does not accept checks. Computer testing is open to all, oral exams help applicants who cannot read the test, and written tests come in 11 foreign languages, including Spanish.

Where these Alabama permit test facts come from

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Driver License Division gives the test. The facts come from the Alabama Driver Manual (cover date November 2024), the ALEA license and ID cards page and Code of Alabama Section 32-6-3. The ALEA graduated driver license, document requirements, Driver License and driver license manuals pages add details. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (alea.gov) before you drive.

What subjects does the Alabama knowledge test cover?

The knowledge test has questions on three subjects: Alabama traffic laws, road signs and rules of safe driving. All questions come from the material in the Alabama Driver Manual. A passing grade on this written exam is one requirement for the Stage I learner license, and you must be age 15 or older to apply.
Our free practice questions cover the same subjects. One example asks which subjects the Alabama Class D knowledge test covers. Our practice tests are free and in English only, and they are not the official ALEA test.

Ways to take the Alabama knowledge test

Ways to take the Alabama knowledge test
Test option	Who can use it	What to know
Automated (computer) test	All applicants who take the knowledge test	Oral exams can also use this testing equipment.
Written test in a foreign language	Applicants who want the test in one of the 11 languages below	Ask the Driver License District Office how these tests are given.
Oral exam	Applicants who cannot read and understand the knowledge test	Ask for it at the office; it can be given on the automated equipment.

The 11 foreign languages for the Alabama written test

Arabic
Chinese
Farsi
French
German
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish
Thai
Vietnamese

How to ask for the permit test in Spanish or another language

Information on how the foreign-language tests are given is available at the Driver License District Office. The ALEA Driver License page lists a phone number for each examining district office, for example Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery. Call the district office for your area before you go, and name the language you need.

Who gives the Alabama permit test, and where do I take it?

The ALEA Driver License Division issues Alabama driver licenses. Under Section 32-6-3, every person who applies for a first Alabama license must pass an examination before the license is issued. An officer, a state trooper or an authorized third party testing agent of the Director of Public Safety gives it. A county judge of probate or license commissioner does not accept an application for a first Alabama license. ALEA lists its Driver License offices by county, with the address and phone number of each office.

What happens on test day

1
Bring your documents
A 15-year-old brings a certified U.S. birth certificate (no photocopies), a Social Security card, proof of school enrollment or graduation and 2 proofs of principal residence. Applicants 16 and older bring a Social Security card, 2 proofs of principal residence and two forms of identification (one with a photo) or three non-photo forms, with one form from the primary list. If you are under 19 and apply for the first time, also bring a school enrollment form or proof of graduation. The guide to Alabama permit documents has the details.
2
Take the vision screening
The vision screening is part of the test. Its result decides if you must wear corrective lenses when you drive, or if you need an eye specialist's report before you continue.
3
Pay the test fee
The fee is $5.00 for each knowledge test. ALEA does not accept checks. ALEA takes MasterCard, Visa or Discover with a 4% convenience fee on the total charge.
4
Take the knowledge test
Take the test on the automated testing equipment, or ask for a foreign-language test or an oral exam.
5
Pay for the license
If you pass, the examiner issues your learner license after you pay the required fee. The Stage I license fee is $36.25. The guide to the Alabama learner permit cost shows the full price.

What if my vision screening shows a problem?

The vision exam shows you need lenses

You must wear corrective lenses while you drive. Practice the rule with this free question: what a driver with a corrective lens restriction must do.

You do not pass the vision exam

You must have your eyes examined by a licensed eye specialist and return the report to the examiner.

The specialist report shows you can see well enough to drive safely

You can take the rest of the test.

What do I get when I pass the Alabama permit test?

You get a Class D Alabama driver license with a Y restriction. This is the Stage I license, also called the learner's permit. It lets you drive only when a parent, legal guardian or licensed driver age 21 or older sits in the front seat beside you, or a licensed or certified driving instructor sits there. A learner license issued at age 15 is valid for four years and can be renewed once. The road skills test is a separate, later step that a driver license examiner gives.

Can my high school driver education class give the test?

It can, if your instructor is an approved third party testing agent. Alabama law lets a student who is in a high school drivers' education class, or is starting one, show proof of passing the written, oral, vision and driving parts of the examination. At a public high school, the agent is a certified driver education instructor whom the State Department of Education approves and who is trained as a testing agent. At a private high school, the Department of Public Safety must certify, approve and train the instructor. You take the pass certificate to a driver's license office. Ask your school if its instructor is an approved agent.

Key takeaways

The knowledge test covers Alabama traffic laws, road signs and rules of safe driving, from the Alabama Driver Manual.
Each knowledge test costs $5.00, and ALEA does not accept checks. After you pass, the Stage I license costs $36.25.
Written tests are available in 11 foreign languages, including Spanish. Ask the Driver License District Office how they are given.
Automated testing is open to all applicants, and oral exams are available if you cannot read the test.
Next step: practice on the free Alabama Class D learner license practice test.

Alabama permit test FAQ

Do I have to pay again if I fail the Alabama permit test?

Yes. The fee is $5.00 for each knowledge test, so each new try costs $5.00 again. ALEA does not accept checks, and a card payment adds a 4% convenience fee to the total charge. Study the Alabama Driver Manual again before your next try, because the test questions come from it.

Where can I get the Alabama Driver Manual?

ALEA posts the Driver License Manual on the driver license manuals page of alea.gov, where you can download it. The manual has the cover date November 2024. Use it to study, because the Stage I exam is based on the information in this manual.

How old do I have to be to take the Alabama permit test?

You must be age 15 or older to apply for a Stage I learner license. A person age 16 or older can also get a learner license after passing the required exam. The exam is the same knowledge test, taken from the Alabama Driver Manual.

Can I get a moped license and a learner's permit at the same time in Alabama?

At age 14 or 15, you can get a restricted license for a motor driven cycle of not more than 200 pounds and not more than 150cc engine displacement. If you apply for that license and a learner license together, you must take both exams. The motor driven cycle exam comes from the Alabama Motorcycle Manual.