Driving Tests

Idaho Driver's Knowledge Test: Questions, Passing Score, Languages

informational·how to guide·Published August 23, 2026

How many questions are on the Idaho knowledge test, and how many can you miss?

The Idaho Class D knowledge test has 40 questions. You can miss up to 6, so you need 34 correct answers to pass, per the Idaho Driver's Handbook. The test costs $5, and you take it in person at a county driver's license office. It is available in 11 languages and American Sign Language, and the questions come from the handbook.

Where the Idaho knowledge test facts come from

The question count, pass mark, language list, fee and retest rule come from the Idaho Driver's Handbook (July 2026). The translator rules, testing room rules and sample tests come from the ITD page on taking the driver's test. The three-day wait, the retest fee and the oral exam rule are in Idaho Code 49-313. The renewal rule is in Idaho Code 49-319, and the office and topic facts are on the ITD New to Idaho, DMV Locations and driver's license fee pages. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Idaho Transportation Department DMV (itd.idaho.gov/dmv) or your county driver's license office before you drive.

Idaho knowledge test at a glance

Idaho knowledge test at a glance
Item	What Idaho says
Questions	40
Most you can miss	6 (you need 34 correct)
Fee	$5, and the same again for each retest
Wait after a fail	Three days
Where	A county driver's license office, in person
Test options	11 languages and American Sign Language (ASL)
Minimum age to test	15

What is on the Idaho knowledge test?

The questions are taken directly from the Idaho Driver's Handbook, so the handbook is your study guide. The topics are Idaho traffic laws, highway signs by shape and symbol, traffic signals, pavement markings and the equipment a vehicle must have.
By law, the license exam also includes a vision screening and a test of how well you read and understand highway signs. You need 20/40 vision in at least one eye, with or without glasses or contacts. If you wear them for the screening, you get a lens restriction and must wear them each time you drive.

Who must take the Idaho knowledge test?

New applicants for a Class D license.
Drivers who transfer a license from another state, unless they held an Idaho license before. Our guide to moving to Idaho with a driver's license covers the other steps.
Drivers whose Idaho license has been expired for 25 months or more.
Drivers with a license from another country. No foreign driver is exempt from the knowledge test.

Where do you take the Idaho knowledge test?

Find a county driver's license office near you. In each county, the sheriff's office runs driver's license services and the assessor's office runs vehicle services. Some offices give only one of these services and some give both, so choose an office that gives driver's license services. Some offices take appointments and some do not, so check with your office before you go.

Which languages is the Idaho knowledge test in?

You can take the test in English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Swahili or Vietnamese, or in American Sign Language (ASL). That makes 12 options. If your language is not on the list, or you cannot pass in a language on the list, the translator rules below apply.

Can you use a translator on the Idaho knowledge test?

Your language is not one of the 12 options

ITD allows a translator, because the language is not in the testing system.

You tried the test at least three times in an offered language and could not pass

ITD allows a translator.

Your language is offered and you have not failed three times

Take the test in that language. Interpreters are not allowed in the testing area unless they are authorized.

Idaho translator rules and testing room limits

The translator may not be a family member.
The translator may only read the test and the answers.
You must follow along and select your own answers.
For more information, call the ITD Driver's License Unit at 208-584-4343, option 3. Ask your county driver's license office how to schedule a translator.
Not allowed in the testing area: electronic devices (including cell phones, smart watches, tablets, headphones and earbuds), and driver manuals or written notes.

What happens if you fail the Idaho knowledge test?

Wait three days before you retest (the law says three calendar days). You also pay the $5 knowledge test fee again, because retest fees are the same as the original test fees. Check the rule with our free question on the Idaho knowledge retest wait.

How old must you be, and which test comes first?

You must be 15 or older to take the knowledge and skills tests. Under 17, you must first finish an approved driver's training program and the Graduated Driver's License program to get a license. At 17 or older, you must pass the knowledge test to get a Class D Instruction Permit. Our guide covers the Idaho learner's permit rules.
The July 2026 handbook allows the two tests in either order, but says it is beneficial to pass the knowledge test first. The ITD test guide page says to pass the knowledge test first, except under 17 on a Supervised Instruction Permit. Confirm the order with your county office.

How to study for the Idaho knowledge test

Read the Idaho Driver's Handbook, because the questions come from it. The ITD test guide page also has the handbook in Spanish.
Take the ITD sample test, the Practice Class D Drivers Test, which is also in Spanish. The handbook names the ITD sample questions as an accurate guide to the Idaho test.
Study signs by shape and symbol, traffic signals and pavement markings.
Check what you learned with our free practice questions, such as the one on the Idaho knowledge test passing score. They are in English only.

Key takeaways

The Idaho knowledge test has 40 questions. You can miss up to 6, so 34 correct answers pass.
It costs $5. After a fail, wait three days and pay again.
12 options are available: 11 languages plus ASL. A translator is allowed only if your language is not offered, or after three failed tries in an offered language.
Leave phones, smart watches, notes and handbooks outside the testing area.
Next step: practice on the free Idaho Class D practice test.

Idaho knowledge test: common questions

Can I take the Idaho knowledge test online?

No. Idaho has no online knowledge test. You take it in person at a county driver's license office, on a touch-screen computer station. You can study online before you go: read the handbook and take the free ITD sample test, so that the question style is not new to you on test day.

Is the Idaho knowledge test the same as the written test?

Yes. ITD calls it the knowledge test and also the written portion of the Idaho driver's test. Many people call it the permit test, because at 17 or older you must pass it to get a Class D Instruction Permit.

Do I need the knowledge test to renew my Idaho license?

No. Idaho law says no knowledge test is required to renew a driver's license. The exception is a license that has been expired for 25 months or more: then you must take the knowledge test again. If you held an Idaho license before and now apply for a new Class D license, you also skip the test.

Can I bring my bag or my kids into the Idaho knowledge test?

It depends on the county office. ITD lets each county decide if children and bags may come into the testing area. Phones, smart watches, notes and the handbook are never allowed. During the test, you may not talk with others, and you may not leave the testing area except to go to an examiner.

Can I hear the Idaho knowledge test questions read aloud?

Yes. Each of the 11 spoken languages has a written version and an aural version, so you can hear the questions as well as read them. The ASL test is a video. The law also lets the examiner give the written test orally, at the examiner's discretion, so ask your county office before you go.