Maryland MVA road test: what to expect
By appointment (online or 410-768-7000). Includes driving on public roads and a skills course at the test site. Only the applicant and the examiner (plus an MVA-approved interpreter if needed) may be in the vehicle.
What the examiner checks
- Pull-in parking and back-in parking in a 10 x 20 foot space
- Three-point turn in a 16 x 20 foot space
- Reverse two-point turn (parallel parking is no longer tested)
- On-road driving
Your car
- Up-to-date license plates and registration
- Proof of insurance
- Safe to drive; no windshield cracks or obstructions
- At least half a tank of gas
After you pass
Drivers under 18 (at least 18 years old and 18 months on the provisional license with no moving violation or PBJ in the past 18 months; converted automatically) get a provisional or junior license first. Its restrictions:
- Under 18: the driver and all passengers must wear seat belts or be in child safety seats (this restriction ends at 18; the general seat belt law still applies to everyone)
- Under 18: no unsupervised passengers under 18 for the first 151 days, except immediate family (spouse, children, siblings, step-siblings, relatives living at the same address)
- Under 18: no unsupervised driving from midnight to 5 a.m. except to, from or during a job, an organized volunteer program, a school class or official school activity, or an athletic event or training (ends at 18)
- Under 18: no wireless device use, even hands-free, except to call 911
- Under 18 penalties: 1st moving violation = driver improvement program; 2nd = 30-day suspension plus 90-day work/school restriction; 3rd = 180-day suspension, young-driver program and 180-day restriction; 4th or more = revocation
- 18 and older on a provisional license: 1st = driver improvement program; 2nd = 30-day suspension; 3rd or more = up to 180-day suspension or revocation. Each violation restarts the 18-month conviction-free period
How to prepare
- Practise in the car you'll take the test in, including parking and backing up.
- Drive the kinds of roads near the test site with your supervising driver: intersections, lane changes, school zones.
- Check the car the day before: lights, signals, horn, brakes, mirrors, tires, seat belts, and current registration and insurance documents.
- On the day, signal every turn and lane change, check mirrors and blind spots visibly, and come to full stops behind the line.
Questions
How long do I need my permit before the Maryland road test?
At least Under 18: 9 months without a violation. Age 18 with a diploma/GED, or 19-24: 3 months without a violation. 25 and older: at least 45 days. Any age with a moving-violation conviction/PBJ or a suspension: 9 months from the most recent one. Type 1 permit is valid up to 2 years., with 60 hours of supervised driving (10 at night).
How old do I have to be to take the Maryland road test?
16 years 6 months (15y9m + the 9-month holding period for under-18s; derived, not stated by MVA) for a provisional or junior license; restrictions end at 18 (at least 18 years old and 18 months on the provisional license with no moving violation or PBJ in the past 18 months; converted automatically).
Source: Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA), checked 2026-10-27.