Louisiana Driver's License
Louisiana OMV Knowledge Test β 40 questions, 80% to pass (32/40 correct)
Languages the official test is offered in: English, French, Spanish
π What to Bring
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Proof of identity (primary + secondary documents)
First-time applicants must provide one primary and two secondary documents, OR two primary documents. All documents must be original or certified copies β photocopies are not accepted even if notarized. Primary documents include a certified birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card (I-551).
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Social Security number
All applicants eligible for a Social Security number must provide it. It is entered in internal records but is not displayed on the license. If you have no SSN, bring an official SSA letter stating none has been assigned or you are not eligible.
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Proof of Louisiana residence
Documents showing your current Louisiana address. New residents have 30 days from establishing residency to obtain a Louisiana license.
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Proof of driver education
All first-time applicants must furnish proof of driver education completed before applying. Teens 15β17 need 30 hours classroom + 8 hours behind-the-wheel; adults 18+ need a 38-hour course OR a 6-hour pre-licensing course plus 8 hours behind-the-wheel.
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Glasses or contact lenses
Bring them if you wear them β all applicants must pass a vision exam (minimum standard 20/40). If you fail, a vision specialist must complete a vision report.
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Fee payment
A first-time Class E license is about $32.25 for six years, plus an office handling fee charged in most parishes.
π How to Schedule
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Study the guide and practice
Read the Louisiana Class D & E Driver's Guide and practice. The knowledge test covers Louisiana traffic laws, road signs, signals, and rules of safe driving β all taken from the guide.
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Visit an OMV office
Take the test at a Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) location. Applicants age 15 and 16 must enter the graduated licensing program and start with a learner's permit. The knowledge test is offered in English, French and Spanish via the automated system; a translator may assist you, but road signs are always in English.
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Pass the vision and knowledge tests
Pass the vision screening, then the 40-question knowledge test (you need 32 correct, 80%). A learner's permit must be held at least 180 days; you advance to the intermediate license at 16 and the full license at 17. The full license requires completing Stages 1 and 2, or being at least 17 before applying.
π‘ Test Day Tips
- β’The Louisiana OMV knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions covering traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving; you must answer at least 32 correctly (80%) to pass.
- β’Louisiana's Graduated Driver License (the R.Y.A.N. Act) has three stages: a Stage 1 learner's permit at 15 (supervised driving only), a Stage 2 intermediate license at 16, and a full license at 17.
- β’A learner's permit holder may drive only with a licensed adult at least 21 (or a sibling at least 18) in the vehicle, and must hold the permit at least 180 days before advancing.
- β’An intermediate (Stage 2) licensee may not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed adult at least 21 or a sibling at least 18, and between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. may not carry more than one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family.
- β’You can lose your driving privilege for using a wireless or text-messaging device while driving if you hold a Class E learner's or intermediate license, are under 18, or are within one year of your first license issuance.
π Driver Handbook
All practice questions are based on the chapters below. Click any chapter to read it on the official DMV website.
Getting a Driver's License
Highway Transportation System
Signs, Traffic Lights, and Pavement Markings
Basic Driving and Safety
Safe Driving Habits
Traffic Laws and Regulations
Interstate Driving and Rural Roads
Driving Hazards and Emergencies
Driving Offenses
General Information for Class D "Chauffeur's" License
Trailer Safety
Motor Vehicle Registration and Title
π― Practice by Topic
Getting a Driver's License
Covers who must hold a Louisiana driver's license, residency and exemption rules, license classes (Class D and E), required identity documents, the R.Y.A.N. Act Graduated Licensing Program for teens, the vision/knowledge/road skills tests, renewals and address/name changes, organ donation, and the grounds for license revocation.
Highway Transportation System
Explains Louisiana's Highway Transportation System (HTS) β its people, vehicles and roads, the agencies that manage it, the leading causes of crashes, and the road types from parish roads to interstates, expressways, toll ways and limited-access highways.
Signs, Traffic Lights, and Pavement Markings
Covers Louisiana's traffic signs by shape and color, regulatory and warning signs, work-zone and incident signs, traffic-light signals and arrows, and pavement markings including center lines, edge lines, crosswalks, railroad markings and roundabouts.
Basic Driving and Safety
Covers the physics of crashes and Louisiana's safety belt and child restraint laws, airbags and vehicle safety systems, pre-trip and weekly vehicle checks, proper seating and steering techniques, cornering, fuel-efficient driving, and seasonal driving from spring to winter.
Safe Driving Habits
Explains defensive driving and the SIPDE process, managing fatigue, distraction and aggressive driving, following distance and stopping distance, scanning intersections, changing lanes and passing, parking and Louisiana parking laws, night driving, and sharing the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and large trucks.
Traffic Laws and Regulations
Covers Louisiana's traffic laws β traffic-stop conduct, speed and lane-change rules, school bus stopping requirements, turns and roundabouts, signaling and hand signals, right-of-way and railroad crossings, emergency vehicles and funeral processions, equipment restrictions, and avoiding auto insurance fraud and vehicle theft.
Interstate Driving and Rural Roads
Covers driving on Louisiana's interstates β entering, merging, lane use, space cushions and exiting β and the hazards of rural roads including gravel surfaces, blind curves, animals, deer and farm and animal-drawn vehicles, plus high-beam use, fog and long-trip planning.
Driving Hazards and Emergencies
Explains how Louisiana drivers handle hazards and emergencies β distracted and teen-driver risks, emergency braking with and without ABS, avoiding and surviving collisions and rollovers, recovering from skids, hydroplaning and pavement drop-offs, tire blowouts, brake failure and vehicle fires, escaping a submerged car, and crash-scene duties.
Driving Offenses
Covers Louisiana's impaired-driving offenses β how alcohol and drugs affect the body, BAC limits (0.08 for adults, 0.02 under 21, 0.04 commercial), the open container law, the escalating DWI penalties from first to fourth conviction, vehicular homicide and negligent injury, implied consent and test-refusal suspensions.
General Information for Class D "Chauffeur's" License
Covers Louisiana's Class D Chauffeur's License β the vehicles it permits, size, weight, height and load limits, speed limits for trucks and towing, required emergency equipment and warning signals, and the operation and inspection of air brake systems.
Trailer Safety
Covers towing a trailer in Louisiana β matching the ball-and-coupler hitch, crossing the safety chains under the tongue, the brake requirement for trailers of 3,000 pounds or more, trailer lighting and tires, and loading the trailer with balanced, evenly distributed and secured cargo.
Motor Vehicle Registration and Title
Covers titling and registering a vehicle in Louisiana β buying new or used vehicles, the five-day window to apply for a title, required documents and taxes, new-resident transfers, keeping the registration and proof of insurance in the vehicle, license plate renewal, and the motor vehicle inspection sticker.
π Official Resources
Louisiana OMV (ExpressLane) β
Official Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles website
New Licenses β
Requirements and documents for a first-time Louisiana driver's license
Permits β
Temporary Instructional Permit and learner's permit requirements (graduated licensing)
Driver Education Info β
Student/parent information on the graduated licensing program and driver education
OMV Locations β
Find a Louisiana OMV field office near you