The Texas Permit Test Questions People Miss Most

The Texas permit test questions people miss most are the ones built on exact numbers: how long a Vehicle Inspection Report is valid, the urban speed limit, ID card fees and parking distances. The single most-missed question in our data is about the VIR, and the right answer is 90 days.

This list comes from GetMyPermit's own answer data for Texas: how often each practice question was answered wrong, and which wrong answer people picked most. Every answer key below was checked against the Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, revised January 2026), and each one lists the handbook section and page so you can read the rule yourself. Page numbers are PDF pages.

The hardest Texas permit test questions, ranked by miss rate

1. How long a Vehicle Inspection Report is valid

• Question: For registration purposes, how long is the Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) valid? (30 days, 60 days, 90 days or 1 year)
• Right answer: C, 90 days
• How often it's missed: 79% of 964 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was A, 30 days, chosen in 36% of answers.
• The rule: The Vehicle Inspection section of the handbook (p. 21) sets the VIR's validity at 90 days. Thirty days is a different Texas rule (see the nonresident question below), which may be why so many people pick it.

2. The urban district speed limit

• Question: What is the maximum speed limit for an urban district, unless otherwise posted? (15, 25, 30 or 35 mph)
• Right answer: C, 30 mph
• How often it's missed: 71% of 785 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was B, 25 mph, chosen in 45% of answers.
• The rule: Table 22 in the Speed Limits section (p. 52) gives 30 mph for an urban district when no other limit is posted.

3. The ID card fee and how long it lasts

• Question: For an ID card holder 59 or younger, what is the standard fee and expiration period? ($5 and 2 years, $10 and 4 years, $16 and 6 years, or $25 and 8 years)
• Right answer: C, $16, 6 years
• How often it's missed: 70% of 727 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was B, $10, 4 years, chosen in 37% of answers.
• The rule: Table 6 in the Identification (ID) Cards section (p. 11) and the fee list in Appendix D (p. 87) back the $16, six-year answer. Don't mix it up with the learner license: that is also $16 ($15 plus a $1 fee), but it expires on your 18th birthday (p. 7).

4. Adding a drug allergy to your card

• Question: How does DPS instruct people to add medical information about drug allergies to a license or ID card?
• Right answer: A, Use a permanent ink pen and write the medication name on the back of the card
• How often it's missed: 63% of 727 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was B, Call DPS and have it printed on the front, chosen in 57% of answers.
• The rule: This comes from the "Allergic Reaction to Drugs" part of the Medical and Emergency Information section (p. 11). Having DPS print it on the front was the most common wrong pick, but it is not the answer the handbook supports.

5. Parking near a fire hydrant

• Question: Within what distance of a fire hydrant is it illegal to park or stand a vehicle? (10, 15, 20 or 30 feet)
• Right answer: B, 15 feet
• How often it's missed: 56% of 884 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was A, 10 feet, chosen in 23% of answers.
• The rule: The "Do Not Park or Stand a Vehicle" list (p. 48) puts the limit at 15 feet from a fire hydrant.

6. Who gets a provisional license

• Question: What age range is a provisional license issued to? (14 to 16, 15 to 17, 16 to 18, or 18 to 21)
• Right answer: C, 16 to 18
• How often it's missed: 55% of 827 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was B, 15 to 17, chosen in 24% of answers.
• The rule: The Provisional License section (p. 9) gives the age range as 16 to 18.

7. What Restriction Code X means

• Question: What does Restriction Code X indicate?
• Right answer: A, No cargo in CMV tank vehicle
• How often it's missed: 49% of 830 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was D, No freeway exit use, chosen in 23% of answers.
• The rule: Restriction codes are listed in Appendix E of the handbook (PDF p. 89, printed page 83), and code X is "No cargo in CMV tank vehicle." Don't guess from the letter.

8. Driving a nonresident vehicle in Texas

• Question: How long may a nonresident operate a vehicle in Texas before it must be registered in Texas? (10, 20, 30 or 60 days)
• Right answer: C, 30 days
• How often it's missed: 44% of 737 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was D, 60 days, chosen in 20% of answers.
• The rule: The section on vehicle registration for new and nonresidents of Texas (p. 23) says a nonresident vehicle may be operated for 30 days before Texas registration is required.

9. The license renewal fee at 85 and older

• Question: For a driver 85 and older, what is the renewal fee for a driver license (Class A, B or C)? ($33, $21, $16 or $9)
• Right answer: D, $9
• How often it's missed: 37% of 107 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was A, $33, chosen in 17% of answers.
• The rule: Appendix D, Driver License Fees (p. 87), lists a $9 renewal for drivers 85 and older, and that license lasts two years. This question has fewer answers in our data than the others (107), so its miss rate is less settled.

10. The Less Tears More Years Act

• Question: Under the Less Tears More Years Act, what is required of applicants younger than 25?
• Right answer: A, They must take a driver education course to apply for a driver license
• How often it's missed: 33% of 832 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was D, They must complete 100 hours of supervised driving only, chosen in 22% of answers.
• The rule: The handbook covers this act in Part 1: The Knowledge exam (p. 13). The common wrong pick adds "100 hours of supervised driving only," which is not the answer the handbook supports. The answer is the driver education course.

11. When you must signal

• Question: According to the handbook, what is a situation requiring a signal? (starting the engine, driving straight through an intersection, entering or leaving a highway, or turning on windshield wipers)
• Right answer: C, Entering or leaving a highway
• How often it's missed: 23% of 740 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was B, Driving straight through an intersection, chosen in 19% of answers.
• The rule: The How to Signal section (p. 44) has an "Always signal when you are going to" list, and entering or leaving a highway is on it. Driving straight through an intersection, the common wrong pick, is not the answer the handbook supports.

12. The new license fee for ages 18 to 84

• Question: According to Appendix D, what is the new driver license fee (Class A, B or C) for ages 18 to 84? ($16, $21, $33 or $48)
• Right answer: C, $33
• How often it's missed: 17% of 248 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was A, $16, chosen in 7% of answers.
• The rule: Appendix D (p. 87) lists $33 for a new license at ages 18 to 84, and it expires after eight years. The wrong pick, $16, is the learner license fee.

13. Replacing a license or changing your address

• Question: What is the fee to replace a lost, stolen or damaged driver license, or change your address or name? ($5, $9, $11 or $21)
• Right answer: C, $11
• How often it's missed: 14% of 208 answers got it wrong. The most picked wrong answer was D, $21, chosen in 7% of answers.
• The rule: Appendix D (p. 87) lists $11 for a replacement or a change of address or name, and your expiration date stays the same. The Replacement section (p. 9) breaks it down as a $10 license fee plus a $1 transaction fee.

What these Texas permit test questions have in common

Most of the misses are close-number traps. The wrong answers sit close to the right one, and some are real numbers from a different rule: 30 days is the nonresident rule, not the VIR, and $16 is the learner license fee, not a new license. When you study, write down what each number belongs to, not just the number.

Fees and restriction codes live in the appendices at the back of the handbook (Appendix D for fees, Appendix E for restriction codes), so don't skip them just because they look like reference pages.

What we can and can't confirm about the Texas knowledge test

• Passing score: 70 percent on any knowledge exam (Part 1: The Knowledge exam, p. 13).
• Number of questions: not confirmed. The handbook doesn't state it, and we couldn't confirm it from an official DPS page.
• Time limit: not confirmed. The handbook doesn't state one.
• Languages: not confirmed from an official source. Check with Texas DPS before your visit.
• Online test: not confirmed. The handbook says applications must be made in person (p. 12) and doesn't describe an online knowledge exam.

If you need any of these details, check with Texas DPS directly before your appointment.

Practice the questions people miss

Reading the rule once rarely sticks for number questions. Quiz yourself until you can pick the right number without hesitating. The Texas practice test on GetMyPermit includes these questions, with an explanation after each answer.

Sources

• Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7)