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District of Columbia · Permit test

DC driver’s license requirements, from permit to full license

Under 21, you go through DC’s GRAD program: a learner permit at 16, a provisional license at 16 and a half, and a full license with conditions from 17. At 21 or older you pass the knowledge test, get a learner permit and can book the road test as soon as you’re ready. At any age, DC driver’s license requirements include proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of a DC address.

  • $47Driver’s license, valid 8 years
  • 40 hoursSupervised driving before a provisional license
  • 60 daysTo switch after moving to DC
Check your documents online

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What are the DC driver’s license requirements under 21?

StageAgeWhat you need
Learner permit16Knowledge test, vision screening, documents, parental consent under 18
Provisional license16 and a half6 months on the permit, 40 hours of driving certified by a licensed driver 21 or older, a road test
Full license with conditions176 months on the provisional license, no points for 12 months in a row, 10 hours of night driving certified

DC Code § 50‑1401.01 asks for no points in the last 6 months before a provisional license. DC DMV’s certification form page gives 12 months for both stages, so ask DC DMV before you apply if you’ve had a ticket that carries points. You can apply for the full license with conditions online, with the signed 10-hour form and a copy of your supervising driver’s license.

The DC learner’s permit test →The DC DMV road test →

Driving hours and passengers in the GRAD program

Stage and daysWhen you may drive
Learner permit, any day6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a licensed driver 21 or older beside you
Provisional or full, Sunday to Thursday, September to June6 a.m. to 10:59 p.m.
Provisional or full, Friday and Saturday, September to June6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Provisional or full, July and August6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., every day

The night limits don’t apply when you’re driving to or from work, a school activity, or a religious or athletic event you take part in, or when a licensed driver 21 or older sits beside you. On a provisional license, your only passengers can be that supervising driver, your brothers and sisters, and your parents. With a full license before 18, you can carry no more than 2 passengers under 21, not counting siblings. The hour and passenger limits end at 18.

Breaking a GRAD rule suspends your permit or license for 30 days the first time, 60 days the second and 90 days after that, and the time is added to your waiting period. If you’re under 18, DC DMV writes to your parent or guardian.

Starting at 21 or older

You leave the GRAD program on your 21st birthday. If you hold a learner permit then, you can schedule the road test straight away, with no 6-month wait and no driving form. If you hold a provisional license, you can swap it for a regular license at a service center, or keep it until it expires.

REAL ID or Limited Purpose: which license you get

A REAL ID license has a star in the corner and works for boarding domestic flights. For it you prove your identity, lawful presence and Social Security number, plus two proofs of a DC address. If you don’t have and can’t get a Social Security number, you can get a Limited Purpose license instead once you’ve lived in DC for 6 months. It’s marked “not valid for official federal purposes”, costs the same and lasts 8 years. For a Limited Purpose credential, Tuesdays are by appointment only, and walk-ins are taken Wednesday to Saturday.

  • Utility or phone bill issued in the last 60 days
  • Unexpired lease signed by you and the landlord
  • Deed, or a mortgage statement from the last 60 days
  • DC property tax bill from the last 12 months
  • Unexpired homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy
  • Mail from a government agency in the last 60 days, other than DC DMV
  • Car or personal loan statement, or home security bill, from the last 60 days
  • DC DMV’s Proof of Residency Certification form, signed by the person you live with

The two proofs of address must come from different companies or agencies, show a DC street address (not a PO box) and be originals. A printout of an online bill counts, and a screenshot on your phone doesn’t. The full list of identity and residency documents for a learner permit is on the DC learner’s permit page.

Moving to DC with a license from somewhere else

Once you’ve lived in DC for 60 days, you must switch to a DC license. Students, diplomats, active military members, part-time residents, members of Congress and presidential appointees can keep driving on their home license instead. You hand in your old license, or a certified driving record issued in the last 30 days. If your license has been expired for more than 90 days, you take the knowledge and road tests. Under 21, a valid license from another state becomes the matching DC license, with the same GRAD limits.

A non-US citizen staying more than 30 days on anything other than a visitor visa must also get a DC license. With a valid license from another country, you take the knowledge test but not the road test, and a license that isn’t in English needs a certified or embassy translation. DC DMV doesn’t accept international driver licenses.

What it costs

ItemFee
Learner permit$20
Provisional license$20
Driver’s license, valid 8 years$47
Road test$10
Road test not canceled 48 hours ahead$30
Duplicate license or permit$20
Motorcycle endorsement$20

Knowledge test fees depend on where you take it, and they’re on the learner’s permit page. Since December 15, 2025, DC DMV adds a 2.5% fee to every credit and debit card payment. On April 19, 2026, it turned off electronic check payments online and in its mobile app because of a system problem, and they were still off in October 2026. A third-party road tester sets its own fee. Debts to the District, such as unpaid tickets or child support, must be paid before most DMV transactions.

Sources: DC DMV · DC Council and 14 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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