The whole path at a glance
Washington uses a graduated system, which is a fancy way of saying you earn driving privileges in stages instead of all at once. For most new drivers the order looks like this:
- Take a state-approved drivers education course (required under 18).
- Apply for your instruction permit.
- Practice. The state wants 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night.
- Pass the knowledge test (40 questions) and the skills test (the in-car drive).
- Apply for your license at a licensing office.
Adults 18 and over can skip the drivers ed requirement today, though that is changing (more on that below). The rest of the steps are the same. We walk through each one next.
Step 1: Drivers education
If you are under 18, Washington will not license you without a completed drivers ed course from an approved school. The course is 30 hours of classroom, 6 hours behind the wheel, and an hour of in-car observation. You can start at 15.
WMST runs this program in person at high schools across Snohomish County and online, paired with local drives. See Teen Drivers Education for what is included, or browse the locations to find a class near you.
Step 2: The instruction permit
The permit lets you practice on public roads with a supervising driver next to you. You can apply at 15 if you are enrolled in drivers ed, or at 15 and a half if you are not. You pass the knowledge test, show your documents, and if you are under 18 a parent gives permission. The permit is good for one year.
Full details, including what to bring, are in our learner permit guide.
Step 3: Practice, 50 hours of it
Permit in hand, you practice with a licensed driver who has at least 5 years of experience in the passenger seat. The state asks for 50 hours total, with at least 10 at night, and a parent signs off that you did them. This is where the skills actually stick, so it is worth doing properly rather than racing through it.
We put together a real method for logging the hours in the 50-hour guide.
Step 4: The two tests
There are two: the knowledge test and the skills test. The knowledge test is 40 questions on the computer, and you need 80 percent to pass. The skills test is the drive, where an examiner scores your control, your decisions, and your parking.
WMST is a DOL-approved examiner, so our students can train and test with the same school. That is unusual, and it matters: the person scoring you teaches the same maneuvers you practiced.
Step 5: The intermediate license
Pass both tests and, if you are 16 or 17, you get an intermediate license. It comes with rules for the first months: limits on young passengers and a late-night driving window. Those restrictions lift over time, and at 18 they no longer apply, so the driver moves to a standard license.
What it all costs
Between the course, the test fees, and the license itself, families ask us for a real number all the time. We broke down every fee in the cost guide so there are no surprises.