Arkansas does not publish its exam format

We looked in both places the state could reasonably put it, and it is in neither.

• The Arkansas Driver License Study Guide is detailed about the $5 exam fee, the vision standard and every graduated licensing stage. It never gives a question count or a pass mark.
• The Arkansas State Police Driver Examination page, published by the agency that administers the test, covers study guides, scheduling, checklists and vision referral forms. It says nothing about the format either.

Study sites widely print 25 questions with 20 correct to pass. That may be accurate, but nothing official supports it, so we will not repeat it as fact. Our practice test uses 30 questions scored at 24, described as our format everywhere it appears.

The practical consequence: aim comfortably high rather than at a threshold, because you cannot know how much room for error you actually have.

The State Police test you, the DFA licenses you

Arkansas splits the job between two agencies. The Arkansas State Police administer the vision test, the knowledge exam and the road skills test at troop testing centers around the state. The Department of Finance and Administration revenue office issues the physical credential afterward.

Expect to visit two different buildings, potentially on the same day. There is no Arkansas DMV, whatever a study site may call it.

Permit and learner’s license are two different things

Most sites merge these into one credential. Arkansas keeps them separate, and the order matters.

• Instruction permit — from age 14, after the knowledge and vision tests. Valid two years from the date you passed the knowledge exam. You may drive with a licensed driver 21 or older beside you
• Learner’s license — ages 14 to 16, and it requires a valid instruction permit showing knowledge, vision and skills tests complete. Collected from a revenue office
• Intermediate license — ages 16 to 18
• Class D license — unrestricted, from 18

The two-year permit validity is worth flagging on its own, because a large number of sites publish one year.

Intermediate restrictions

Two limits apply on an intermediate license. No driving between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older, or traveling to and from a school activity, church activity, job, or an emergency. And no more than one unrelated minor passenger unless a licensed adult of 21 or over is in the front seat.

Cell phone rules are stricter than most states: under 18, no phone use at all, including hands-free. Drivers 18 to 20 may use a hands-free device. Texting is banned at every age.

A clean record is a licensing requirement

Arkansas statute 27-16-704 requires a driving record free of any serious accident or serious traffic violation conviction for the previous 6 months before a learner’s license, and the previous 12 months before an intermediate license. The State Police highlight this as an important notice, because it delays licensing more often than applicants expect.

Points: 3 to 8, warning at 10, hearing at 14

Arkansas assigns 3 to 8 points to every moving violation. A warning letter goes out at 10 points. At 14 or more, a hearing is scheduled automatically, and failing to attend means the license is suspended automatically.

• Speeding 1–10 mph over: 3 points. 15 or more over: 5. 31 or more over: 8
• Reckless driving, hit and run, racing, illegally passing a school bus: 8 each
• Failure to yield, following too closely, running a stop sign or signal: 3 each
• DUI: no points, because it brings revocation instead, and it stays on the record for decades

DFA does not publish the window over which points accumulate, so we have not stated one.

Four ways to skip the intermediate stage

A 16 or 17 year old with six months of driving experience can obtain an unrestricted Class D license early if they have graduated with a diploma or GED, are married, have enlisted in the U.S. military, or are legally emancipated. Few states offer anything comparable.

School bus rules are unusually strict

You must stop for a school bus with red lights flashing whatever your position — same lane, opposing lane or at an intersection. The only exception is a median of 20 feet or more. If the median is narrower than that, every lane stops.

Illegally passing one is a Class A misdemeanor with a fine between $500 and $2,500 and up to a year in jail. Under Isaac’s Law, causing a death that way is a Class C felony for negligent homicide.

Testing in another state?

The variation is wide. Utah hides its pass mark in the administrative code, Nevada lets you take the real test at home by webcam, and Kansas has no point system at all. Compare them all on our states page.

Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, or any government agency. Our questions are original practice material, not real exam questions, and our 30-question format is our own rather than the state’s. Always confirm current requirements with the official Arkansas Driver License Study Guide and the Arkansas State Police.