Verified as of 2026-10-23 against DVS

Minnesota · Learner's Permit

Getting an Instruction Permit in Minnesota

This page is for Minnesota teens nearing 15, their parents, and adults starting from scratch. The decision that matters most for a teen is which course format to choose, because it decides how soon the permit test can happen. Minnesota's word for a learner's permit is instruction permit. Teens qualify at 15 once the classroom phase is done (or half of it, in a concurrent program) and driving lessons are booked. Adults 18 and over need no course at all. Either way you score 80% or better on the Class D knowledge test, clear a vision check and pay $29.50 (October 2026), and the permit then lasts two years.

Youngest applicant: 15
Course first (under 18): Classroom complete, or 15 hours into a concurrent program
Knowledge test pass mark: 80%
Cost (October 2026): $29.50 new, $24.50 renewal
Lifespan: 2 years
Shortest permit hold: 6 months under 19, 3 months at 19+
Who rides along: 21+ for teens, 18+ for adults

Step by step

Teens: meet the classroom requirement
Complete the full 30 hours of class, or the first half of a concurrent course, whether at school, at a state licensed driving school, online with an approved provider, or at home with approved materials. Adults can skip this.
Teens: get the blue card
Paying a third or more of the in-car fee prompts the driving school to issue its enrollment certificate. DVS must receive it before the knowledge test.
Study
DVS posts both the Driver's Manual and a sample Class D test at no cost, translated into several languages.
Book the test
Exam stations take Class D tests by appointment only; book through Driver Services online. Alternatively, call one of the outside proctors DVS lists.
Score 80% or more
Bring a primary and a secondary ID. A fail means coming back another day, and at a DVS station the third and later tries cost $10.
Apply in person
At an exam station or license agent: show documents, pass the eye check, sit for a photo, pay. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian's signature, in person or notarized.
Carry it on every drive
Only drive with a qualified supervisor next to you, belts on for all, phone untouched. Staying ticket-free protects your road test date.

Before you apply: who is eligible

Minnesota Statutes 171.05 lets a 15, 16 or 17 year old apply once two things are true: the classroom phase is complete (or the first 15 hours of a combined classroom and driving program are), and the teen is signed up for behind-the-wheel training. Home school, teleconference and online classroom programs that the state has approved all qualify, and so does a teen who already completed driver education in another state.

From 18, anyone otherwise eligible for Class D can get a permit with no course. Nobody under 15 may drive in Minnesota, even holding another state's permit. And a teen under 18 with any past conviction for impaired driving, or for a moving violation connected to a crash, cannot get a permit at all.

Before you apply: concurrent or consecutive course?

Schools structure the course in one of two ways. Consecutive means all 30 classroom hours come first, then the permit test. Concurrent means the test can happen after 15 hours, with the remaining 15 classroom hours running alongside the driving lessons.

Minnesota Rules part 7411.0305 gives a concurrent student 90 days after the first 15 hours to finish the second 15, and the school must notify DVS if the student quits. Ask which model a school uses; concurrent can mean a permit several weeks earlier.

Before you apply: documents

Under Minnesota Rules part 7410.0400, you prove name, birth date and identity with one primary and one secondary document, unless you already have a Minnesota ID card that is current or expired no more than five years. The usual primary is a certified U.S. birth certificate or valid passport. For a teen, a school ID or transcript can be the secondary.

Want the permit to be REAL ID or enhanced? Then add Social Security proof, lawful status proof if your identity document does not show it, and two documents with your Minnesota address. Plenty of families take a standard permit now and upgrade later. Pre-applying on the DVS site makes the counter visit shorter.

Before you apply: who signs for a teen

If both parents live with the teen, both may approve; otherwise the parent with custody signs. Guardians must show their authority. DVS accepts, among others, foster parent records, a certified court order, emancipation papers, guardian ad litem documents, transitional living paperwork, or a delegation of parental authority, including one for a group home.

For a teen who is married, emancipated, or has no living parent or guardian, the statute lets an adult spouse, an adult close relative, or an adult employer sign instead. A parent who cannot make the trip can sign before a notary instead.

Test day: the knowledge test

Questions are multiple choice or true or false, covering road signs and Minnesota traffic law. Minnesota Rules part 7410.4760 sets 80% as the pass, and only one attempt is allowed in any day. Legislation in 2024 made DVS rewrite the English version in plain language, so expect simpler wording than older guides suggest.

DVS stations do not time you, and the first two attempts are free unless you have already tested with a proctor. Proctors can charge $10, give teens 40 minutes and adults 30, and allow no interpreter. The test is available in English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Karen, Vietnamese, Russian and ASL; for any other language you can book a one hour spoken exam with an interpreter you supply, as long as that person is licensed to drive in Minnesota.

Test day: the vision check

The eye check happens when you apply for the permit, not at the knowledge test. Minnesota Rules part 7410.2400 sets the bar: see 20/40 or sharper and take in 105 degrees side to side, and you qualify for an unrestricted permit or one that simply requires glasses or contacts. Wear or bring your glasses or contacts.

Falling short does not always disqualify you. DVS can issue a restricted license, for example with a lower top speed, and an eye doctor's report can replace the counter screening.

After you get it: rules and how tickets delay you

Under 18, the front passenger must be you, a guardian, a certified driver education teacher, or another licensed adult who is at least 21. Touching a phone while moving, even hands-free, is a petty misdemeanor unless you are calling for emergency help. All passengers wear belts or ride in a suitable child seat. Adults can practice beside anyone licensed and at least 18.

Keep the record spotless. A moving or alcohol conviction can get the permit suspended or canceled, and since the road test needs 180 days held with six clean months immediately before it, one ticket can push your test back by months.

Special cases: moving in, renewing and replacing

Under 18 with another state's permit? Show ID and the old permit, pass Minnesota's knowledge test, get a parent's or guardian's signature, and pay. Minnesota driver education does not have to be redone. To count earlier permit time toward the road test, also bring a certified record proving six months of valid driving privileges, and paperwork showing training that matches Minnesota's 30 class and 6 car hours. An adult transferring a permit takes the written test and, under section 171.05, gets credit for the months already held.

A permit runs two years from the application date. Renew without testing if it has been expired less than a year; the October 2026 renewal fee is $24.50. New applications, permits included, are not eligible for DVS fast track processing, so start early if the permit will lapse before your road test.

Minnesota teen drivers ed: common questions

What is the minimum age for a Minnesota permit?

Fifteen, once class is finished (or half done in a concurrent course) and in-car lessons are arranged. Adults need no course.

How many questions can I miss?

The rule is a score of 80% or better. The question count varies by version, so learn the manual rather than counting allowed misses.

Can I take the permit test at home?

No. Test by appointment at a DVS station or with an approved third-party proctor. Certain licensed driving schools are allowed to give an online version, but only to students enrolled with them.

Does a parent need to come?

Yes, or at least sign: under 18, a parent's or guardian's signature is required, given at the counter or in front of a notary. Guardians bring proof of guardianship.

What does a permit cost?

As of October 2026, $29.50 for a new one and $24.50 to renew. Two free attempts at the knowledge test come first at DVS stations.

Who can supervise me?

Under 18: you need a parent, a guardian, a certified instructor, or a licensed adult who is at least 21, in the seat beside you. 18 and older: anyone licensed and 18 or older.

What if I get a ticket on my permit?

The permit can be suspended or canceled, and since six conviction-free months must come right before the road test, the provisional license may be pushed back.

Learner's Permit in another state

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Sources

Rules change. If a source above says something different from this page, the source is right. Last checked 2026-10-23.

Step by step

Teens: meet the classroom requirement

Teens: get the blue card

Study

Book the test

Score 80% or more

Apply in person

Carry it on every drive