Driving Tests

Utah Permit Test Languages: Spanish, Arabic, Tongan and More

informational·how to guide·Published July 26, 2026

Can I take the Utah permit test in Spanish or another language?

Ask the Utah Driver License Division (DLD) when you book. The DLD offers the written knowledge test in 13 languages besides English, including Spanish, Arabic, Tongan and Korean, and says that regular and limited-term license applicants may qualify. Six have audio and text. If your language is not on the list, you may use a DLD-approved interpreter at your own cost. Driving Privilege Card tests are in English only.

Where these language rules come from

The DLD lists the test languages on its written knowledge test page and the approved interpreters on its in-person interpreter page. The preferred-language law is Utah Code 53-3-206. Other facts come from the DLD learner permit, license, Driving Privilege Card, driving skills test and document translator pages, Utah Code 53-3-210.5 and the Utah Driver Handbook, as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Utah Driver License Division (dld.utah.gov) before you drive.

Utah written test languages: audio and text or text only

Utah written test languages: audio and text or text only
Language	How the DLD offers it
Arabic	Audio and text
Dari	Text only
French	Audio and text
Korean	Audio and text
Mandarin Chinese	Audio and text
Portuguese	Audio and text
Somali	Text only
Spanish	Audio and text
Swahili	Text only
Tagalog	Text only
Tongan	Text only
Ukrainian	Text only
Vietnamese	Text only

Does the language option cover the Utah learner permit test?

The permit test is the knowledge test for a Class D license: 50 questions, closed book, at the DLD, from age 15. If you were never licensed, the permit is your first step to a regular license, and the DLD says applicants for a regular or limited-term license "may qualify" for the test in their preferred language. Ask the DLD for your language when you book. The test is not timed and usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. You need 80% or better, which is 40 correct answers out of 50.

Your language and license type: what to do

Your language is one of the 13

You may qualify to take the written knowledge test in that language. Ask the DLD when you book. Arabic, French, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish also have audio.

Your language is not on the list

Use one of the division-approved interpreters from the DLD interpreter page (see the next section).

You held a license before, in another state or country

You take the 25-question open-book test instead of the 50-question closed-book test. The DLD license pages say you may take it in your language, if available.

You apply for a Driving Privilege Card (DPC)

All tests are in English only, and translation materials are strictly prohibited. See what else the Utah Driving Privilege Card needs.

Can you bring an interpreter to the Utah written test?

Yes, when the DLD does not offer your language. Utah law lets you take the test with a translator that the DLD approves, and you pay the translator. Choose a company from the approved list on the DLD interpreter page, and ask for its price before you book. An interpreter who is registered with the court must be certified or have an approved credential level. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, the same page lists approved American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for the written knowledge test.

What must still be in English for a Utah license?

To get a Utah license, you must understand basic English used in road signs. The law has the DLD test every license applicant on reading and understanding simple English on highway traffic and directional signs. So learn the English words on signs while you study in your own language. A practice question on the do-not-enter sign is one example of a sign with words that you must understand.

How to prepare when English is not your first language

Study the Utah Driver Handbook. All written test questions come from it.
Take the DLD's 30-question practice test as often as you like. It gives a score and feedback.
Use our free practice questions, which are in English only, to learn the English words of road rules and signs.
If you fail, you can test two times in one day. One permit fee gives three tries within one year; after three failures, you pay a second fee. The guide to the Utah written knowledge test has the full test rules.

How long can you take the Utah test in your own language?

Utah Code 53-3-206 lets you take the knowledge test in your preferred language the first time you apply for a Class D license and the first time you renew it. At the second renewal, the DLD tests your knowledge of Utah traffic laws again, in English. Refugees, approved asylees and covered humanitarian parolees get the same two chances for a limited-term license, then the English test at the second renewal.

Key takeaways

The DLD offers the written knowledge test in 13 languages besides English: six with audio and text, seven text only.
If your language is not on the list, you may use a DLD-approved interpreter, and you pay the cost.
You may use your preferred language at your first Class D application and first renewal. The second renewal test is in English.
Every license applicant must read simple English on road signs.
Next step: practice the English test words on the free Utah Class D practice test.

Utah permit test languages: common questions

Is the Utah permit test offered in Spanish?

Spanish is one of the six DLD test languages with audio and text. The permit test is the same 50-question written knowledge test, and the DLD says regular and limited-term license applicants may qualify for their preferred language. Request Spanish when you book your learner permit appointment, and confirm with the DLD that your test is offered in Spanish.

Can I take the Utah driver license test in Tongan?

Yes. The DLD lists Tongan for the written knowledge test as text only, with no audio. The other text-only languages are Dari, Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. Study the Utah Driver Handbook for the test, because all of the questions come from it.

Do I have to retake the test in English when I renew my Utah license?

Not at the first renewal. Utah law lets you use your preferred language when you first apply for a Class D license and at your first renewal. At the second renewal, the DLD tests your knowledge of Utah traffic laws in English, so plan to learn the rules in English before then.

Can I take the Utah Driving Privilege Card test in Spanish?

No. All Driving Privilege Card tests are given in English only, and translation materials are strictly prohibited. The law that tells the DLD to give the written test in as many languages as reasonably possible does not include the Driving Privilege Card.

Do my foreign documents need an English translation at the Utah DLD?

Yes. A certified translator must translate each foreign document into English, word for word. The DLD does not accept extract translations. Bring both the foreign document and the translated document to your appointment. Translation fees can be different from one translator to another, so compare prices first.