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District of Columbia · Permit test

The DC DMV road test: booking, test day and your car

You book the DC DMV road test online or through the 311 call center, because walk-ins aren’t accepted. You take it with DC DMV examiners at the Deanwood Road Test Office in Northeast DC, or with a certified third-party tester who starts and ends there. Bring your learner permit, a licensed driver 21 or older and a car that meets DC DMV’s checks, or ask to use a DMV test car at no extra cost.

  • 15 minutesHow early to arrive
  • 48 hoursNotice to cancel without a fee
  • 72 hoursWait after a failed test
Book a road test online

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

How to book a DC DMV road test appointment

  1. Under 21, wait until you’ve held your learner permit for 6 months and you’re at least 16 and a half, with your 40 hours of driving signed off.
  2. Open DC DMV’s online road test scheduler and enter your learner permit number and personal details.
  3. Pick a date, time and location, and check them on the review screen.
  4. Print the confirmation page and keep it.

You can also book by calling 311 or (202) 737-4404. Have your permit number, your name, date of birth and Social Security number, and the date you want. The online scheduler is down every Monday from 9 p.m. to midnight. The road test fee and other license fees are on the DC driver’s license requirements page.

DC driver’s license requirements and fees →

What do you bring to the DC DMV road test?

  • Your valid learner permit
  • A licensed driver 21 or older, who comes with you
  • A car with valid registration and proof of insurance, unless you use a DMV car
  • Under 21: the signed 40-hour Certification of Eligibility for Provisional License form
  • Your seat belt on for the whole test

Arrive at least 15 minutes early. If you drive yourself to the test without a licensed driver, you won’t be tested, and you can’t take the road test for 6 months.

The car: yours or a DC DMV test car

At a DC DMV test you can use your own car or a DMV road test vehicle, at no extra fee. For a DMV car you sign a Consent, Waiver and Indemnity form first, and under 18 a parent or guardian signs it and shows their ID. Third-party tests don’t offer DMV cars. A rental car is fine if you’re named on the rental contract.

  • Current registration and an insurance card or policy that names the car
  • A valid inspection sticker, if the car needs one, and both license plates fitted
  • Working brake lights, turn signals, horn, windows, door handles and all three mirrors
  • A hand or push-button emergency brake between the front seats
  • No cracks in the windshield and nothing hanging from the mirror
  • Good tires, not a spare donut, and no warning lights on, including low fuel

What the test checks, and third-party testers

The road skills test looks at how safely you control the car, how you use your turn signals, your parallel parking and other skills, and DC rules say it’s given in a busy part of the District. DC DMV doesn’t publish its test routes, but it links a short video on parallel parking in five steps. If you need an interpreter, the examiner can connect you to a phone language line in the car.

Third-party testers are driving instructors DC DMV has trained and certified, working with an approved District school. They follow the same routes and score sheet, start and end at the DMV road test site, and set their own fee of up to $100, plus any charge for their car. A school that taught you driver education can’t also give you your road test. DC DMV lists Dexterity Driving School, CAS Driving School and Ethio Star Driving School as having certified testers.

Canceling, rescheduling and retakes

Call 311 or (202) 737-4404 to cancel or move your test.

  • Cancel at least 48 hours ahead, or you’re charged $30 at your next license transaction.
  • DC DMV may cancel your test if the examiner couldn’t reach the brake in an emergency, if the weather makes it unsafe, or if you or your car don’t meet the rules.
  • If you fail, you wait 72 hours before you can test again.
  • After six fails in 12 months, you can’t take a seventh test until 12 months after the first fail.
Sources: DC DMV · DC Council · DC Office of Documents and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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