How to Pass the Alabama DMV Exam 2026
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility and Gather Your Documents
Make sure you qualify before you begin
Alabama calls the first credential a Learner License, not a learner's permit. Any person who is at least 15 years old may obtain a restricted Learner License after passing the knowledge test. It is issued as a Class D license carrying a 'Y' restriction. Alabama's Graduated Driver License (GDL) law, effective October 1, 2002, sets 16 as the minimum age to drive on your own.
- Proof of identity, such as a certified birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Documents proving your Alabama residency and address
- Proof of lawful presence if you are not a U.S. citizen
If you are under 19, a parent or legal guardian must come with you to sign your application and accept responsibility. Bring unexpired originals or certified copies, and bring cash for the test fee — the Alabama Driver Manual states that the fee for each knowledge test is $5.00 and that no checks are accepted.
Separate credentials exist for other vehicles: a Class M motorcycle license is available at 16, a Class M with a 'B' restriction lets 14- and 15-year-olds operate a motor driven cycle of no more than 200 pounds and 150cc, and a vessel license may be obtained at 12.
Step 2: Study the Official Alabama Driver Manual
Prepare for the knowledge test
The knowledge test covers Alabama traffic laws, road signs, and the rules of safe driving, and it is taken entirely from material in the Alabama Driver Manual published by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Driver License Division. Studying the current November 2024 edition is the single best way to pass on your first attempt.
- Traffic signs, signals, and pavement markings — including that a flashing red signal means the same as a STOP sign
- Right-of-way: at an uncontrolled intersection the driver on the left yields to the vehicle on the right, and you must stop and yield to a blind pedestrian using a white cane tipped with red or a guide dog
- Alabama speed limits: 30 mph in an urban district, 35 mph on an unpaved road, 45 mph on a county paved road, 55 mph elsewhere, and 65 or 70 mph only where posted
- The two-second following rule, the Move Over law, the school bus stopping law, parking distances, and the point system
Read the manual here: Alabama Driver Manual (PDF, ALEA). Then take online practice tests that mirror the real exam format to check that you are ready.
Step 3: Pass the Knowledge Test and Get Your Learner License
Take the knowledge and vision tests
Visit an ALEA driver license examining office to take the written knowledge test and the vision screening. The exam is 30 questions and you must answer at least 24 correctly — a score of 80% — so no more than 6 mistakes are allowed.
- Answer 24 of 30 questions correctly (80%) to pass; up to 6 errors are allowed
- The fee is $5.00 for each knowledge test, and no checks are accepted
- Pass the vision screening, then receive your Class D Learner License with the 'Y' restriction
ALEA offers the written knowledge examination in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese, and an oral examination is available for applicants who are unable to read the test.
A Learner License issued at 15 is valid for four years and may be renewed once; a Learner License issued at 16 or older is valid for four years.
Step 4: Practice Driving Under Supervision
Build your driving experience under the 'Y' restriction
The 'Y' restriction controls who must sit beside you while you learn. Alabama does not publish a minimum number of logged practice hours — what it requires is a holding period, so use that time to get real experience in varied conditions.
- At 15, you may drive only when accompanied by a licensed Alabama driver who is at least 21 years old, or a licensed or certified driving instructor, occupying the seat beside you
- After your 16th birthday, any licensed driver may occupy that seat
- If you are 16 but under 18, you must hold the Learner License for six months — or until your 18th birthday — before you may take the road test
Practice the skills the examiner will score: signaling at least 100 feet before a turn, keeping a two-second following distance, stopping 15 to 50 feet from a railroad crossing when a stop is required, and stopping at least 20 feet from a school or church bus with its stop arm out and red lights flashing.
Step 5: Understand Alabama's Graduated Driver License Restrictions
Know the Stage II rules before you drive alone
Alabama's GDL has three stages. Stage I is the Learner License. At 16 you move to Stage II, a restricted license that lets you drive unaccompanied but under real limits. Violating them is a licensing matter, so learn them before your first solo trip.
- Curfew: you must not drive between midnight and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or by a licensed driver 21 or older with parental consent, or unless you are traveling to or from school, a religious event, employment, or an emergency
- Passengers: no more than one passenger in the vehicle other than parents, legal guardians, or family members
- Phones: no use of any handheld communication device while driving
You reach Stage III, the unrestricted license, at age 17 after holding Stage II for at least six months. An applicant who is 18 or older has no Stage II waiting period at all.
Step 6: Schedule and Pass the Road Test
Prove you can drive safely
Once you have satisfied the six-month Learner License holding period (if you are 16 but under 18), schedule your road test at an ALEA examining office. Bring a properly registered and insured vehicle in safe operating condition with working seat belts, signals, and brake lights.
- Show controlled starting, stopping, backing, turning, lane use, and parking — including parking on a hill: downhill, turn your wheels toward the curb; uphill with a curb, turn them away from the curb; uphill without a curb, turn them to the right
- Signal your intentions at least 100 feet before turning, and obey all signs, signals, right-of-way rules, and posted speed limits
- Every occupant of the vehicle must be restrained — Alabama's safety belt law applies regardless of age
The examiner scores how safely you handle real traffic. If you do not pass on the first attempt, practice the skills you lost points on and return to retest.
Step 7: Receive Your Alabama Driver License and Stay Legal
Get licensed and drive responsibly
After you pass the road test and pay the fee, ALEA issues your license. An Alabama driver license expires four years after it is issued and may be renewed without re-examination within a three-year period after it expires.
- Mandatory Liability Insurance minimums: $25,000 for death or bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more persons, and $25,000 for property damage. Driving without it carries a fine of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $1,000 for a second, and/or a six-month license suspension
- Alcohol: it is unlawful to drive at .08% BAC or more; the limit is .02% for drivers under 21 and for school bus and daycare drivers, and .04% for commercial operators. A first DUI conviction brings a $600–$2,100 fine, up to a year in jail, and a 90-day suspension
- Hands-free law: physically holding a wireless device is a violation — $50 and 1 point for a first conviction, $100 and 2 points for a second, $150 and 3 points for a third within 24 months
- Point system: 12–14 points in a two-year period suspends your license for 60 days, 15–17 for 90 days, 18–20 for 120 days, 21–23 for 180 days, and 24 or more for 365 days
Also remember Alabama's Move Over law: on a road of four or more lanes you must vacate the lane nearest a stopped emergency vehicle or wrecker with lights flashing, and if changing lanes is unsafe, slow to at least 15 mph below the posted limit.
What it costs
The Alabama Driver Manual publishes the test fee directly; issuance fees are set by ALEA and change from time to time.
- Knowledge test: $5.00 for each test, no checks accepted
- License issuance fee: set by ALEA — confirm the current amount before your visit
- Reinstatement after a cancellation, suspension, revocation, or disqualification: not less than $100, plus $50 if you failed to surrender your license when directed, $25 for a drug-related conviction, and $50 for a child-support suspension
Check the current schedule before you go: ALEA — Driver License Information
These links should help guide you through the application and testing process. Each official state agency page contains the latest requirements and resources to ensure you have everything needed to obtain your Alabama driver’s license.
