Arizona publishes both exam numbers plainly, which not every state does: 30 questions and 80% to pass. It also lets under-18s take the whole written test at home. This page collects every figure worth committing to memory.
The exam
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 30 multiple choice |
| To pass | 80% or higher, which is 24 correct |
| Source | The Arizona Driver License Manual |
| Languages | 11 |
| In-office hours | 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| Closed | State holidays and the second Wednesday of every month |
| Appointment | Not necessary for the written test |
The test is offered in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese. An audio version is available in office.
Permit Test @ Home, and the clock it does not start
Under 18, the whole written test runs through a parent or legal guardian’s AZ MVD Now account, or a participating Arizona Professional Driving School. The parent signs in, verifies their identity, completes the teen’s information, pays the $7 application fee, and supervises the test.
The verbal test route
Arizona will consider a verbal knowledge test instead of the written one in three situations, and the second is the one nobody expects:
- You declare you cannot read, or have low reading competency
- You answered a large number incorrectly on a previous test, or failed a second or third attempt
- You read in a foreign language with no written test available
Verbal tests are by appointment at an MVD location.
Ages and timing
| Stage | Rule |
|---|---|
| Instruction permit | From 15 years and 6 months |
| Permit validity | 12 months |
| Holding period | 6 months, or until you turn 18 |
| Class G graduated license | 16 to 18 |
| Class D license | From 18 |
| Supervision | A licensed driver at least 21, in the front passenger seat |
Driver education is not required for the permit itself. If you have never held a US driver license, you must pass the permit test before scheduling a road test, whatever your age.
Speed limits are prima facie, not absolute
Arizona’s speed law starts from a principle. A.R.S. §28-701(A) requires that no person drive faster than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, conditions and actual and potential hazards then existing.
| Where | Prima facie limit |
|---|---|
| Approaching a school crossing | 15 mph |
| Business or residential district | 25 mph |
| Other locations | 65 mph |
There is a rule in the other direction too. Under §28-701(E) you may not drive slower than is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions.
Where speeding becomes criminal
Arizona is one of the states where speeding can be a crime rather than a ticket. §28-701.02 makes excessive speed a Class 3 misdemeanor.
| Conduct | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Approaching a school crossing | More than 35 mph |
| Business or residential district with no posted limit | More than 45 mph |
| Over the posted limit | More than 20 mph over |
A criminal speeding charge carries a court appearance and a criminal record, not just a fine. For a new driver that is a considerably bigger problem than points.
After you pass the test
- Schedule an appointment or visit an MVD location
- Bring the completed application form 40-5122
- Bring originals of your supporting documents — copies are not accepted
- Bring your parent or guardian to sign approval, or a signed notarized application if they cannot attend
- The MVD tests your vision and takes your photo at that visit
Moving here with a license
Currently licensed in another US state? You typically will not need a written test at all.
Arizona also names four places whose valid licenses may exempt you from both the written and the road skills test: Canada, Germany, Taiwan and South Korea. The Taiwan and South Korea exemptions apply at 18 or older.
The dust storm rule
The same logic applies to flooded washes. Depth markers beside a dry crossing are not decoration, and moving water carries vehicles away at depths that look harmless from the driving seat.
Use this properly
Six wrong answers out of thirty is real room, and Arizona is unusually open about what it expects. A cheat sheet is the last read-through rather than the study plan.
Read the Arizona Driver License Manual, use this page to check the numbers stuck, then take the full practice test until you are consistently above 27 out of 30. Bank the easy marks with the signs and markings test, and see the whole process on the Arizona permit guide.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division or any government agency. Rules and fees change. Always confirm current figures against the official Arizona Driver License Manual, azdot.gov/mvd and the Arizona Revised Statutes.