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This guide will step you through the process to get a passenger (Class D) learner's permit and driver's license, which allows you to legally operate a passenger vehicle, van or small truck. Information includes steps to get a driver’s license, parent/guardian information, safe driving tips, as well as study materials.
To legally drive in Massachusetts, you must first apply for a learner's permit. The learner’s permit exam tests your understanding of Massachusetts motor vehicle laws and safe driving practices. A learner’s permit gives you permission to drive while you practice your driving skills and prepare for your road test.
To apply for your learner's permit, click here.
To request a driver's manual, click here.
After you obtain a Class D learner’s permit, you must take and pass a Class D road test to obtain your driver’s license. If you are under 18 years of age, you must meet all junior operator requirements before taking your road test.
To schedule your road test, click here.
Completion of a licensed Professional Driver’s Education program is required of all Class D and M driver's license applicants under the age of 18 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
For information on types of driver's education programs and driver's education requirements, click here.
The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program is designed to improve teen driver safety by providing parents and guardians with a common-sense approach to teaching driving skills.
Any driver or motorcyclist between the ages of 16 1/2 and 18 is considered a Junior Operator. The Junior Operator Law has several requirements and restrictions that significantly affect the operation of a motor vehicle by a person who has a Junior Operator’s License (JOL). The basic purpose of the law is to provide new drivers supervised opportunities in which to develop good driving skills, while keeping those drivers free of the possible distractions caused by friends under age 18 who are present while the drivers are behind the wheel. For more information on permit and license restrictions for junior operators, click here.
The Junior Operator Law and the Safe Driver Law impose penalties for certain violations issued to junior operators. For a complete list of Junior Operator violations, click here.
A driver’s license is a privilege, and with that comes the responsibilities of understanding and following the laws, and keeping you and other drivers safe on the road. Watch these videos to prepare for a lifetime of safe driving, bicycling, and walking.
Scan the Streets
2022 Safe Streets Smart Trips High School Video Contest Winners
"Signs Are Your Friend" - Newton North High
"Can't Stop Motion" - Millis High School
Check out these dedicated webpages for more safety tips:
Pedestrians and Bicyclists Safety
Teens, and Speeding: Breaking the Deadly Cycle
Topics covered on the exam include alcohol misuse, suspensions, and JOL violations, as well as rules of the road and identifying road signs. To pass the exam, you must answer 18 questions correctly within the allotted time of 25 minutes. Once the exam is started, you may not pause. To prepare for the exam, study the Class D driver's manual.
Class D learner's permit exams are available in 34 languages. If you need to take the permit exam in-person, you will be asked to wear face coverings, and gloves when using the touch-screen monitors.
To practice taking your learner's permit exam, click here.
You must first visit a Service Center to present your application. Customers must meet all existing requirements to be eligible to take the permit exam. Prior to your visit to the Service Center, you will need to make an appointment through the Make or Cancel a Reservation transaction on www.Mass.Gov/myRMV.
Click here for detailed instructions on taking the exam online.
If you have a cognitive or physical disability that would prevent you from taking a standard learner’s permit exam on a computer, you may request an alternative extended time, paper, or oral exam. To request an extended time or paper exam, you must speak to the service center manager when you visit the service center. To request an oral exam, please call (857) 368-8105 and leave a message that includes your name, your telephone number, the specifics of your request, and the RMV Service Center where you would like to take your oral exam. You will then be contacted by an RMV employee who will help you schedule an exam.
For oral exams, you must provide the service center manager with written documentation that confirms the nature of your disability. This documentation may be a doctor's or social worker's letter, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), or a letter from a school on official letterhead. You will also need to provide all of the required identification documents.
An oral exam will only be provided if it has been scheduled in advance by calling the number above. Extended time and paper exams do not need to be scheduled in advance.
